1. Maxie Berger was a Canadian boxer who fought as a flyweight, junior welterweight, and welterweight from 1935 to 1946.
26 Facts About Maxie Berger
1. 2.
Maxie Berger squared off against many different Hall of Famers including the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson, Ike Williams, Beau Jack, Fritzie Zivic, Midget Wolgast, and Wesley Ramey.
3.
Maxie Berger held the Montreal version of the World Jr.
4.
Maxie Berger was born on February 23,1917, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
5.
Maxie Berger began fighting in 1931 at the Montreal Young Men's Hebrew Association.
6.
On July 6,1937, Maxie Berger topped Midget Wolgast in an eighth round points decision before a crowd of 3,000 at New York's Coney Island Velodrome.
7.
Maxie Berger floored Wolgast for a nine count in the fourth round with a right to the jaw.
8.
Maxie Berger took the decision with a rally in the closing rounds to the excitement of an audience just over 2000.
9.
On March 22,1938, Maxie Berger defeated Enrico Venturi in an exciting upset before 12,000 at the New York Coliseum in an eight-round points decision.
10.
On July 5,1939, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Maxie Berger took the World Junior Welterweight Championship as recognized by the Montreal Athletic Commission before 4000 fans in ten rounds against his former nemesis Wesley Ramey.
11.
Maxie Berger dropped Ramey in the third, fourth, and seventh rounds though he had lost to him twice previously fighting in the states.
12.
On September 26,1939, Maxie Berger won over Leonard Del Genio in a crowd pleasing eight round points decision at the New York Coliseum in the Bronx.
13.
Maxie Berger had lost to Del Genio on November 11,1936, in an eight-round points decision at the New York Coliseum.
14.
On October 29,1940, Maxie Berger defeated Billy Beauhuld in an eight-round points decision before impressed fans at the New York Coliseum in the Bronx.
15.
Maxie Berger won a decisive points margin in the feature bout extending a streak of twenty matches without a loss.
16.
Maxie Berger came out aggressively in the first round opening cuts above Beahhuld's eyes and avenging a loss he took to Beauhuld on February 7,1938, when Beahuld scored an eight-round points decision against him in St Nicholas Arena.
17.
Maxie Berger had previously defeated McIntire on two occasions in eight round points decisions on May 7 and June 10,1940, at the Bronx's New York Colliseum.
18.
On February 20,1942, Maxie Berger lost to Sugar Ray Robinson before 12,000 excited fans in a second-round TKO at Madison Square Garden.
19.
Maxie Berger had been sent to the mat twice before the referee intervened and stopped the fight, though many fans felt Maxie Berger could have continued the bout.
20.
Maxie Berger was first down for a count of seven from a left to the chin, and then went down for the second time from another left by Robinson.
21.
On February 15,1944, Maxie Berger lost to Beau Jack in a ten-round unanimous points decision at Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.
22.
Maxie Berger was down for a two count in the seventh, which was easily Jack's best round.
23.
On January 22,1945, Maxie Berger lost to talented black boxer Ike Williams in a fourth-round knockout, 2:51 into the round, at the Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before a crowd of 5,451.
24.
Maxie Berger was nine pounds heavier than his opponent, but Williams conditioning and age of 22 to Maxie Berger's 28 probably made more a difference in the bout.
25.
Maxie Berger retired after a sixth-round knockout loss to George Costner in Chicago on March 1,1946.
26.
Maxie Berger suffered from increasingly severe dementia for the last ten years of his life, until his death in August 2000 in Montreal.