Joined
·
6,403 Posts
Ive just finished Jerry Fitch's bio on Jimmy Bivins. While the book is relatively short, it has some interesting facts that I thought some of you would be interested in.
1) As an amateur, Bivins fought Joey Maxim twice, knocking him out and out pointing him in 1939.
2) Bivins hated Archie Moore. Apparently Moore was sleeping with Jimmy's wife when they first met in 1945. This is why Bivins hit Moore when he was down on one knee, knocking him out. After a 10 minute recovery time, Bivins knocked him out again.
3) He was good friends with Ezzard Charles, and perhaps that was the reason he didn't knock Charles out when they first met, despite having him down 7 times. Charles never let up on Jimmy years later, however.
4) a few people claim Jimmy never lost a step after the war, but claim he started losing when his opponents closed the weight gap Bivins enjoyed. While this may be true, Bivins suffered a major injury during the war. He was set on by a group of men who knocked him unconscious for several days. Jimmy recieved an Honourable Discharge just 9 months after, while the war was going on. His sister later claimed that his reflexes were never the same.
5) He was urged to quit the ring at aged 26 by his trainer and mentor Wilfred 'Whizbang' Carter. When jimmy refused, claiming he had more to offer, Whiz quit, claiming Jimmy would be seriously hurt of he carried on. That was in 1946.
1) As an amateur, Bivins fought Joey Maxim twice, knocking him out and out pointing him in 1939.
2) Bivins hated Archie Moore. Apparently Moore was sleeping with Jimmy's wife when they first met in 1945. This is why Bivins hit Moore when he was down on one knee, knocking him out. After a 10 minute recovery time, Bivins knocked him out again.
3) He was good friends with Ezzard Charles, and perhaps that was the reason he didn't knock Charles out when they first met, despite having him down 7 times. Charles never let up on Jimmy years later, however.
4) a few people claim Jimmy never lost a step after the war, but claim he started losing when his opponents closed the weight gap Bivins enjoyed. While this may be true, Bivins suffered a major injury during the war. He was set on by a group of men who knocked him unconscious for several days. Jimmy recieved an Honourable Discharge just 9 months after, while the war was going on. His sister later claimed that his reflexes were never the same.
5) He was urged to quit the ring at aged 26 by his trainer and mentor Wilfred 'Whizbang' Carter. When jimmy refused, claiming he had more to offer, Whiz quit, claiming Jimmy would be seriously hurt of he carried on. That was in 1946.
