Eddie Machen / He Met The Best

* FLASHBACK * This article originally appeared on dmboxing.com on June 18, 2008


WBA Heavyweight Championship / Chicago, Illinois / March 5, 1965
Eddie Machen (left) loses 15 round unanimous decision to Ernie Terrell

By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer / Contributor to dmboxing.com since 2008

He was one of the best heavyweights of his era and possibly one of the
best heavyweights to have never claimed the title. He fought the best of
the late 1950’s and 60’s with a high degree of success.

Eddie Machen was born on July 15, 1932 in Redding, California and he
entered the punch for pay ranks in 1955. Eddie won all eleven of his bouts
during his maiden year including a knockout over highly regarded Howard
King.

In 1956 Eddie added eight more victories and established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. He twice defeated Julio Mederos and also won two bouts against the dangerous Nino Valdes. Eddie closed 1956 with a points victory over tough Johnny Summerlin.

In 1957 Eddie had wins over the clever former light heavyweight champion
Joey Maxim of Cleveland, and he also defeated Bob Baker. He closed the year with a kayo over Tommy “Hurricane” Jackson. Eddie was now a leading contender for Floyd Patterson’s heavyweight title.

It was in 1958 that the fortunes of Eddie Machen’s career began to take a
turn. He opened the year by battling to a draw with the slick Zora Folley.
Then came the bout that shocked the boxing world. Eddie traveled to
to Sweden to meet Ingemar Johansson. the fight would last only 2:16 but it
would thrust Ingo into a title fight against Patterson and leave Eddie on a
long waiting list. Ingo would upset Floyd to win the crown and then
Patterson would roar back to regain it. That would set up a rubber match
that Floyd would win. From the time Eddie lost to Ingo and the conclusion
of the Patterson-Johansson trilogy, two and a half years had passed.

After the loss to Ingo, Eddie won seven straight and then was matched
again with Zora Folley. This time Zora got the verdict. Machen rebounded
with three more wins including Alex Miteff and Alonzo Johnson among his
victims.

On September 7, 1960 Eddie stepped into the ring to face the feared Sonny Liston. To many Liston was the “Uncrowned Heavyweight Champion” and a bout with Patterson was being called for by the fans and press alike. Only Eddie stood in Sonny’s way. The bout took place in Seattle and Eddie gave the brutish Liston all he could handle. In the end Sonny took a unanimous decision despite losing three points for low blows. Nevertheless, Eddie’s game showing won him the admiration of boxing fans. Despite the win over the highly ranked Machen, Sonny would have to wait two more years to get Patterson into the ring with him.

Eddie would come back to win three in a row but then he was upset over
ten rounds by the cagey Harold Johnson. Machen would regroup and put together a streak of ten wins and one draw. The draw being with the murderous punching Cleveland Williams.

Among the boxers Eddie beat during this streak were Mike DeJohn, Brian London, Doug Jones and Bert Whitehurst. This finally led Eddie to the ghost that had long eluded him, Floyd Patterson.

By now it was 1964 and Eddie returned to Sweden, the place of his
disastrous loss to Johansson to face Floyd. This was one of Patterson’s
best career performances as won a hard fought decision over Machen. Still
Eddie had done well enough to qualify for a title fight.

On March 5, 1965 Eddie met tall, lanky Ernie Terrell for the “vacant”
World Boxing Association title. Cassius Clay, a.k.a., Muhammad Ali had
been stripped of his title by the WBA. The Terrell-Machen battle was not a
good pairing of styles and after a rather boring fifteen rounds, Terrell
was awarded the championship. Eddie would close 1965 by drawing with Elmer Rush.

Machen would open 1966 with back to back decision losses to Karl
Mildenberger and Manuel Ramos. He would the outfight the tough Joey
Orbillo. Next Eddie would show flashes of his former greatness and pull
off a major upset with a points win over top prospect Jerry Quarry.

Two fights after the upset of Quarry, Eddie would meet another streaking
prospect, 1964 Olympic champion, Joe Frazier. This time Lady Luck looked
the other way for Eddie and he was halted by “Smokin’ Joe” in the tenth
round.

Machen was now relegated to the role of a trail horse. In 1967 he dropped
a decision to up and coming Henry Clark. In his last professional fight,
Eddie was stopped in three by hard hitting Boone Kirkman.

In all Eddie had 64 pro fights. He won 50 of them. He took out 29 opponents.
He fought champions Liston, Patterson, Johansson, Terrell, Frazier, Maxim,
and Harold Johnson.He also did battle with top contenders like Zora Folley,
Cleveland Williams, Alex Mitiff, Mike DeJohn, Willie Besmanoff, Doug
Jones, Tommy Jackson, Nino Valdes, Karl Mildenberger, Jerry Quarry, Bob
Baker, Bert Whitehurst, Howard King, Henry Clark, Julio Mederos, Joey
Orbillo, Brian London, Wayne Bethea and Boone Kirkman. That is very impressive!

Eddie Machen was only forty years old when he left this world. It was
only five years after his last fight but he left a legacy that will live forever.

One thought on “Eddie Machen / He Met The Best

  1. Great article on Machen. I agree that he is on a short list of the best to never win the title along with Folley, LaStarza, Quarry, Cooney, Bonavena and Lyle. Young also belongs in that group and of course Jeanette, Wills, McVey, Langford.

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