In the mix of one of the two best eras of the Light Heavyweight division... the mid/late 1940s (the 1970s/early 80s would be the other) In my opinion, you could make arguments for either or both of those eras in this division as being among the very best in any weight class ever. A ridiculous roster of good fighters all fighting one another. He lived a good long time. RIP
Because he was a black Light Heavyweight who was more trouble than he was worth, much like Charles, Lloyd Marshall, etc. Archie Moore had to wait forever to get Maxim to defend against him The champions of that division in the 1940s were Maxim, Freddie Mills, Gus Lesnevich and they were basically the second tier of the division... Conn was champ much, much earlier and before these guys (Charles/Moore/Marshall/Bivins and some of the lesser guys like Elmer Ray) had really established themselves, so I don't include him in that criticism. There's no question that race was the reason those guys didn't get title shots. Maxim lost by miles every time he fought Ezzard Charles. Yet he was "THE CHAMP"
I have read plenty about him. He was bitter to Joe Louis that Louis didn't give him a world title shot, he was willing to fight for it even though he was a lt- heavy and they fought years after. He claimed that Louis forgot about his old friends when he won the title. I never knew he was still alive though
I bet Wlad would have laid Bivins out like a cheap Persian prayer mat in a tatty mosque 1000mm below sea level. That just got hit by a bunker-buster. That's pretty fucking flat.
Maybe, but it would be after a bunch of rounds where Wlad (facing a light-heavy) pecks, clinches and leans on until he is finally sure his opponent (that he is 9 inches taller than and 60 + lbs heavier than) is unable to crack his fragile chin.
Maybe the stress of moving country is getting to him, which would be fair enough. He should go meditate or have a cider & chill tho.
I think he could have beaten Lesnevich, Mills and Maxim for the title had he been given an opportunity.
