Jimmy Bivins ‘The Cleveland Spiderman’ 86 (31 KOs) – 25 (5) - 1
Date of Birth 6/12/1919
Division – Light Heavyweight
Stance – Orthodox
Height – 5ft 9

Born in Dry Branch Georgia but fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio, Jimmy Bivins simply loved to fight, terrorising the greats of his era with his aggressive style. While being inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999, he would be largely forgotten by the majority of fans, many of which look to the greats like Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Charley Burly, Joey Maxim, and Lloyd Marshall for their inspiration. Jimmy Bivins, however, brutalised them all.
Starting his professional career in the freezing January conditions in 1940, Bivins, then a Middleweight, knocked out the unimpressive Emory Morgan in the second round. Having nicely plodded along for the first six months of his career, Bivins’ first real test came against Frankie Hughes, a veteran of almost 150 fights whom he beat via a decision over 8 rounds. Having mustered a 14-0 record by September of that year, Jimmy would come up against the awe inspiring, and future Middleweight kingpin, Charley Burley, who outweighed Bivins by 8lbs on the night. Despite still being a relative novice to the game, Bivins was to outpoint the great Burley, dropping only three rounds en route to a 10 round unanimous decision. His first year was to end in disappointment, however, as he lost a MD to Anton Christoforidis (whom he had previously beaten), despite dropping him for a long 9 count in the second.

1941 would be a frustrating year for the ‘Cleveland Spiderman’, as, having stepped you to Light Heavyweight, he lost three of his eight fights that year, including dropping a ten round decision to the veteran Melio Bettina. He did, however, manage to defeat the future Hall of Famer Teddy Yarosz. 1942 started just as badly with Bivins losing to Bob Pastor via Split Decision. Jimmy Bivins would not lose again for the next four years.

This impressive record began when he decision’ed the future great Joey Maxim (who would later ‘stop’ Sugar Ray Robinson, the man universally considered to the Greatest of all time – even though I disagree) over 10 rounds. He avenged his loss to Bob Pastor, before taking on the greatest Light Heavyweight of all time, ‘Cincinnati Cobra’ Ezzard Charles in a fight for the ages. Even with Charles landing heavy blows on Bivins, the ‘Spiderman’ would simply batter Ezzard for ten gruelling rounds, knocking down the pound for pound king a total of seven times, six of which were for the count of 9. Charles, however, just would not quit, rising each time to return fire. Charles managed to last until the final bell, but dropped a clear unanimous decision.

Bivins’ winning streak continued by knocking out the great Lloyd Marshall (whom himself has a more than impressive record) in the 13th round. Bivin’s power had seemingly come into its own when he stopped up to Heavyweight. He twice outpointed the very good Lee Q Murray, dropping him in the process, KO’ed Buddy Walker (66-18-5) in just two rounds, as well as stopping Buddy Scott (82-18-6) in four. With his impressive record continuing, a fight with the formidable Archie Moore was scheduled for late 1945 in the Lakefront Stadium. Entering the ring with 72 wins to his name, and having just beaten Lloyd Marshall, the concussive power of Moore barely had time to show itself as Bivins knocked Archie down three times in the second. Controversy surrounded the third round however, as, following a slip, Bivins hit Moore with a hard shot while he was on the canvas. After a five minute recovery period, Bivins continued to batter the helpless Moore at will, knocking him down twice in the 5th, before stopping him in the 6th. With this win, Bivins cemented himself in boxing folk law.

Bivins’ run would finally come to an end at the start of 1946, dropping a very strange decision to the great Jersey Joe Walcott. The fight, which saw Bivins on the canvas in the third, was scored by one judge as 6-4 in favour of Bivins, while another, somewhat dubiously, scored it 9 rounds to 1 in favour of Walcott. The deciding judge, having already scored the fight to Bivins by 5-4-1, overturned his decision and declared Jersey Joe the winner due to the third round knockdown.

Jimmy Bivins was never really the same fighter after he lost his four year unbeaten record. He came out on the losing side of three further fights with Lee Q Murray, he lost a decision to Ezzard Charles in later 1946 and was stopped in four by the same fighter a year later. Archie Moore also gained his revenge on Bivins, battering the Cleveland fighter into submission in 1947, putting him down in the third, seventh and eighth before Jimmy failed to answer for the 9th. He would have three further fights with Moore, being stopped in two of them. Sandwiched between his losses to Moore, Bivins lost to Ezzard Charles for the third time, as well as dropping a decision against Joe Louis, while Joey Maxim also gained his revenge, winning a split decision. Over this somewhat mixed period, Bivins did manage KO wins over Booker Beckwith and Watson Jones, while also outpointing Curtis Sheppard, Turkey Thompson and Pat Valentino. Bivins was to retire from the ring in 1955 after a points victory over Mike DeJohn, some 15 years after making his pro debut.

For all of his greatness, Jimmy Bivins never once battled for a World Title in the three weight classes he fought in. What is even more frustrating, footage of the great man from Cleveland in his prime remains rare, with only his late losses to Moore and Charles available on YouTube. Bivins celebrated his 90th birthday in 2009, ten years after he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Jimmy Bivins – the man who defeated the greats of his day remains forgotten by most.