[Luf]

For starters i don't think any footage of this man exists so it's tough enough trying to gauge his abilities.

But for someone with the prestige of champion, combined with a horrifically low ko percentage, he fought in his opponents home town a hell of a lot.

In 1930 him and slattery fought for what was the vacant championship left behind by Loughran, it was a fight that he won on points. since then he lost the following fights away to his opponent in non-title fights at or about the lhw limit:

Billy Jones
George Manley
Lou Scozza
john Henry Lewis.

All fights are described as close when looked into and all went the way of the hometown fighter, as a champion why did he put himself in these positions? He knew he wouldn't knock people out, he knew his style was not easy on the eye despite being effective and he knew he was the away fighter. I find it bizarre.

In the 3 years between 1930 and 1933 it seems that below 180 pounds only Joe Knight and Lewis (july 33) genuinely earnt a decision against him.

Does anyone have more insight into this man's career? where those listed just viewed as hometown decisions at the time, or is it more that Rosenbloom was just seen as a really weak champion who rarely risked his title?

From my perspective it seems he fought the best of the best throughout his career and it seems he suffered some hometown losses along the way, but without footage it's hard to be sure what to make of it. Usually when I can't watch a fight myself and writeups describe it as close I consider it a draw but this seems to have happened a lot to Maxie which makes me question it.

Can CHB provide any help on the matter?

 

[Chatty]

The BBC have a message on their motion gallery saying they have footage but you have to call up to order it. As soon as I sort my phone contract out this week that's exactly what I'm going to do.

 

[Chatty]

Saying that it will probably be footage of thise few films he featured in.

 

[kf3]

it is strange, you would think native new yorkers(i don't know the age he moved from conneticut) would not have to travel for defences.

 

[Luf]

it is strange, you would think native new yorkers(i don't know the age he moved from conneticut) would not have to travel for defences.

yeah I just can't fathom why someone with his style, attributes and prestige would travel to another guys hometown and fight them over 10 rounds.

 

[Teeto]

not sure why he kept casting himself as the away fighter Luf, maybe it was just the reality that it's the more popular and or fighter with the more attractive style who is the one in the position of power when it comes to these things, regardless of who the champion is.

Just my thoughts.

Also, you make great threads luf, really interesting topic.

 

[Luf]

not sure why he kept casting himself as the away fighter Luf, maybe it was just the reality that it's the more popular and or fighter with the more attractive style who is the one in the position of power when it comes to these things, regardless of who the champion is.

Just my thoughts.

Also, you make great threads luf, really interesting topic.

it's the only thing I can think of because the writeups make him sound like an even more featherfisted version of joe calzaghe, but of course joe was fighting a weaker field of opponents under a top promotional banner at home so he got the benefit in any close fight and until lacy he was always the more popular name (noone would ever give that fight to lacy though so the point is moot).

Maxie was fighting every week against the best the division had to offer and usually in their hometown and it's hard to find reports during his prime of a consensus opinion that he was defeated.

It could just be as simple as he was chasing the paycheck and didn't mind losing a close fight providing the belt weren't on the line, hard to say.

Cheers, I'm just running through my LHW files and this man is so enigmatic. he really is somewhere between great and fraud and I can't decide where. that's why i'm hoping for some insight from those smarter than me :good

 

[doug.ie]

Also, you make great threads luf, really interesting topic.

aye...you do

 

[Teeto]

it's the only thing I can think of because the writeups make him sound like an even more featherfisted version of joe calzaghe, but of course joe was fighting a weaker field of opponents under a top promotional banner at home so he got the benefit in any close fight and until lacy he was always the more popular name (noone would ever give that fight to lacy though so the point is moot).

Maxie was fighting every week against the best the division had to offer and usually in their hometown and it's hard to find reports during his prime of a consensus opinion that he was defeated.

It could just be as simple as he was chasing the paycheck and didn't mind losing a close fight providing the belt weren't on the line, hard to say.

Cheers, I'm just running through my LHW files and this man is so enigmatic. he really is somewhere between great and fraud and I can't decide where. that's why i'm hoping for some insight from those smarter than me :good

I've always classed him as an ATG based on literature I've read over the years. I'll maybe reconsider now with this thread, but personally, there's never been any doubt in my mind about Maxie Rosenbloom being a great fighter.

 

[doug.ie]

it is strange, you would think native new yorkers(i don't know the age he moved from conneticut) would not have to travel for defences.

from what i have read...and my knowledge is limited on him really...he was a very boring boxer to watch, defensively minded (but really good in that dept) and apparently couldn't draw crowds at all..and if he boxed away from home the opponent would have more fans.....also, supposedly a weak puncher (or slapper).

 

[O59]

Rosenbloom is a very interesting character, but he gets underrated I think because of the lack of footage. I'd never heard of the guy until I read about him on ESB.

 

[Luf]

from what i have read...and my knowledge is limited on him really...he was a very boring boxer to watch, defensively minded (but really good in that dept) and apparently couldn't draw crowds at all..and if he boxed away from home the opponent would have more fans.....also, supposedly a weak puncher (or slapper).

that's about where I'm upto, apparently it was nigh impossible to land a shot on him until his later days when it was nigh impossible to miss hence his uillness.

The only time his championship status seems to have been questioned was when Joe Knight beat him in a non title fight and the NBA stripped Maxie and gave the title to Joe. All throughout his reign before then I don't see any questions about him and any loss seems to be SD to hometown fighter.

After the Joe knight incident he stopped the man who beat Joe knight to "re-unify" the titles. before again losing a dubious decision to scozza in his hometown by SD.

