Cohen, Max

Nessim Cohen

A middleweight in the 1960s and 1970s, Cohen was the French champion in 1974, and was a contender for a world title in the mid-1970s.

Birth and Death Dates:
unknown

Career Highlights:
A Frenchman, Cohen turned professional in 1964 and fought exclusively in France for the first few years of his career. He knocked out Americans Willie Warren (8th round in February 1968) and Fraser Scott (10th round in November 1970) in Paris, and then travelled to the United States. In April 1971, Cohen had a rematch with Scott and won a 10-round decision in Scott's hometown of Seattle. Three months later, Cohen fought former world welterweight and middleweight champion Emile Griffith in New York City, and lost a 10-round decision.

In 1972, Cohen returned to France and defeated Gratien Tonna and Willie Monroe in ten-round decisions before fighting Griffith in a rematch in March 1973. That bout, which took place in Paris, went the full ten rounds and was ruled a draw. The following year, Cohen fought another draw when he faced future world light-heavyweight champ Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

In December 1974, Cohen finally received a title shot when he fought French champion (and world contender) Jean-Claude Bouttier in Paris. The two boxers had previously fought in October 1969 with the bout ending in a 10-round draw, but Cohen won the title in the rematch with an eleventh-round technical knockout. Two years later, Cohen fought for a world title when he took on WBC champ Rodrigo Valdez; but Max lost their March 1976 bout on a fourth-round TKO. Cohen retired later that year.

Origin:
France

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