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

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)

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

There should be one for Simon Legree

 

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.

 

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.