13.02.07 – By Mike Cassell – The Philadelphia Boxing Report – Whenever a fighter travels to the fighting city of Philadelphia, he or she seems to step it up a notch. This is their “dare to be great” situation. This is their Superbowl. Philadelphia is where good fighters come, to be great. On October 14th 2006, little known mid-west tough guy, Marty “The Wolfman” Lindquist 13-5 9 KO’s, arrived in Philadelphia, to face one of the area’s up and coming Light heavyweights, Max Alexander 13-0 2 KO’s 1 NC. To say Lindquist was in over his head would be an understatement.
The Wolfman needed an angle, and found that angle behind the referee about 2 seconds into the first round, when he hit an unprepared Alexander in right temple, putting him to sleep for 6 minutes. Alexander appeared to be addressing Referee Frank Cappuccino as the bell rang, and woke up in an ambulance. Alexander was in unfamiliar territory. He had never been hurt like that, and he felt Lindquist cheated, and acted unprofessionally. Alexander’s camp demanded an immediate rematch, but had to wait the 3 months imposed by the PA. State boxing commission. The fight was later ruled a NO CONTEST, due to a failed drug test by The Wolfman.
Alexander rededicated himself. He lived in the gym, he got a nutritionist, he began to understand what it meant to fight in this area, in short, he became the Philly area fighter, everyone thought he could be. On Friday February 9th, in the hallowed halls of the Legendary Blue Horizon, the world got a look at the New Max Alexander, and we saw, was the beginning of greatness. As the Wolfman entered the ring, you could see the immediate size difference. The younger taller Alexander was not his usually smiling self. He was not saying hello to anyone in the crowd, his brow was stern, and his eyes never left Lindquist. The Wolfman was in trouble, even he knew it, and worst of all, his face couldn’t hide it.
From the sound of the bell, Alexander showed his incredible ring generalship, tagging the Wolfmans tough beard, with combinations of uppercuts, and hard right hands. Unbeknownst to the crowd, Alexander fractured his left hand in the second round, but continued to pound Lindquist, knocking him down 3 times, and beating him to a bloody pulp over 8 bruising rounds. As the final bell sounded, Marty Lindquist antics ceased, and he told Alexander in the center of the ring, “You’re going to be a world champion”. Max smiled for the first time all night. October 14th was a fluke, he knew that, but he also knew, that his fall ambulance ride to the hospital was the best trip he ever took.