Boxing Looks Back at Former Light Heavyweight Champion Joey Maxim

Sure, the turtle won the race in that famous children's story, but the other animal fell asleep, costing it the victory. It was the turtle, however, who earned the victory by working tirelessly and not quitting until the end. Sure, Prince Albert of Monaco is only called Prince, but he is actually the leader of that small nation. For a reason only Monte Carlo residents can understand, his title is Prince, not King. Sure, Larry Bird made that heroic, down the stretch steal against the Detroit Pistons in the 1987 NBA Eastern Conference Finals to give the Boston Celtics a victory over the Detroit Pistons. Usually forgotten in that highlight is, that without Dennis Johnson there would have been no highlight at all, as it was Johnson, not Bird, who followed up Bird's heroic effort with an even more heroic effort by scoring the game winning basket with one second to go in the fourth quarter. And the list goes on. One person who deserves to be in that list is Joey Maxim. Maxim is often remembered for his fight with Sugar Ray Robinson. Most people would consider it a sin for anybody who knows about boxing to think that Maxim knocked Robinson out. What they forget is that it was Maxim, not Robinson, who was able to stand the sweltering heat of New York the night they fought. Maxim did not hit hard, yet he did the unthinkable by knocking Robinson out. And yes, it wasn't Maxim's power that did the trick. It was his conditioning. For Maxim was fighting under the same climatologic conditions as his highness of boxing the Sugar Ray, and he was about to faint himself, but he didn't. Maxim braved the heat all he could, just as Robinson did, but Maxim's body was better prepared to fight under extreme condition. Make no mistake about it then, Joey Maxim's knockout win over Sugar Ray Robinson was as valid as Thomas Hearns' beating on Jose Pipino Cuevas. As they say, fights are won during training. Joey Maxim, as bad as he was being handled by Robinson, pulled this one out even before the fight had started, for he earned the victory by training better than Robinson did. Joey Maxim was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He became an award winning amateur, winning the Golden Gloves before turning professional. Maxim was no Mike Tyson. He was not even a Mark Breland for that matter. One would more likely confuse Mickey Mouse with Queen Elizabeth II than Joey Maxim with a power puncher. But he was a steady boxer who was reliable. Maxim was not a quitter.
Joey Maxim found his way into a Championship on January 24, 1950 in London, England, where he faced the legendary, World Light Heavyweight Champion Freddie Mills. A large underdog, Maxim found punching power at exactly the right moment, taking Mills, and Mills' teeth, out in round ten to return to the United States as the new World Light Heavyweight Champion. As if that feat hadn't been enough, Maxim then challenged Ezzard Charles for the World Heavyweight title, coming up short after 15 rounds of fighting. Like any other entertainer or artist, Maxim returned, his collection of art not quite done yet. But he needed that one fight, that one play which would catapult him into immortality in the eyes of the viewing public. And so June 25, 1952 arrived. The scenario that served as center stage was Yankee Stadium. The fight had been cancelled for two days in a row because of heavy rain in the New York area. The rain left a very uncomfortable humidity at the city. Through thirteen rounds, Robinson, looking for his third division world title, dominated Maxim like water dominates fire, but the fire in Maxim was not extinguished. Robinson's hose, meanwhile, was running out of steam. At the end of round thirteen, Robinson fainted in his corner. He was not allowed to continue as he suffered from hyperthermia, a condition also commonly known as a heat stroke. While it clearly feels wrong to say Robinson lost by knockout, which he officially did, one must take into consideration that Maxim was fighting under the same circumstances as Sugar Ray, and he was still standing, albeit barely, while the sugary one was on his stool.
Among the most important aspects where a boxer's training helps during a fight is the boxer's resistance factor. Maxim won the fight in the gym and on the road, as obviously he was better prepared than Robinson to endure the exhausting heat that engulfed New York City on June 25, 1952. To further prove his endurance, Maxim lost the title to the man with the most knockouts in boxing history, Archie Moore, by a fifteen round decision. Although two more losses against Moore made Maxim 0-2 against good ol' Arch, in 45 rounds, Moore could not stop Maxim, a feat that 145 other Moore opponents could not claim. For most of the time until his departure in 2001, Maxim was remembered mostly for his strange, but real win against Robinson. Joey Maxim was like Dennis Johnson. Everyone remembers Robinson collapsed, but they all forget Maxim was still standing when he did. Everyone remembers Larry Bird got that steal, but they all forget Dennis Johnson was the one that won the game. But justice ultimately prevailed for this Cleveland native. He is enshrined in boxing's International Hall of Fame, alongside Charles, Robinson, Moore and all the other immortals. The recognition was well overdue for the man who was best remembered as a man who won one fight in the most unlikely of ways.
