Joey Maxim, the anti-colorline .. what a resume

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by he grant, Apr 22, 2018.


  1. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    When the names of the great light heavyweights come up you almost never heard the name Joey Maxim. Guys like Loughran and Tunney are covered with glory despite never stepping into the ring with a black fighter .. guys like Greb and LaMotta that actually did fight a few are lauded as heroes .. there is no doubt that many, many white fighters managed to avoid totally or minimize fighting the best black fighters foe the first sixty years of the 20th Century .. that being said I ask if any white champion fought as many top quality black fighters in the first two thirds of the 20th Century, at light heavyweight and heavyweight as Joey Maxim .. Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott, Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall, Eddie Machen, Curtis Shappard .. the list is incredible .. When you rate Maxim and see 28 losses that sure does not tell the whole story.
     
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  2. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    Great post....

    Maxim absolutely was one of the guys to break the color line and he set precedent for future white champions..

    He deserves a ton of credit

    Consider he defeated Jersey joe Walcott, sugar ray Robinson, Floyd Patterson...the only man to ever defeat those three

    Maxim on film was a great fighter...terrific left jab, high ring IQ, good technique, he had an iron chin, quick hands...

    Another fighter to give credit to for breaking the color line...Rocky Marciano. Consider he defended his title 3x against black men Walcott Charles Moore. Prior to 1952, the title had been defended by a white Hw champion against a black challenger a total of 2 times ( Braddock Louis , burns Johnson)

    Jake lamotta once said "I deserve more credit for being one of the few white fighters of the era to take on the black murderers row)
     
  3. Bummy Davis

    Bummy Davis Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Very good points made, he grant, I always wondered why Maxim was not spoken of he was a rugged boxer, not electric power but had a solid chin and tough as nails...Guys like Maxim,Marciano,Louis,Walcott,Greb,Pep fought everyone and ducked no one because of color, they simply fought the best
     
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  4. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    Rocky fought and beat everyone .. can't top that.
     
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  5. OvidsExile

    OvidsExile At a minimum, a huckleberry over your persimmon. Full Member

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    So you would like to erect a statue to this man for beating up more blacks than any white man in history?
     
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  6. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    :pipi
     
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  7. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    :facepalm:
     
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  8. red cobra

    red cobra Loyal Member Full Member

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    I've always been a fan of Maxim...clever, defensive boxers have always been my weakness!!
     
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  9. OvidsExile

    OvidsExile At a minimum, a huckleberry over your persimmon. Full Member

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    Yeah, his technical skills should be applauded, but physically what a wimp. 22 percent KO record. He'll go down as one of the great slappers like 20 percent Kid Gavilan, 20 percent Miguel Canto, 17 percent Willie Pastrano, 16 percent Joey Archer, 11 percent Tommy Loughran, 10 percent Nicolino Locche, or 7 percent Maxie Rosenbloom. He makes Pernell Whitaker and Willie Pep look like brutes.
     
  10. edward morbius

    edward morbius Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Maxim was far from alone. Here are some with their name black opponents. * indicates he won. Not complete, of course, only those I think I can identify.

    Teddy Yarosz-----Sammy Slaughter*, Oscar Rankins*, Archie Moore*, Al Gainer*, Lloyd Marshall*, Nate Bolden*,
    Turkey Thompson, Jimmy Reeves*, Jimmy Bivins, Ezzard Charles.

    Sammy Angott-----Jackie Wilson*, Bob Montgomery*, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Beau Jack, Luther White*, Ike Williams*, Gene Burton, Johnny Bratton*

    Fritzie Zivic-----Charley Burley*, Eddie Booker*, Henry Armstrong*, Sugar Ray Robinson, Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery, Jose Basora, Tommy Bell, Billy Arnold*, Jackie Wilson

    Rex Layne-----Jersey Joe Walcott*, Ezzard Charles*, Turkey Thompson*, Bob Satterfield*, Bob Baker, Bob Dunlap*, Bob Garner*, Dave Whitfield*, Henry Hall*, Willie Bean*, Earl Walls, Hurricane Jackson

    There are others like Willie Pep, Gene Fullmer, Carmen Basilio, Jake LaMotta, Melio Bettina, and Lee Savold who ignored the color line.

    Teddy Yarosz and Sammy Angott really stand out on Rummy's best of the decade lists he is posting now. Both are guys most generally overlook.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
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  11. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    There should be one for Simon Legree
     
  12. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    The degree of color line certainly fades as the century progressed into the fifties but there remains little doubt that the playing field was not level and many, many fighters and management managed risk reward to their advantage and had the economics of scale to do so. That aside, still one hell of a resume.
     
  13. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    Also tremendous guts .. in the Moore bouts he took some serious punishment and hung in there ..
     
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  14. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    Robinson and Tommy Bell were about to face off for the vacant Welterweight Title. The promoter {I believe Jacobs} had to put out some questions to the boxing writers to see if they would object to a Championship bout between two black boxers. They gave it the green light. That was 1946. So yea race was still a significant factor and there wasnt a level playing field around that time.
     
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  15. edward morbius

    edward morbius Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Marciano actually had four defenses against black fighters.

    Which means, I think, he made the majority of defenses against black challengers of any white heavyweight champion in the 20th century, and rather shockingly, he is the only white heavyweight champion, I think, to successfully defend his title against a black challenger in the 20th century. The others, Burns, Braddock, and Johansson, all lost.

    I don't think I had ever noticed that until this thread.