Maxie Rosenbloom

Born in Leonard Bridge, Connecticut, Rosenbloom was nicknamed "Slapsie Maxie" by a journalist due to his open-gloved style of boxing.[6] As a professional boxer, Rosenbloom relied on hitting and moving to score points. He was very difficult to hit cleanly with a power punch and his fights often went the full number of required rounds. In his boxing career, he received thousands of punches to the head, which eventually led to the deterioration of his motor functions.[2] Though to this day that achievement could be considered a phenomenon not only for his era of boxing but even in present-day standards (for instance, a single Ike Ibeabuchi vs. David Tua fight in 1997 saw both boxers exchanged near two thousand hardest punches; George Foreman, while competing between 1991 and 1994 took around five thousand blows.) Legendary trainer Cus D'Amato later recalled that watching Rosenbloom's ring performances inspired him for a quest to create a perfect fighter, and to develop a unique boxing technique, later known as the peek-a-boo style:[7]

Rosenbloom was probably the cleverest fighter I've ever seen, defensively. You just couldn't hit the man. He developed a sort of a radar, a sense of anticipation of blows, and ability to react to that, and act on it.

In 1930, he won the New York light heavyweight title.[2] In 1932, he won the World Light Heavyweight Championship.[8] He held and defended the title until November 1934, when he lost it to Bob Olin.[9]

In 1937, he accepted a role in a Hollywood film. He became a character actor, portraying comical "big guys" in movies that included Each Dawn I Die,[10] and he then retired from boxing permanently in 1939.

He continued acting on radio, television, and in a number of films, usually playing comedy roles as a big, clumsy, punch-drunk—but lovable—character.[2] He appeared in a number of episodes (playing himself) of The Fred Allen Show—including a skit with Marlene Dietrich.

Rosenbloom played an important part in television's first 90-minute drama, Requiem for a Heavyweight, written by Rod Serling, and starring Jack Palance as a boxer at the end of his career. He portrayed a character whose life revolved around retelling old boxing stories night after night to other ex-boxers in a down-and-out bar. It is the fate that looms for Mountain McClintock, Palance's character, if he cannot adjust to a new life outside the ring.[11]

Slapsy Maxie's, Rosenbloom’s nightclub, is prominently featured in a 2013 crime film, Gangster Squad, which is set in 1949. The original club operated in San Francisco. The club moved to 7165 Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles. From 1943 to 1947 it was located at 5665 Wilshire Blvd. [12]

Rosenbloom died of Paget's disease of bone on March 6, 1976 at the age of 68 in South Pasadena, California. [13]

He was interred in the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California.

• The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame (1972)[2]
• International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1984) [14]
• World Boxing Hall of Fame (1985)[15]
• International Boxing Hall of Fame (1993) [16]

• List of lineal boxing world champions
• List of light heavyweight boxing champions
• List of select Jewish boxers

• Professional boxing record for Maxie Rosenbloom from BoxRec
• Maxie Rosenbloom on IMDb
• Slapsy Maxie on Vinyl
• Harry Greb website
• Hebrew University
• Cyber Boxing Zone bio and record
• Maxie Rosenbloom at Find a Grave