Abandoned Little Boy of Philly, Matthew Saad Muhammad’s Greatest Hits
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
The late former World Boxing Council World Light Heavyweight champion Matthew Saad Muhammad (1954-2014), born, abandoned as an orphan, found, raised and died in the Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. His mother died when he was an infant. He and his elder brother lived with an aunt. When he was five, his aunt could not afford to look after both of them and she instructed his brother to get rid of him. His brother took him to Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway and then ran away. Miracle was taken in by Catholic Social Services. Catholic nuns gave him the name Matthew Franklin (after the saint and the parkway where he was found). It would be many years before he learned the story of his past, and his real name, Maxwell Antonio Loach. Franklin fought only 20 amateur bouts but still won the Trenton New Jersey Golden Gloves. Franklin remained in foster care, until adopted and raised by a caring couple in Philadelphia.
Between 1974 and 1992, Matthew Franklin fought in 58 pro bouts, including ten consecutive World Boxing Council World Light Heavyweight title bouts, eight as champion. Haunted by the mystery of his childhood and not knowing who he was, Saad Muhammad’s quest to find out who he was also led him to create a new identity to give his life meaning and purpose. Matthew Franklin became Matthew Saad Muhammad, much like Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali, Eddie Gregory became Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and Dwight Braxton became Dwight Muhammad Qawi in his time.
Leading into the holiday 2021 season, at times this reporter reflected on the ghosts of Christmas past and the great fighters faded into the wind. In the case of Matthew Saad Muhammad, it was as if his brilliant boxing career faded when he became certain of who he was. Part of Saad Muhammad’s boxing aura is boxing inside the ring as a professional was a world as unknown to him as his childhood. In that sense, Saad Muhammad was hard to understand. He won only one of his last nine bouts, essentially after the perplexing riddle of who he was and why was he here on this earth was answered inside his subconscious mind. Saad Muhammad was unsuccessful in his only attempt to regain his WBC title in 1982. His final nine-bout streak began in 1988 and ended and ended in 1992, long after the lights had faded. Vision problems contributed to his decline, and eventual bankruptcy.
The greatest hits of Mathew Saad Muhammad, as the title of this historical boxing lookback implies, refers to the best of Saad Muhammad’s wins. These include his two wins over Marvin Johnson; his two wins of Yaqui Lopez; his two wins over John Conteh; his title defenses over Louis Pergaud, Murray Sutherland, Lottle Mwale, Vonzell Johnson, and Jerry Martin. Saad Muhammad posted four knockout wins after losing his WBC title, wins over Pete McIntyre, Larry Davis, Chris Wells, and Govoner Chavers. The first-round knockout of Chavers, and second-round knockout of McIntyre, can be found on YouTube. Saad Muhammad also fought one Mixed Martial Arts MMA bout in Japan. Saad never got to fight the other light heavyweight champion, Michael Spinks, and a battle between the two of them in their primes would have been a great one. By the time Saad lost two title bouts to Dwight Muhammad Qawi, his skills were starting to fade.
Matthew Saad Muhammad died in a hospital in Philadelphia on May 24, 2014. Diagnosed with ALG Lou Gehrig’s Disease, his actual cause of death was not disclosed. Scenes and references to a movie documentary project on Saad Muhammad’s professional and personal life is located on the internet at www.saadboxing.com. The documentary was either never completed or never released.
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