Is it Possible that Jimmy Bivins...

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by LittleRed, May 22, 2012.


  1. LittleRed

    LittleRed Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Was the best of the Murders Row fighters? He beat everybody at one point our another; his resume looks significantly deeper than Burley's (who is, of course, an all time great). Is it because he looks so average on film? Or am I missing something...
     
  2. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    He doesn't look average on film, it's just most of the available film of him is when he is well past his prime. Youtube used to have a bivins vs christaforidas clip 1943....Bivins looks spectacular in that one.

    Bivins is definitely one of the best of the murders row
     
  3. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    "Freak" is the right term to describe him. Only 5'9, possessed an extremely long reach, near 80". One report described "Bivins looked as though he could tough the ground with his hands standing straight up letting his arms dangle" lol. His long arms allowed him to outbox many 6'3 heavyweights at long range during his career.

    Bivins was a very scientific boxer. In most of the film we see on youtube he appears slow. That is because most of the footage is him while past his prime. If you watch film of him in the early 1940s, he was not slow. He was quite slick, cagey, and had very nice upperbody movement. Good swift jab, could punch, and was very intelligent. Also had a nice chin, and a lot of courage.

    An underrated middleweight, ATG light-heavyweight, and a very good heavyweight.
     
  4. LittleRed

    LittleRed Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Is it possible he was better than say Burley who consistently gets ranked higher.
     
  5. Flea Man

    Flea Man มวยสากล Full Member

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    It's possible. Bivins stales a claim as the best heavyweight not called Joe Louis before his famous counterparts did and more than held his own against the best fighters at middle and light heavy previously.

    He's right up there. Burley gets more sympathy but Bivins was less avoided and therefore claimed some incredible scalps.
     
  6. Vano-Irons

    Vano-Irons Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    :happy

    YES YES YES YES!!!!

    Bivins
    Marshall
    Burley
     
  7. thistle1

    thistle1 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    3 excellent examples of just how great the fighters from this period in boxing were. for me though the top honour of the 3 belongs to Lloyd Marshall.

    on his best, he bests damn near anybody at middle & l-hw. but as I also state he is by no means alone, there were litteraly 'dozens' of them from this period.

    Dozens & dozens of Greats in all weight classes from all of boxings top nations then!
     
  8. Vano-Irons

    Vano-Irons Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    And people said the welterweight era today was stacked! Back then we had Marshall, Charles, Bivins, Moore, Gus, Billy Fox, Maxim etc etc. and that's in 1 division, and totally forgets Robinson, Louis, burley etc
     
  9. Flea Man

    Flea Man มวยสากล Full Member

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  10. Lester1583

    Lester1583 Can you hear this? Full Member

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    He's lucky he haven't met Burley!:tong:bbb
     
  11. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

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    Bivins isn't near the best of them P4P imo He was just bigger and stronger, around 8-10lbs (18lbs on Moore!!) than the likes of Burley/Charles/Moore/Marshall when he was beating them. When Charles and Moore gained a bit of weight and matured they beat him
     
  12. Vano-Irons

    Vano-Irons Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    It can easily be argued that those fighters only beat him once he started to slip
     
  13. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    He was still in his prime in 1946 when those guys beat him.
     
  14. Vano-Irons

    Vano-Irons Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    I think his prime ended when he lost to Jersey Joe. I won't argue too much that Charles beat a very good Bivins, but by the time Moore got hold of him, he had lost a couple times to Lee Murray.

    His 4 year unbeaten stint from 42-46 was absolutely awesome
     
  15. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

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    You can argue what you want, what's indisputable is the fact his legacy is made off men weighing 8-18lbs less than him (usually 10lbs). Also what evidence is that he started to slip, other than he lost? Losing doesn't necessarily mean you started to slip