Maxim(Light-Heavyweight)Professional record: 115 fights; 82+ (21 KO's), 4=, 29-1949: America Light heavyweight1950-1952: World Light heavyweight- 1941 -+ (Jan-13-1941, Cleveland) Bob Perry 4 + (Jan-27-1941, Chicago) Frank Mc Bride 8 - (Feb-17-1941, Chicago) Orlando Trotter 8 + (Apr-29-1941, Cleveland) Bob Perry 6 + (Jul-11-1941, Cleveland) Tony Paoli 10 + (Jul-28-1941, Chicago) Johnny Trotter 8 + (Sep-13-1941, Youngstown) Lee OMA 8 + (Sep-15-1941, Chicago) Nate Bolden 10 + (Oct-6-1941, Chicago) Bill PETERSEN 10 + (Oct-27-1941, Chicago) Oliver Shanks kot 5 + (Dec-1-1941, Cleveland) Clarence Red Burman 10 - 1942 -- (Jan-16-1942, Chicago) Booker Beckwith 10 + (Mar-11-1942, Cleveland) Herbie Katz ko 6 + (Mar-23-1942, Baltimore) Lou Brooks 10 + (Apr-20-1942, Chicago) Frank Green ko 2 - (May-11-1942, Chicago) Charles Roth disq.2 + (Jun-1-1942, Chicago) Charles Roth ko 4 - (Jun-22-1942, Cleveland) Jimmy BIVINS 10 + (Jul-10-1942, Wilmington) Lou Brooks 10 + (Jul-27-1942, Pittsburgh) Curtis Sheppard 10 - (Aug-10-1942, Chicago) Altus Allen 10 + (Aug-27-1942, Chicago) Jack Marshall ko 8 + (Sep-22-1942, Pittsburgh) Shelton Bell 10 + (Oct-5-1942, Chicago) Hubert Hood 8 + (Oct-13-1942, Akron) Larry Lane 10 - (Oct-27-1942, Pittsburgh) Ezzard CHARLES 10 - (Dec-1-1942, Cleveland) Ezzard CHARLES 10 - 1943 -+ (Jan-18-1943, Chicago) Clarence Brown 10 + (Feb-15-1943, Chicago) Clarence Brown 10 - (Mar-10-1943, Cleveland) Curtis Sheppard ko 1 + (Mar-31-1943, Cleveland) Curtis Sheppard 10 + (Apr-26-1943, Chicago) Al Jordan 10 + (Aug-9-1943, Chicago) Nate Bolden 10 + (Oct-29-1943, Chicago) Buddy Scott 10 + (Dec-1-1943, Cleveland) Claudio Villar ko 6 - 1944 -+ (Jan-31-1944, Washington) Georgie Parks 10 + (Apr-28-1944, Detroit) Buddy Walker 10 + (May-29-1944, Chicago) Bob Garner 10 + (Jun-26-1944, Chicago) Frank Androff 10 - (Jul-27-1944, Cleveland) Lloyd MARSHALL 10 - (Dec-19-1944, Cleveland) Johnny Flynn 10 - 1945 -+ (Feb-2-1945, Chicago) Johnny Flanagan 8 + (Apr-16-1945, Detroit) Clarence Brown 10 + (Nov-26-1945, Detroit) Cleo Everett 10 - 1946 -+ (Mar-4-1946, Detroit) Howard Williams 10 - (Mar-11-1946, New York) John Thomas 10 + (Mar-27-1946, Buffalo) Ralph De John kot 1 + (Apr-1-1946, Baltimore) Buddy Walker 10 - (Apr-9-1946, Buffalo) Phil MUSCATO 10 = (May-7-1946, Buffalo) Charley Eagle 10 + (May-14-1946, Buffalo) Phil MUSCATO 12 + (Aug-2-1946, Rochester) Phil MUSCATO 10 + (Aug-14-1946, Chicago) Henry Cooper 10 + (Aug-28-1946, Camden) Jersey Joe WALCOTT 10 + (Oct-10-1946, Akron) Clarence Jones 10 + (Oct-16-1946, Toledo) Bearcat Jones ko 5 = (Nov-12-1946, Saint-Louis) Jim Ritchie 10 + (Dec-3-1946, Houston) Jimmy Webb ko 6 + (Dec-12-1946, El Paso) Al Velez 10 + (Dec-17-1946, Houston) Jack Marshall 10 - 1947 -- (Jan-6-1947, Philadelphia) Jersey Joe WALCOTT 10 + (Jan-28-1947, Miami) Marty Clark kot 7 + (May-12-1947, Louisville) Charlie Roth ko 4 - (Jun-23-1947, Los Angeles) Jersey Joe WALCOTT 10 + (Sep-8-1947, Wheeling) Clarence Jones ko 5 + (Sep-17-1947, Cleveland) John Thomas 10 + (Nov-12-1947, Chicago) Bob Foxworth 10 + (Dec-8-1947, Philadelphia) Billy Thompson 10 - 1948 -+ (Jan-9-1948, New York) Olle TANDBERG 10 + (Feb-2-1948, Little Rock) Bob Sikes 10 + (Feb-13-1948, San Francisco) Tony Bosnich 10 = (Mar-22-1948, San Francisco) Pat VALENTINO 10 + (Apr-27-1948, Houston) Louis Berlier 10 + (May-7-1948, El Paso) Francisco De La Cruz 10 + (May-27-1948, Tacoma) Roy Hawkins 10 = (Jun-7-1948, San Francisco) Pat VALENTINO 10 + (Jun-22-1948, Portland) Joe Kahut 10 + (Jun-29-1948, Seattle) Bill PETERSEN 10 + (Sep-28-1948, Portland) Bill PETERSEN 10 - (Oct-19-1948, Portland) Joe Kahut 15 + (Nov-12-1948, Chicago) Bob SATTERFIELD 10 + (Dec-7-1948, Cleveland) Jimmy BIVINS 10 - 1949 -- (Feb-28-1949, Cincinnati) Ezzard CHARLES 15 + (May-23-1949, Cincinnati) Gus LESNEVICH 15 (America, Light heavyweight)+ (Oct-25-1949, Cincinnati) Joe Kahut kot 5 + (Nov-30-1949, Wichita) Pat Mc Cafferty kot 4 + (Dec-9-1949, Grand Rapids) Bill PETERSEN 10 - 1950 -+ (Jan-24-1950, London) Freddie MILLS ko 10 (World, Light heavyweight) + (Apr-19-1950, Omaha) Joe Dawson ko 2 + (May-12-1950, Memphis) Bill PETERSEN ko 6 + (Sep-25-1950, Huntington) Johnny Swanson ko 3 + (Oct-10-1950, Salt Lake City) Bill PETERSEN 10 + (Nov-22-1950, Moline) Big Boy Brown 10 + (Dec-11-1950, San Francisco) Dave WHITLOCK ko 4 - 1951 -+ (Jan-27-1951, Indianapolis) Hubert Hood ko 3 - (May-30-1951, Chicago) Ezzard CHARLES 15 (World, Heavyweight) + (Aug-22-1951, New York) Bob MURPHY 15 (World, Light heavyweight) - (Dec-12-1951, San Francisco) Ezzard CHARLES 12 - 1952 -+ (Mar-6-1952, Saint-Paul) Ted LOWRY 10 + (Jun-25-1952, New York) Ray Sugar ROBINSON retiring 14 (World, Light heavyweight) - (Dec-17-1952, Saint-Louis) Archie MOORE 15 (World, Light heavyweight) - 1953 -+ (Mar-4-1953, Miami) Danny NARDICO 10 - (Jun-24-1953, Ogden) Archie MOORE 15 (World, Light heavyweight) - 1954 -- (Jan-27-1954, Miami) Archie MOORE 15 (World, Light heavyweight) + (Jun-7-1954, New York) Floyd PATTERSON 8 + (Nov-24-1954, Chicago) Paul ANDREWS 10 - 1955 -- (Apr-13-1955, San Francisco) Carl Bobo OLSON 10 - (Jun-28-1955, Nouvelle-Orleans) Willie PASTRANO 10 - 1956 -+ (Sep-29-1956, Vancouver) Edgardo Jose Romero 10 - 1957 -- (Jan-25-1957, Miami Beach) Eddie MACHEN 10 - (May-3-1957, Louisville) Eddie MACHEN 10 - (Jun-18-1957, Portland) Carl Bobo OLSON 10 - 1958 -- (Apr-12-1958, Stuttgart) Heinz NEUHAUS 10 - (Apr-27-1958, Milan) Giacomo Bozzano 10 - (May-17-1958, Mannheim) Ulli RITTER 10

The Ball is in Your Ring

Like many fight fans, I was shocked a few months back when it was announced Marc Ratner was leaving his post with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to take up shop with the UFC. While such a move appears to be a major step in the right direction for Ultimate Fighting, boxing enthusiasts are left to wonder when this UFC takeover will end. In the past few years the UFC s popularity has expanded like wildfire across cable television and the pay-per view markets with no definitive end in sight. But what about our beloved fight sport of boxing. Now don t get me wrong, Ultimate Fighters are athletes. They are well-conditioned machines with a (seemingly suicidal) hunger for fierce competition. In writing this piece, I have no intention of taking anything away from UFC combatants. With that being said, I am not a fan of Ultimate Fighting. I have watched the fights and caught a couple episodes of the reality show on SpikeTV, but in the end, it just doesn t do anything for me. I am, after all, a boxing purist. The artistry and history connected to professional pugilism is among the most unique in all of sports. And while a large segment of the American population is prepared to move on to the twenty-first century s new form of popular fighting, I will certainly be among those remaining in a stand-still. After long contemplation, I have concluded that ESPN is the only entity in the world of American sports with the