Tell me about Jimmy Bivins

[jujigatame]

Can anyone tell me about this guy? BoxRec has him ranked as the #4 heavweight of all time but it doesn't look like he ever so much as challenged for the title. What was his style? Big fights? Major wins?

[mattyp151]

Well, a quick look shows he didn't fight many people with a losing record, even in his early days. He seemed to take on very good boxers from his 3rd fight on.

[scottmallon]

In 1942-1943 he was the #1 heavyweight contender AND light-heavyweight contender. He was named the interim champion while Joe Louis was in the Army and the title was "frozen."

He was 5'9, extremely short for a heavyweight.

Between 1942-1945 he beat Archie Moore, Joey Maxim, Ezzard Charles, and Lloyd Marshall. He lost to Jersey Joe Walcott.

He fought Joe Louis at the end of both their careers and lost the fight by ten round decision.

After being a laborer and driving a truck, he began training fighters. He ended up homeless and unable to care for himself. According to Jim Brady, the ex-heavyweight cut his finger trying to open a can of beans and had to have his middle finger amputated. By this time he was in horrible condition and passed away in 1998.

This guy could fight.

[SteveO]

I don't think Jimmy Bivins is dead. The last I heard he was in hospital in Ohio suffering from bone cancer.

[Boxscribe]

Bivins is still around.

He beat Lloyd Marshall for the duration light-heavyweight title and was the duration heavyweight champion also.

He never got a shot at a 'real' title.

There is more about him here.

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/bivins-j.htm

[DoubleM]

Can anyone tell me about this guy? BoxRec has him ranked as the #4 heavweight of all time but it doesn't look like he ever so much as challenged for the title. What was his style? Big fights? Major wins?

Boxrec's rankings are crap.

The last time I looked, Jack Dempsey was ranked 152nd behind men who Bert Sugar has never even heard of!

Computer system. It's shit.

[scottmallon]

I thought I read somewhere he had passed. I guess not.

[Marciano Frazier]

Can anyone tell me about this guy? BoxRec has him ranked as the #4 heavweight of all time but it doesn't look like he ever so much as challenged for the title. What was his style? Big fights? Major wins?

Boxrec's rankings are crap.

The last time I looked, Jack Dempsey was ranked 152nd behind men who Bert Sugar has never even heard of!

Computer system. It's shit.

The real old-time guys are ranked so lowly because the site doesn't have most of the fights from those eras, so their records come out with everyone noteworthy fighter from those eras having fought dozens of pro-debuters and guys with one or two pro fights, which doesn't bode well for a high boxrec ranking.

[dempseyfire]

wow, what a resume. Wins over Moore, Charles, Maurilleo, Maxim, Marshall, Sheppard, Murray . . .and he even decisioned hard hitting Mike DeJohn in his final pro fight!!! Def. a top 5 light HW of all time.

[BrocktonBlockbuster49]

wow, what a resume. Wins over Moore, Charles, Maurilleo, Maxim, Marshall, Sheppard, Murray . . .and he even decisioned hard hitting Mike DeJohn in his final pro fight!!! Def. a top 5 light HW of all time.

id say top 10 not top 5


he beat charles when bivins was 186lb and charles was young and 15lb lighter. he beat moore before moores prime. moore and charles beat bivins decisevley when they reached there primes.