Jimmy Bivins - RIP

Have just come across the terribly sad news that light heavyweight great and Black Murderers Row member Jimmy Bivins has passed away. Found this tribute by boxing historian and friend/biographer of Bivins Jerry Fitch I hope he does not mind me reproducing as it gives a far better insight into how truly great Bivins was than I could ever hope to manage.

Was just informed that at 1:05 am today, July 4th, Cleveland and all of boxing lost the great Jimmy Bivins. Although he was 92 his passing deeply saddens me. He will always be remembered as a great fighter but I will remember him more so as a great friend. Rest in Peace Champ! December 6, 1919 to July 4, 2012.

James Louis Bivins, (born December 6, 1919) is a former American heavyweight boxer whose professional career ran from 1940 to 1955. He was born in Dry Branch, Georgia. Although he was never given the opportunity to fight for a world title, despite at one point being the number one contender in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, Bivins fought and defeated many of the great fighters of his era. In recognition of his achievements in the ring - among other things, he defeated eight of the eleven world champions he faced - Bivins was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999. He was also the one-time husband of Dollree Mapp, the subject of prominent Supreme Court case regarding the rights of search and seizures.

Although he was born in Georgia, Bivins fought out of Cleveland, Ohio for the entirety of his career. He made his professional debut on January 15, 1940, winning by knockout in the first round, and went on to win his first nineteen fights, all fought in 1940, before losing a split decision to Anton Christoforidis, whom he had previously beaten. Bivins won his first four fights of 1941, including contests with Teddy Yarosz and Curtis Sheppard, but lost three of his other four contests that year, which included a points loss to Melio Bettina. He began 1942 with wins against Billy Soose and Gus Lesnevich and a split-decision loss to Bob Pastor. After this loss, Bivins had a twenty-seven fight undefeated streak that lasted for four years; it was during this period that Bivins established himself as one of the great heavyweights of his era - a remarkable achievement given that, at 5' 9", he was often significantly smaller than his opponents.

Bivins first fight after losing to Pastor was a split-decision win against Joey Maxim, a fellow Cleveland fighter who went on to become a member of the hall of fame. Bivins fought four more contests in 1942, including a rematch with Bob Pastor and a bout with Lee Savold, and won them all. He began 1943 with a remarkable win against Ezzard Charles, in which he recorded seven knockdowns against the future heavyweight world champion. On February 23, 1943 he defeated Anton Christoforidis on points for the duration light heavyweight title - as all the world titles had been frozen for the duration of World War II, this was the closest he ever came to holding a world title. In the three years after this fight Bivins went on to defeat Tami Mauriello, Pat Valentino, Lloyd Marshall, Melio Bettina, Curtis Sheppard and Archie Moore, whom he knocked-down six times en route to a knockout victory. Bivins served with the United States Army from March, 1944 until his honorable discharge in November of the same year - during 1944 he fought only one professional fight, a points victory over Lee Q. Murray.

On February 25, 1946 Bivins fought Jersey Joe Walcott at the Cleveland Arena. The fight was Bivins' first loss in four years, the split decision was interesting in that one official had the fight 6-4 to Bivins, the second had it 9-1 to Walcott and the last had it 5-4-1 to Bivins but gave the fight to Walcott because of a third round knockdown in his favour. After losing his long unbeaten streak, Bivins' record as a fighter became somewhat average. After his loss to Walcott, Bivins went on to lose his next two contests, against Lee Q. Murray and Ezzard Charles, before winning the following four. Bivins suffered a knockout loss to Ezzard Charles on March 10, 1947 and went on to lose a further two of his final seven fights that year, to Lee Q. Murray and Archie Moore. He went on to win six of his nine fights in 1948, losing only to Joey Maxim, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore. In 1949 he won five of his eight fights, but lost to both Archie Moore and Harold Johnson. He only fought twice in 1950, but returned to fighting regularly the following year. In 1951 he defeated Ted Lowry on points, but was once again knocked-out by Archie Moore and lost by unanimous decision to both Joe Louis and the undefeated Bob Baker. Bivins had a further eleven fights after his loss to Baker, and won eight of them. His only big-name opponent during these final fights was Ezzard Charles, who won by decision on November 26, 1952. Bivins retired following a victory over the journeyman Chubby Wright in June 1953, but returned for two final fights, both of which he won, a couple of years later.

RIP to a true great.

RIP Jimmy

RIP, terribly sad and another to what is fast becoming a long list of deaths in the boxing world this year. Fantastic fighter, I suppose we can just be glad he had a good innings. The memories will last.

RIP

Top fighter from what I've read but happened to be around in the wrong era.

Given his age, i was surprised he was still with us until now, but a very fine fighter from a bygone age. Anyone with wins over moore and charles, can be proud of their record. RIP Jimmy

Great fighter who fought some of the best. He had a good run.

RIP.

A genuinely great Light-Heavyweight with an excellent record - of the 'true' Black Murderers Row fighters, ie the ones who were never given world title shots, I think I'd only have Burley ahead of him.

Sad news, of course, but nice to see that he had a good innings and was in relatively good comfort right up until the end. A great fighter gone, R.I.P.

RIP Jimmy.

Where was this "friend / biographer" when Jimmy was wasting away in an attic in the late 90's?

For a boxer he lived a long life. For anyone he lived a long life. Where I come from, when someone of that age dies, we don't mourn, we celebrate his life.

When Madiba goes I will crack open a bottle of Dom and say thanks.

But RIP Bivins.

Rest in Piece Jimmy Bivins.

I always find the avoided fighters of that era to be some of the most ineresting and often talented in boxing history. They fought them all because they had to. I don't believe any fighter in history could go undefeated if they simply faced every decent boxer in their weight range.

I don't think Charles was ever beaten so soundly until he was shot as a target in a shooting range.

http://hankkaplanarchive.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/r-i-p-jimmy-bivins/

Some fascinating insights into Hank Kaplan's thoughts on Bivins