Heyman, "Mad" Max

A former light-heavyweight who is now a middleweight, Heyman has a professional record of 20 wins (12 KOs), seven losses, and three draws through May 2005.

Early in 2003, Heyman moved down in class to middlweight and began training under former light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Muhammad reintroduced fundamentals to Heyman and has him working on balance and the jab. He's also got Heyman in the gym on a consistent basis. Max said, "Eddie has had a tremendous effect on my ability to box. Every day, I learn something different from Eddie. I have no doubt that he's one of the best trainers in the world today...For the first time in my career, I'm training like a boxer should train. I used to go to Las Vegas and train just a few weeks before a fight. Now, I'm out there all the time, working hard."

Birth and Death Dates:
b. June 7, 1979

Career Highlights:
At the age of four, Heyman began to learn karate. After becoming the youngest black belt from the United States at the Japan Karate Association (he was eight years old), Max undertook Muay Thai kickboxing. Heyman excelled at that brutal sport, and won the national amateur title at the age of 17. He had his first amateur boxing fight the next week. Max had an outstanding amateur boxing career, winning 12 of 14 career bouts, capturing the Golden Gloves State and Regional titles, and finishing fifth at the Nationals. In 1997, one week after turning 18, Heyman turned professional in the boxing ring.

On June 14, 1997, Max won his first professional fight in spectacular fashion -- he knocked out Luis Medina in the first round. A college-bound honor student (3.83 GPA in high school), Heyman chose to box because, as he put it, "I love boxing. Nothing compares to the adrenaline rush of combat...boxing is the universal sport. Boxing is worldwide. When I'm old, I want to be able to look back and tell my grandkids that I did it. I never want to have to say 'what if?'" Trained by his father Harry, Max began his career with flair, winning nine of his first 13 bouts through 1999.

After winning two of his first three fights in 2000, Heyman faced his toughest opponent to date on November 17 for the NABA (North American Boxing Association) light-heavyweight title. In Lake Tahoe, Nevada, he fought champion Julian Letterlough. Max was ahead on points when he was knocked out in the sixth round. Heyman said following the fight, "...I was pitching a shutout going into the round. But, I knew he was a hard puncher...he managed to get one through."

Max returned to the ring eight months later and won both of his August 2001 bouts -- technical knockouts against Francisco Stevens and James Green. Training and fighting primarily in Las Vegas (although he continues to live in Albuquerque), Heyman has had the opportunity to work with many world champions. Included in this group are current champs Bernard Hopkins and David Reid, which Heyman says has improved his skills: "you only get better fighting better fighters, and they are the best." Although he has other interests besides boxing (he is also a part-time model and actor), Max has decided that "...for now, I'm on a quest to become Albuquerque's next World Champion."

In 2002, Heyman decided to move down in weight and fight in the super-middleweight class. In June 2002, Max made his debut at 168 pounds, destroying Barry Basher at 0:56 of the second round. Heyman knocked down his heavier opponent three times before winning on a technical knockout. On July 19, 2002, he soundly defeated Ray Berry of Germany in a ten-round decision. Max dominated much of the fight, despite a broken a rib suffered in the second round when Berry's shoulder crashed into Max's ribcage. Despite the injury, Heyman -- in a characteristic display of toughness -- outlasted Berry to win his second consecutive fight in the super-middleweight class (168 pounds).

The broken rib did not allow Heyman to box for the next couple of months and he did not step back into the ring until December 2002. He weighed an all-time low of 164-pounds against Roland Commings and looked faster and more powerful than he previously had at the super-middleweight level. Heyman proved himself the dominant fighter against Commings, who resorted to clowning when he realized he was outclassed against "Mad" Max. Heyman opened two cuts on Commings' face and knocked him down in the fourth-round. He did not answer the fifth-round bell and Heyman won his 16th professional fight.

Origin:
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Physical description:
168 pounds (formerly fought at 175)

Career Statistics:
Professional record:
Wins: 17 (10 by knockout)
Losses: 5
Draws: 3

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