power to stop the UFC from taking center stage over boxing in terms of professional fighting, of course. That is why I am here at my computer typing this piece and praying that ESPN knows a good thing when they have it. A good thing being its strong commitment to professional boxing. While the networks have given us only disappointment over the past decade, ESPN s fight coverage has grown in coverage and quality. With their Wednesday Night and Friday Night Fight series , ESPN offers a weekly outlet for our indulgences. Now, with the addition of The Contender later this month, the cable sports network is upping its ante by investing more time each week to the sport. And I won t even go into the daily telecasts of past bouts on ESPN Classic many of those classic battles speak for themselves. Looking to the future, I dread the day when Sportscenter will lead its nightly program with a report on the outcome of a UFC title fight. Call me a snob if you will, but it just doesn t seem right. Boxing has given too much to too many over the years to just be thrown along the wayside in exchange for the latest fad. Quite frankly, I am already a little disappointed with Sportscenter s lack of boxing coverage. If the program served as your only outlet for sporting news, you d be under the impression that only three or four boxing matches occurred each year. Thank God for Stephen A. Smith who features at least one boxing-related topic on his show per week. Entertaining fights occur each month, often times, on Friday Night Fights. So why not take three minutes out of the occasional Sportscenter broadcast to discuss an up-and-coming welterweight contender? Or maybe an aging champion who s finally hanging up his gloves? The answer is beyond me. Despite my few minor grievances, I must reiterate that I am grateful for the network s boxing programming. And even with the lack of coverage on its flagship program, I recognize that ESPN is professional boxing s last line of defense against the ongoing threat of the UFC. So in closing, if anyone at ESPN reads this article, I really only wish to say two things: Thank you and please do not let millions of fight fans down. After all, the sound of Friday Night Ultimate Fighting just doesn t pack the same punch as good ol Friday Night Fights.

Phillips and Reid clash Aug 9

Former WBO and IBF jr. middleweight world champion Verno Phillips, 39-11-1, with 20 knockouts, of Denver, Colorado, will fight former NABF welterweight and jr. middleweight champion Teddy Reid, 23-7-2, with 17 knockouts, of Adelphi, Maryland, in the 12-round main event. The Trans America Boxing middleweight title will be at stake. Now 36 years old, Verno is coming off an impressive win against former contender J.C. Candelo in his last fight in April. Ranked No. 8 in the world by The Ring, Verno has been fighting top opposition for over a decade and always gives strong performances. The 35 year old Reid is an aggressive slugger who always makes exciting fights. He is coming off a draw in his last fight, but his last five wins have been by knockout. In the co-featured bout scheduled for eight rounds, undefeated heavyweight prospect Alonzo Butler, 23-0-1, with 18 knockouts, of Knoxville, Tennessee, will fight Maurice Wheeler, 10-6-1, with one knockout, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An exciting lineup of five supporting bouts is planned to complete the event. All bouts are subject to change without notice.