The second loss to Lewis seems legit though given he was dropped about 5 times. I'd probably say from then on John henry Lewis was the best of the LHW's as he kept beating the men a couple of pounds above the limit and wasn't losing to anyone other than hw's.

 

[Luf]

I've always classed him as an ATG based on literature I've read over the years. I'll maybe reconsider now with this thread, but personally, there's never been any doubt in my mind about Maxie Rosenbloom being a great fighter.

I'm the same, I'd assumed he was an ATG given his defensive prowess and his title reign, resum wins etc. but when I began looking there were too many losses during his prime, and when I began looking further there's now too many question marks about almost every one of those losses (a bit like what happens with kid gavilan when you research his career)

Unless told otherwise I think I'm going with the notion that these away fight results aren't really indicative about his abilities nor perceptions at the time.

 

[Teeto]

I'm the same, I'd assumed he was an ATG given his defensive prowess and his title reign, resum wins etc. but when I began looking there were too many losses during his prime, and when I began looking further there's now too many question marks about almost every one of those losses (a bit like what happens with kid gavilan when you research his career)

Unless told otherwise I think I'm going with the notion that these away fight results aren't really indicative about his abilities nor perceptions at the time.

there's not much else to say really, we'll never truly now without the footage

 

[Luf]

there's not much else to say really, we'll never truly now without the footage

yeah it's a shame, definitely given the level of comp he mixed with.

 

[Burt Brooks]

Maxie Rosenbloom never made his opponent look "good"....Throwing volleys of open glove punches,and able to slip and slide , made Maxie
a tough opponent to hurt...In a 299 fight career, against anyone and everywhere, Rosenbloom was stopped once, by Britain's Tommy Milligan
and Rosenbloom protested it was a low blow...Joe Louis once refused to fight Rosenbloom, not because Louis thought he would lose to Maxie, but Louis wouldn't look good even in winning...How good was Rosenbloom ? Well any LH who could beat the great John Henry Louis, 3 times has to be a helluva fighter...
Sidenote : As a young man , I was in a crapgame in a Sullivan County resort, and the big winner was a hustler who knew the ropes...His name I learned was
Bob Olin who defeated Maxie Rosenbloom for the LH title in 1934...

 

[O59]

In 299 fights, he was only stopped once? What the actual fuck.

 

[Luf]

Maxie Rosenbloom never made his opponent look "good"....Throwing volleys of open glove punches,and able to slip and slide , made Maxie
a tough opponent to hurt...In a 299 fight career, against anyone and everywhere, Rosenbloom was stopped once, by Britain's Tommy Milligan
and Rosenbloom protested it was a low blow...Joe Louis once refused to fight Rosenbloom, not because Louis thought he would lose to Maxie, but Louis wouldn't look good even in winning...How good was Rosenbloom ? Well any LH who could beat the great John Henry Louis, 3 times has to be a helluva fighter...
Sidenote : As a young man , I was in a crapgame in a Sullivan County resort, and the big winner was a hustler who knew the ropes...His name I learned was
Bob Olin who defeated Maxie Rosenbloom for the LH title in 1934...

Burt, what do you make of the close decision losses he suffered in non title fights whilst champ?

 

[Burt Brooks]

Burt, what do you make of the close decision losses he suffered in non title fights whilst champ?

Luf, Maxie Rosenbloom in 299 bouts kod just NINETEEN opponents...He was awily, slippery ,rugged fighter who fought almost every 2 weeks or less, going
to his opponents backyard, ala Harry Greb, but without Harry's blinding speed...So there were a few losses between his title defenses...
But i have never read that Maxie never rose to the occasion when his title was on the line...From the time he won the LH title from Jimmy Slattery in 1930,
Rosenbloom fought the toughest fighters of his era, and beat everyone when his title was at stake...He loved the bright light's of Broadway
and I'm sure this had some adverse effect on some of his non-title bouts...But no one was more rugged and durable than he...What Light heavyweight you can name could have 299 bouts against every top LH and some heavyweights, and can go the distance EVERY time except the ONE time in London when he was kod by a
body blow , he swore was a foul punch ? Name one..?.I give Maxie a good chance against any LH since he retired in 1939...Wasn't pretty to watch but he got the job done...

 

[Luf]

Luf, Maxie Rosenbloom in 299 bouts kod just NINETEEN opponents...He was awily, slippery ,rugged fighter who fought almost every 2 weeks or less, going
to his opponents backyard, ala Harry Greb, but without Harry's blinding speed...So there were a few losses between his title defenses...
But i have never read that Maxie never rose to the occasion when his title was on the line...From the time he won the LH title from Jimmy Slattery in 1930,
Rosenbloom fought the toughest fighters of his era, and beat everyone when his title was at stake...He loved the bright light's of Broadway
and I'm sure this had some adverse effect on some of his non-title bouts...But no one was more rugged and durable than he...What Light heavyweight you can name could have 299 bouts against every top LH and some heavyweights, and can go the distance EVERY time except the ONE time in London when he was kod by a
body blow , he swore was a foul punch ? Name one..?.I give Maxie a good chance against any LH since he retired in 1939...Wasn't pretty to watch but he got the job done...

It seems to me his fights were always scored closely because of his style and when fighting away this meant the decision went the toher way, but this is said with 80 years of hindsight so I'm not sure how accurate an anlysis that was.

It seems that Joe Knight definitely beat him, but aside from him and J H Lewis, the other fights probably could have been scored draws from what I've read.