I have always felt that Jimmy Bivins who was born in 1919, most closely resembled Sam Langford,born in a 1887. Both had long arms for their height. Both fought the VERY best bigger fighters of their times and prospered. I have always wondered of who would win a fantasy bout between these two great fighters from entirely different era's. Sam Langford was a great famous name in his time. Rightfully so ! But Jimmy Bivins [who I saw once] might have been just as good a fighter..Look at who the LH [175-80 lb] Bivins beat in his career....Joey Maxim, Tami Mauriello, Bob Pastor, Ezzard Charles, Lloyd Marshall, Archie Moore, Curtis Sheppard, Lee Q Murray , and other top fighters of the great and rich 1940s era ! What a roster of great fighters Bivins met and beat. So what say you .Who wins this fantasy fight...?
Langford is indeed a Terror regarding both P4P greatness and H2H match-ups. Gotta go with him, late as a testimony to Bivin's ultimate spoiler tactics. I'll give you two look-a-likes born 66 years apart! HG: This content is protected GH! This content is protected
Yes S, the lightweight Greg Haugen certainly looked a lot like my idol Harry Greb. When I first saw Haugen against Pazienza, I saw the same owl-like features of Greb....Haugen though not a great fighter, was also a throwback to the era of the Pittsburgh Windmill. A tough S.O.B......
Difficult one for me to call this one - only really seen Bivins on film versus Moore and EZ but one things for sure - both found him frustrating to fight and both were made to work - it's a testament to him that he looked to me to be the better boxer in there against both - which is saying something - very busy with the left hand and better with the jab than both Moore and Charles and looked to be able to control the arms in close - against Charles he continually tying things up - very awkward guy to fight - neither Moore or Charles could avoid his jab - and both at times were reduced to looking for the big shots and failing - Bivins couldn't seem to be caught cleanly - the only time he was hurt was when suddenly folded without real explanation against Moore - but yeah if forced to call I would've said Bivins was the boxer in there against both Moore and Charles - Moore in particular looked to find him very crafty and even then Bivins looked to be holding the right hand in reserve - the rare occasions he did throw it it seldom missed its mark and he could stings shots together even if they didn't have as much pop behind them as Moore or Charles - in short I imagine all of his fights were at least very difficult to score Still think Langford would come out with some top draw stuff sooner or later - what would help Sam I think is that he never seemed to be in a rush and never looked frustrated if forced to take a step back - I think he would admire Jimmys style a bit actually but he would eventually get to him and detonate something very bad on Bivins I think - very late possibly and potentially out of no where - just wouldn't bet against Langford against many really unless they were all time great heavyweights
Hya Rocky. i saw Jimmy Bivins ringside only once, when he fought a draw with the tough southpaw Melio Bettina in MSG in the 1940s. Both were defensive minded and nullified each other's attacks...
Hello Burt, that's the thing with Bivins for me it look for all the world to me like he could put anyone on the end of that long slithering jab and he looked very defensively minded - but the rare occasions he strings a few together against Archie he looked to be able to ping some good shots out if not the hardest in the world - what do you think led to the (seemingly) holding a lot in reserve style when it looked to me that he was able to string shots together well?? He REALLY seemed to be holding back with the right hand against Archie - I wondered if there was something up with it?? And flop to the canvas against Arch seemed to come out of nowhere - how was his chin generally? That was literally the only time he was hurt at any stage in those two filmed goes against Moore and Charles - would guess that it would have to be something really special to get Jimmy out but then Langford for me was just that fighter - was watching Langford-Jeanette earlier aswell and I'd say approach-wise Bivins and Jeanette were cut from similar cloth? Although Bivins was obviously more fluid and loose but you can see that Jeanette was very defensively minded - never one to take the fight by the scruff of the neck and he was similarly adept (and frequent) with his holding and spoiling tactics as Jimmy
Agree, Jimmy Bivins seemed to adopt the policy, "fools rush in where angel's fear to tread". He was a cautious fighter who went up against some of the hardest punchers of his weight and beyond, and was successful . Smart, intelligent and cautious was Bivins. Which LH since him, could beat a Maxim, Moore, Charles, Marshall, Sheppard,Lee Q Murray, Bettina, Morrow, etc all in their primes and last so long ? Answer None...Cheers R...
