Artie Levine

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Artie Levine (born January 25, 1925) is a former American boxer in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in the 1940s.

1 Overview
2 Stolen Glory
3 Fight Stats
4 External Resources

[edit] Overview

He was a legitimate contender who flattened thirty-six opponents with a devastating left hook.

Levine, who stood at 5' 8", was a right handed slugger, with an orthodox fighting style. His left hook made him a fighter who no one looked forward to facing in the ring. He was trained by Charley Goldman, the famed trainer of boxing legend Rocky Marciano.

Levine fought professionally for eight years (1941-1949) before retiring at the age of twenty-four.

[edit] Stolen Glory

On November 6, 1946, Levine challenged Sugar Ray Robinson. Robinson claimed Levine hit him with the hardest punch of his career when he knocked Sugar Ray down and out for a 21-second long count.

Instead of directing Levine back to his corner, the referee walked him to his corner then returned about 10 seconds later to begin the count on Robinson. Robinson came back and KO'd Levine in the tenth round.

Of the fight, The Ring Magazine wrote:

Sugar ... was almost kayoed in the fourth round. A left hook, followed by a right cross, both to the chin, put (him) down and almost out... Sugar rose unsteadily and called upon all his ring skill and stamina to last out the round...Sugar had several other close calls during the course of the evening. Artie's left hooks and resounding right crosses occasionally found their marks and with telling effect. Robinson's class and body punching were taking their toll from the heavier Levine as the bout progressed. Sugar started the tenth with knockout intent. With the round about two minutes gone, Sugar paralyzed Artie with a right to the solar plexus. Then Sugar became a 'killer,' throwing punches with reckless abandon to both head and body with the result that Artie was beaten to the floor.

(The Ring, January 1947, page 34)

It is unknown what effect this victory could have had upon both the careers of Levine or Robinson. It is possible to speculate that since Levine had actually knocked Sugar Ray out in this fight that he may have done it again in a rematch, altering the history of boxings greatest pound for pound fighter.

In March 1947, Levine faced Herbie Kronowitz of Brooklyn in the main event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The crowd of 12,000 was said to have been enthralled during the entire 10-round battle between the two fighters; Kronowitz was Jewish, Levine was not, his mother being a non-Jew. Levine won the decision, although Kronowitz always claimed that he really defeated Levine in the confrontation.