|
ALSO SEE
Boxing hall of famer Maxim dies after suffering stroke
|
|
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Maxim fought best in boxing's golden age
By Doug Fischer
maxboxing.com
Joey Maxim, born Giuseppe Antonio Berardinelli, died
this past Saturday in a Veterans Administration
hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 79. The
Hall of Fame prize fighter from Cleveland, Ohio won
the world light heavyweight title by stopping champion
Freddie Mills in the 10th round of their bout in
London on Jan. 24, 1950. Maxim's second defense of the
light heavyweight title was a 14-round stoppage of Sugar Ray
Robinson.
|  | | Joey Maxim, right, fought all the greats of his era, including Archie Moore, who took Maxim's title in 1952. |
From 1942 to '49, before winning the title, Maxim -- a
big strong boxer, with an anvil for a chin, but not
much of a punch -- fought the most avoided
African-American fighters of his time -- boxing's
Golden Age -- including fellow Cleveland native Jimmy
Bivins (twice, L 10, W10), Ezzard Charles (four times
before becoming 175-pound champ, all points losses),
Nate Bolden (W 10), Lloyd Marshall (L 10) and Jersey
Joe Walcott (twice, two 10-round losses).
He beat Gus Lesnevich for the U.S.A light heavyweight
title in May of 1949, which set up his shot at Mills'
world championship. Before defending his light
heavyweight title, Maxim fought for the world heavyweight
championship held by Charles, dropping a 15-round
decision on May 30, 1951. He also lost a 12-round rematch with Charles
in December of that year.
On June 25, 1952 at Yankee Stadium, Maxim survived the
brutal humidity of a record-hot New York summer night
and an even more brutal assault from Robinson to hold
onto his light heavyweight title via a 14-round TKO
victory, after the reigning middleweight champ punched
himself out in the blistering heat. He lost the title
to Archie Moore in a 15-round decision in his next
defense, December of that year.
After two failed attempts to beat Moore for the title
in '53 and '54, Maxim took on Floyd Patterson, the '52
Olympic 165-pound champion, and handed the young
undefeated light heavyweight prospect his first
professional loss in June of '54. Maxim followed that
win with an upset 10-round decision over contender
Paul Andrews in November of that year.
From 1955 until his last bout in May of '58, Maxim
lost eight out of nine bouts, including two 10-rounders to former middleweight champion Carl "Bobo"
Olson. Maxim fought seven Hall-of-Fame fighters,
beating three, always going the distance.
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
|