Expert advice can help earn Danny second world shot

Danny Williams' quest to discover the extra power to knock out Matt Skelton in their Commonwealth heavyweight title rematch in Cardiff tomorrow night led him to the door of one of the greatest punchers in boxing history.
Williams has been taking advice from the American former double world title challenger Earnie Shavers, who developed a fearsome reputation during his enduring career as a top-level contender throughout the 1970s.
Muhammad Ali, who beat Shavers on points in 1977, recalled: 'Earnie hit me so hard he shook my kin-folk back in Africa.' Another opponent, Tex Cobb, said: 'Earnie could punch you in the neck with his right hand and break your ankle.'
So it is no surprise that Brixton fighter Williams relished the opportunity to learn all of Shavers' secrets when the pair met for the first time at a recent autograph signing session in Birmingham.
Shavers has always contended he built his outrageous power growing up as a farmhand in rural Alabama and Williams said: 'Earnie told me to buy a big truck tyre and a sledgehammer and just keep banging away at it.
'He told me that was one of the things he had done to build up his punching power. When I went to Kwik Fit and asked for such a big tyre they got quite a shock. It is so big I can't lift it and had to have it delivered.'
With a likely world title shot awaiting the winner, Williams is intent on finishing the job early this time and leaving nothing to chance, having scraped a split decision win in their foul-filled first meeting in February.
Celebrating his 33rd birthday next week, even the mercurial Williams knows defeat by Skelton is likely to end his chances of getting another opportunity to claim a version of the world heavyweight crown.
Williams added: 'I have never lost the belief that I will win a world title for a moment and for this fight I have got myself into the best shape I have almost ever been in.
'I respect Skelton for his physical strength but I have never seen anyone who fights as dirty as him, not even on videos going back to Jim Corbett nearly one hundred years ago.'
Williams and his trainer Jim McDonnell have implored the British Boxing Board of Control to brace themselves for more underhand tactics by Skelton, but the Bedford man remains unfazed by his own notorious reputation.
The 37-year-old Skelton, who came into the sport late having begun his career on the Japanese K-1 circuit, has always acknowledged that he must rely on simple brute force to compensate for a lack of natural ability.
Skelton believes that brute force ought to have been enough to earn him the verdict in February's action-packed first fight and admitted: 'I have never professed to be a scientist but I train hard in the old fashioned way.
'I was straight back into the gym after the first fight because I believe it was my slower work-rate in the middle rounds that probably cost me the verdict the first time around.
'This time I am going to bring the fight and not ease off. People tell me the first fight was a great fight but it is hard to say when you are involved. I just hope the fans are satisfied again after Saturday night.'
The chances are Skelton and Williams will not disappoint second time around, with only hardcore boxing purists likely to leave the Millennium Stadium tomorrow night without a smile on their faces.
Williams' psychological strength has often been questioned, and adds an extra intriguing factor to all his fights because the same Williams who destroyed Mike Tyson is not always certain to turn up.
But Skelton is more predictable, and a Tyson-beating Williams can capitalise on that, reaping the benefits of his meeting with a punching legend to stop his opponent in the later rounds of another rugged brawl.
Williams weighed in at his heaviest ever – 20st 8lbs – for tomorrow’s contest and will outweigh his opponent by more than two stone.
Skelton tipped the scales at 18st 3lbs, the same as for their first fight in February, but Williams’ weight showed he has put on 1st 4lbs in the five months since that first meeting.
Williams’ previous record weight was the 19st 4lbs he recorded prior to last year’s win over Audley Harrison, but he insisted extra power was the key factor.
He said: “I’ve been training really hard and taking supplements which have enabled me to add more than an inch to my biceps alone.
“I am ready for anything and will have much more power to push Skelton back but it hasn’t affected my speed at all. I feel absolutely tremendous.”
Amir Khan weighed in at 9st 11lbs for his light-welterweight meeting with Scot Colin Bain who was slightly lighter at 9st 91/2 lbs.