'I'll not get the decision. I'll have to knock Doran out,' says Max Maxwell
Light-middleweight is truly the buzz division in the whole British boxing scene right now. The British title fight between Sam Webb and Prince Arron on Friday night will live long in the memory of those who were privileged enough to witness it. As we all know now, Arron overcame Webb in twelve monumental rounds in a fight which begs for a rematch (when of course Sam is completely recovered). But just one week later, the division will be witness to a British title eliminator between Connahs Quay sensation Tom Doran and Birmingham-based Jamaican Max Maxwell, in what many in the trade believe will be a sensational match up.
The fight is also noticeable for the contrast in personalities represented. Whilst Doran has been groomed for stardom since he was a young lad winning countless Welsh titles, Maxwell (14-9-3 3KO) started fighting at a much later age.
“I only ever laced on the gloves when I was 18 after I joined the Navy. I found that it came naturally to me. I had about 25 fights and won 20 whilst I was serving Queen and country around the world.”
It sounds like a typical story, made famous by the likes of Nigel Benn. Go into the forces, get good at boxing and leave to make it your profession. This however is where Maxwell’s story differs.
“I had no intention of going pro when I left the Navy. It was by chance that I met promoter Jon Pegg at a fmatch. He said I should come down (Richie) Woodhall’s new gym in Telford. I did a workout and Richie told me that I was decent and that he could do something with me. When an ex-world champion of his calibre says that how can you refuse?”
Not surprisingly, considering the lack of amateur experience Maxwell’s career did not explode in the way Friday’s opponent has. Lots of learning fights and a couple of points defeats left him off the radar of many pundits. Making the semi-finals of Prizefighter however (beating future Southern area champ Steve Ede before losing out to Cello Renda) brought him, if not to the top table of the domestic division, certainly to the attention of those who were.
He could now have some meaningful fights against men who were genuine title contenders. Four months after Prizefighter, he faced off against future British champion Sam Webb in the home fighters back yard in March 2009. Sadly, for Maxwell he was defeated on points by a score of 77-75, a result the Birmingham man did not agree with.
“Webb underestimated me and I knocked him down in the second round. I should have picked my punches but I was inexperienced and I threw everything at him in an attempt to stop him. I tired and he was able to recover. I have watched the fight numerous times and I still think I deserved the win, though I wasn’t surprised that he got it, being in his home town and on a Maloney bill.”
Though a defeat is still a defeat, Maxwell had increased his profile with his performance. Just eight days later he would get another opportunity at fighting one of the top boys when he got the call to fight underachieving, yet quality operator Thomas McDonagh on the Hatton-Bami undercard. Disaster struck when, after getting caught and veering towards the ropes, referee Steve Gray jumped in and stopped the fight in the first round, a decision that still seems to irritate Maxwell to this day.
“That was the worst stoppage in the history of boxing. I may not be the most skilful of fighters but I can take a good shot. I take smacks off bigger guys in the gym and Cello Renda couldn’t put me down, why would I be stopped by a non-puncher like Thomas, with all due respect? I wasn’t hurt and I was covering up, it was ridiculous.”
After losing another debatable decision to Scot Vinnie Baldassara in Glasgow (by a single point) Max would get a crack at the vacant Midlands area light-middleweight crown against dynamite punching, if slightly vulnerable Martin Concepcion. Despite Maxwell putting in a quality performance, Concepcion had his hand raised and was given the verdict by a single point. The decision caused a lot of anger for Maxwell and his supporters.
“It was one of the worst decisions I can think of. My trainer Richie Woodhall is always straight with me. If I am losing he will tell me that, but he had me winning six rounds to four and that was being generous to Concepcion. His dad Len (who trained Richie throughout his career) had me winning seven rounds to three. Then they go and rob me. Concepcion didn’t have a clue in there. Once he realised he couldn’t hurt me he was finished, and they gifted him the decision.”
It would have been very easy at this point for Maxwell to pack it in. He was nearly thirty; he had fought some good guys and come out second best, not always fairly. Max however had no quit in him. A draw against today’s British champ Prince Arron once again got people talking. Despite deservingly losing out in the rematch six months later (though not disgracing himself) Maxwell’s aggressive style was making people take notice and it was no surprise when he got the call to fight Blackpool’s Brian Rose, in what was ostensibly a warm up for Rose’s proposed British title shot against Sam Webb. Maxwell had other ideas however, and this was the night when it all came together, Maxwell knocking his opponent out cold in the sixth, and making SKY’s knockouts of the year reel.
“I was doing well in the fight and landing those uppercuts, he couldn’t do anything about them. SKY had him up but that’s no surprise, they pick who they like and commentate accordingly. Then at the start of the sixth Richie told me he was open to the right hand. I caught him and down he went. There was no lucky punch, that was planned. I was happy with that.”
You would think that’s where it got easier for Maxwell. Sadly you would be wrong. Once again, boxing politics got in the way.
“I sometimes don’t know why I pay me fees to the BBBC. The SKY commentators said that since Rose was due the British title shot and since I beat him, I should get that shot. It didn’t happen. Even worse, after just one victory he gets an English title shot, why didn’t I get that shot? And even if they wanted him to fight for it, why wasn’t it against me, the man who sparked him? They could say they didn’t want me to have the shot as I have a ‘win one, lose one’ record. But they gave the shot to Lee Noble who has a worse record than me! I just don’t understand it.”
Since that night Maxwell is unbeaten in three contests, yet the title shot hasn’t been forthcoming. Still, he has noticed improvements over the last year.
“I am getting better all the time, and the biggest improvement is that I am now far more relaxed before I go into a fight. I have been there and seen it. I used to be so nervous before a fight I was half drained before I entered the ring. Now I am just focused on doing my job and doing it well.”
They do say that if you wait around long enough opportunity will knock. And when Maxwell got the call to face off against Doran he had no hesitation in accepting.
“This is a good opportunity for me. My gym mate Dee Mitchell fought him and he lost by a single point. I have never seen him fight but I hear he is sharp; throws a lot of punches and the Welsh press are calling him the ‘new Calzaghe’ (no, only Dobbing, and at every given opportunity too! - Ed.). So that is what I have to look forward to. But I am bringing a lot of heart and experience, we will see if he can cope with that. It should be a great fight. One thing I do know is that, being in his home town, they will not give me the decision if it goes to points, so I am going to need to knock him out.”
After all the trials and tribulations, Max Maxwell could be on the cusp of something really special. If he was to beat one of the country’s top prospects, no amount of politics could hold him back from getting the title fight he so craves. And in doing so he will realise the dream, he and his supports have nurtured for so long. Until then ‘Mad Max’ has only one thing on his mind, and that is Tom Doran. And he has a message for all his supporters.
“I am going to take a good number of fans down there. I just want to thank them for all their support. Hopefully we can get than title shot down the line and I am going to try my best for them, as I always do.”
One couldn’t begrudge him that success. If Max Maxwell does eventually get that title opportunity, few will have deserved it more.
Postscript: At the time of interview, this fight had just lost it's Commonwealth eliminator tag. Max was upset by this and made the comments regarding the Board. It transpired that two members of the Midland Area council, Dave Roden and Lee Potts were pushing for the fight to become a British title eliminator, a task in which they were successful. Max would like to thank these two gentlemen for their support, something he was not aware of at the time of interview.
