Just pondering this question, most on here seem to rate Joe Louis at the top end H2H-wise for Heavyweights despite, IMO, never being proven against the sort of dangerous H2H fighters that littered the 90's. I'm leaning towards Max Baer, then again not much can be said for the Baer that turned up to that fight. Thoughts?
Most don't rate him high because of any one fighter. Rather it's that he beat just about every conceivable style and type, so he's more proven than almost any other heavyweight.
I understand that but I still think there are styles and certain match ups he is not proven against. For instance he KO'd literally every single person he faced who weighed over 200lbs but none of them looked good on film. Tommy Morrison looks world's better than Buddy Baer who also had a shaky chin and look at the damage he did. Baer, Galento, Tami, Braddock fight showed that if you went balls to the walls and pressed the action you could have quite a bit of success. Conn also showed this as did Marciano. Walcott, Charles showed he had trouble with stick and move guys. Easy way to counter this is obviously to ask what happened to most of these guys? But then again what if it was against a much larger, modern heavy with skills?
Some guys froze agisnt Louis, Lou Nova seems to be in that category. Good fighter, but was never in it with Louis. Took bad beating, never seems to have been as good after.
I am, not that my word is gospel but I think he's better. Looks much better technically, faster hands, more compact and precise combo's, hit harder, more accomplished and more proven against a higher level of opponent. Defense wise nither are particularly good but Morrison did have good head movement, Buddy had the bigger gas tank. Both had shaky chins but loads of heart. I personally don't see Baer beating Ruddock or Williams or Foreman.
Baer had a shaky chin? He was technically stopped twice, 3 times in reality. Was he downed constantly in his other fights?