Why did Robinson fight Maxim?

Ok.....good input.

 

It’s understandable coming from Maxim. He won the fight fair. Better to be lucky than good at times. Ray had a lot of ham in him. He wanted to give people their $ worth when they paid to see him fight. As it was he had to fight 13 rounds for himself and 13 rounds for Maxim. Joey was just catching.

 

Moore and Robinson were never going to fight without Moore having the title. Moore didn't win his championship until six months after Robinson-Maxim, the same month Robinson retired in fact. There was talk, between the two, of fighting later when both were champions and Robinson had made his comeback, but it never went anywhere. There would have been no point in Robinson fighting Moore in 1952. Too much risk, too little reward and all of the pressure would have been on Robinson. Simply not the type of fight Robinson went after. The only real public discussion of that fight was in early 1952. Jack Hurley, Harry Kid Matthews' manager had made a big stink against the NBA demanding that Matthews get a title shot and claiming he was being avoided because Matthews wasn't "connected." Matthews had beaten Bob Murphy and ran up an undefeated record while Murphy had been the one to get a title shot and lost convincingly. The publicity put Matthews at the forefront of a national conversation in the press and right on the cusp of a title shot. Moore, who had always been a bridesmaid and never a bride was sick over the fact that he couldn't get a title shot as he watched all of this play out. He offered to fight Matthews or Maxim for $1. Robinson jumped into the discussion making it known that he would like a shot a Maxim as well. Moore knew that with Robinson's star power and MW title that he could easily bump Moore out of the picture and get first dibs. He simply brought more money to the table than Moore ever could. So Moore offered to fight Robinson for free in the hope of blocking him. Robinson simply ignored the offer, as did everyone else. Matthews leveraged his publicity in the LHW debate to a big money shot at Marciano and if he won a shot at the HW title. He went after the money. Robinson moved forward with his plans to face Maxim and the fight was signed very quickly after Robinson defeated Graziano. Moore had to wait another six months, fought for the title for basically nothing, and when he won the title he was not a gracious victor. His post fight interview was pretty angry. In reality, even later when they discussed the possibility privately it was more of a pipe dream of Moores than a real serious proposition.

 

Moore beat Nino Valdes in a heavywt title eliminator fight on 5/2/55;
crushed MW Champ moving up Bobo Olson on 6/22/55; and hung tough with
Marciano on 9/21/55.....all over 4-1/2 months. Fighters being fighters.

1955-06-22 : Bobo Olson 170¼ lbs lost to Archie Moore 175 lbs by KO at 1:19 in round 3 of 15

• Location: Polo Grounds, New York, New York, USA
• Referee: Ruby Goldstein

World Light Heavyweight Title

• Attendance: 27,435
• Archie Moore earned a $90,000 paycheck for the fight. (The Ring Magazine)
• Olson was dropped with a left hook.
• New York Times account

 

Conversely, smaller men tend to cope better with heat physiologically.

 

It is exactly that over the top self-confidence, sometimes to the state of near delusion, certainly against common perception that makes someone exceptional at times .. Woody Allen says the same exact thing in the HBO doc on Robinson's singing and dancing, laughing at how Ray thought he was fantastic. . Sometimes that self confidence is what makes he difference .. when Holyfield was interviewed after the first Bowe fight by Lampley who was asking if he was ready to pack it in after a brutal round when Holyfield said that's when I know I had him, practically bringing Lampley to tears.

 

If this was an athletics event, the smaller man would definitely be seen as having the advantage.

Just saying!

 

Moore's next fight after Maxim was to go up and beat heavyweight Bob Baker:

Archie Moore vs. Bob Baker
(Redirected from Fight:20499)

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1954-03-09 : Archie Moore 190¼ lbs beat Bob Baker 209 lbs by TKO at 2:08 in round 9 of 10

• Location: Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
• Referee: Petey Sarron

• Photo #2

"Light heavyweight champion Archie Moore said today he "felt wonderful" as he carried 190 1/4 pounds - the heaviest fighting weight of his career - to a slashing non-title victory last night over Bob Baker. Moore boxed Baker through the first three rounds and there were a few scattered boos before the champion leaped to the attack seriously in the 4th, when he first brought blood from Baker's nose and mouth. Baker, retreating throughout the fight, brought Archie to sudden attention with a pair of hard rights to the nose in the 6th and Moore responded with an angry assault that opened cuts over Baker's eyes. Referee Petey Sarron stopped the Miamai Beach Auditorium battle at 2:08 of the 9th round with Baker reeling under a savage attack by Moore." -Associated Press

• Miami Promoter Joe Schaefer stated after the bout that he would be guaranteeing Rocky Marciano $250,000 to fight Moore in Miami.
• It was reported that 3 days before this fight that Bob Baker was knocked out in a Miami gym while sparring with Cleveland Williams.
• Attendance - 2,794
• Gate - $10,080

Post fight comment

• "This is definitely the heaviest I've ever been. Maybe I could have been a little lighter but it didn't bother me. If I could get Rocky to fight me, I'd train down some, maybe to around 181 pounds." -Archie Moore

 

Moore said he was invited to dinner with Ray to discuss a fight but that the conversation didn't really go anywhere. Good info by the way!

 

According to Teddy Brenner, Robinson had someone who was willing to put up $1 million purse for that fight. But Robinson wanted to split it 75-25 in his favour so Moore said no.

 

Yes Ray,as usual, wanted all the$$$$.