Why did this guy never get a title shot??!! Ranked high both as a Heavy and Light Heavyweight fighting many of the top fighters of the 40s and early 50s.
The attached file I only updated fighter information and biography information.
Jimmy Bivins LHW / HW USA
Career Record: W86(KO 31) / L25(KO 5) / D1
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Defeated: Mike DeJohn, Wes Bascom, Coley Wallace, Charley 'Doc' Williams, Ted Lowry, Clarence Henry, Pat Valentino, Turkey Thompson, Lee Q Murray, Curtis Sheppard, Oakland Billy Smith, Archie Moore, Buddy Walker, Melio Bettina, Lloyd Marshall, Tami Mauriello, Anton Christoforidis, Ezzard Charles, Lee Savold, Bob Pastor, Joe Muscato, Joey Maxim, Gus Lesnevich, Billy Soose, Nate Bolden, Teddy Yarosa, Charley Burley, Johnny Barbara, and Frankie Hughes.
Won the duration light heavyweight title by defeating Anton Christofordis and successfully defended it against Lloyd Marshall.
On Sept. 15, 1942 he won a split decision over Tami Mauriello for what as listed as the "Duration Heavyweight Title" which was up for grabs as champion Joe Louis temporarily relinquished his belt to serve in the Army.By the end of 1942 he was ranked by The Ring as the number one contender in both the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions.
https://www.findagrave.com/memeorial...8/jimmy-bivins
For all his success against many of the top heavyweights and light heavyweights of the 1940s-1950s and being ranked as high as he was by the Ring and NBA it's a wonder why he never got a title shot. Joe Louis is commented to have wondered as such in an interview with the New York Times in 1948.Bivins fought Joe Louis in a 6 round exhibition in 1948 and thne in a 10 round non-championship fight in 1951, but he lived never getting that championship bout. As late as 1953 he was still ranked number 5 contender to the heavyweight crown.
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999.
Birth name: James Louis Bivins
Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.