Joey Maxim, Boxer. Only man to score a KO over Sugar Ray Robinson
Loki
By Joe Maxse
Cleveland Plain Dealer
06/04/01
Joey Maxim, the pugnacious kid from Collinwood who won the world light
heavyweight boxing championship in 1950, died Saturday night at the
Veterans
Administration Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 79.Maxim
suffered a
stroke four months ago and was hospitalized in Cleveland before being
flown
to Florida three weeks ago to be with his two daughters.
"I felt like I said my goodbye to him six weeks ago," said older
brother
Manny Berardinelli of Euclid. "He had the stroke and never recovered
from
it."
Maxim, whose real name was Giuseppe Antonio Berardinelli, was the
toast of
the town when he won the 175-pound world title by stopping champion
Freddie
Mills in the 10th round of their bout in London on Jan. 24, 1950. The
only
other Clevelander to win a world title was Johnny Kilbane,
featherweight
champ from 1912-1923.
Known for his boxing abilities rather than punching prowess, Maxim
took his
ring name from a machine gun.
He established himself in Cleveland's amateur ranks, winning the
national
Golden Gloves championship in 1939.
"Since he was 12, he was always looking for a fight," said Manny. "You
could
see he had talent because he was beating guys six and seven years
older.
We'd fight and it was exasperating. I'd go to hit him and he wouldn't
be
there. I gave up."
Turning professional in 1940, Maxim fought the best of his era in the
likes
of Gus Lesnevich, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott and
Willie Pastrano. He split two decisions against Cleveland rival Jimmy
Bivins.
"He was one of the guys who always wanted to get in there with me,"
said
Bivins, 81, like Maxim a boxing hall of famer. "He was no pushover."
Maxim served in the Army Air Forces during World War II.
Fifty years ago, when only eight world champions were recognized in
boxing,
Maxim became one of the game's elite by knocking out Mills 1:54 into
the
10th round. Several of Mills' teeth were imbedded in one of Maxim's
gloves
at the finish.
After an unsuccessful bid for the heavyweight title against Charles in
1951,
Maxim kept his 175-pound title when he outlasted Sugar Ray Robinson in
Yankee Stadium on June 25, 1952.
It was the only time the brilliant Robinson failed to last the
distance in
201 bouts.
Maxim lost his title to Moore later that year and failed to reclaim it
in
two subsequent title bids. He went on to defeat future heavyweight
champ
Floyd Patterson in 1954.
He retired from boxing in 1958 with a record of 82-29-4 with 21
knockouts.
He was stopped only once.
He worked as a cab driver in Florida for several years before spending
nearly 20 years as a greeter in various Las Vegas hotels.
Maxim's first wife, Mitchie, is deceased. He remarried and divorced.
He returned to the area several years ago to live in Euclid with his
mother,
Henrietta Berardinelli, 97.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by daughters Charlene
Bagnall and
Maxine Murphy, both of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; six grandchildren; three
brothers; and a sister.
Maxim will be buried Thursday in Florida.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated in Cleveland at 1 p.m. Saturday at
Holy
Redeemer Catholic Church, 15712 Kipling Ave.
The family suggests donations to Collinwood American Legion Post 759.
Loki