SHAPIRO, MAXIE PENCIL SIGNED ALBUM PAGE (RARE)

Maxie Shapiro (B. 4-12-1913-D. 11-22-1997) is an American boxer from New York, New York. Shapiro was undefeated in his first 37 fights, with a record of 36-0-1. Shapiro was a top lightweight contender, but never got a title shot. Over his professional career, he fought, and defeated, titleholders Jack Callura, Sol Bartolo, and world champ Bob Montgomery. Maxie fought Leo Rodak two times. The first fight Maxie lost in Brooklyn, New York, by decision. The second fight Maxie won by decision at Ebbets Field. In Maxie's next fight he fought Jackie Wilson (Boxer), losing by decision in Baltimore, Maryland. Maxie also fought one of the greatest fighters of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson. Maxie then went on to fight the great Henry Armstrong. Maxie lost by TKO in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1941, he faced Sugar Ray Robinson, losing in the third round when the referee stopped the fight. Shapiro admitted later that he never should have stepped in the ring against Sugar Ray, considered by many to be the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever. He observed, “With Ray Robinson, it was no contest because he was too tall and he was a great puncher, a great boxer, and he was too much for me. I didn’t know his record. If I saw his record, I would have told my manager ‘I don’t want him.’ But…I was told it was an opportunity. If I beat him, I could go and fight for the championship. It was an opportunity to get murdered. Because he was too much…Well, my manager had said, ‘He’s a green kid, he’s only nineteen years old. And he hasn’t been around too much. He’s inexperienced.’ I found out why. Why he don’t know too much. I found out. Before he fought me he had twenty first-round knockouts. How was he going to learn anything going one round at a time?” Shapiro began boxing in his early twenties, quite late for a fighter, and he remembered: “I started on the fours (rounds). I went to the sixes and then eight rounds and ten rounds. And before you knew it, I had thirty seven consecutive wins…I had quite a few knockouts. I was not a puncher, but at times I had some knockouts.” When he began to fight, Shapiro did not want his parents to know that he was fighting, so when he left the house with his satchel and his mother asked where he was going, he would respond: “I’m a tie salesman. I’m going to sell ties.” Offered here is a very scarce album page signed by Maxie Shapiro. From the collection of former Boxing Illustrated writer Ralph Pollack who had the album page signed by Maxie Shapiro in the mid 1940's at Stillman's Gym in New York City.
This is an original paper album page. Bold pencil signature, "To Ralph Maxie Shapiro." Clean with only light toning from aging. Not creased or torn. Minor edge wear. 4 3/8" x 5 1/4."