Anyone else think that Willard was better than Carnera?

I always considered Willard a better fighter than Carnera.

 

No. Willard was maybe a more natural fighter whereas Carnera was manufactured and stiff looking. Willard also had a better ability to take punishment. However Carnera at least had technique, as clunky-looking as it was. Willard looks awful. Carnera has a more boxing-orthodox approach and in my opinion is better able to translate his size into being effective.

 

Kearns admitted that the gloves were loaded.

 

Both fighters are underrated in terms of their ability in the ring.

Yes, Willard gets mocked for being clumsy and wooden, but he knocked out Jack Johnson in the 26th round so he had stamina and the ability to defend himself against an admittedly out of shape all-time great. Against Dempsey, he absorbed tremendous punishment but kept at it before the corner stopped it. No lack of courage in Jess.

Carnera is similar. Mocked for being knocked down so many times against Max Baer but Max was a formidable puncher, and he couldn't keep Carnera down! The courage it must have taken for Primo to keep getting up knowing that Max would keep hitting him is something to marvel at.

Neither Carnera or Willard can be ashamed of their legacies.

Jess may well be the better fighter, his best win (Johnson) is better than Carnera's best win (Sharkey).

 

Willard did not have the opportunity to show his worth, because during the 4 years of the First World War he defended the title once.

He takes the punches better and has a better win than Carnera; I cannot consider him worse than Carnera.
P.S. I know he beat Johnson in 1915.

 

Kearns lied. He was on the outs with Dempsey. The loaded wraps debate has been debunked.

 

Jus hang loose, blood.
She gonna catch ya up on da rebound on da med side.

 

And primo had a brick in his gloves when he kod Sharkey..Fact
I heard it from the horse's mouth

 

Carnera was unequivocally the better technician of the two, but Willard hit harder and took a punch better.

 

On the film we have Willard seems to know how to use his size and range. People expecting a guy with his physical advantages to try to become Floyd Mayweather are just silly. Part of the perception of Jess is that he was OLD in the film we have. He was 37 against Dempsey, which back in 1919 might have well been 57. I think a lot of his stiffness comes from that. He looks particularly more dynamic against Johnson 4 years earlier, even though then he was still well on the wrong side of 30, back when being on the wrong side of that number meant something.

 

They were the best of the big men (over 6"1 -6"2 until Foreman, Holmes, etc. Ali was 6"2 - so well into the 70's - 80's

Both men had heart because both men got up - Dempsey could bang and so could Louis & Max Baer so nothing to be embarrassed by.

Primo and Willard took a decent shot but getting hit by the 6"1 Dempsey and Louis and Max were no joke that even the modern giants - Lewis- Fury- Joshua - etc. may not be immune and they punched in bunches with both mitts)

Who would win, I would go with Primo because Jess was more of an attrition guy and Primo was a jabber - Primo by UD

 

...Medis eye? You dug her rap?

 

Willards one defense against Frank Moran who was a tough fighter at the time he looked pretty athletic and like he had some ability. He was able to avoid punches and move much more naturally then Primo and we know he have a good right cross. Primos main thing was he used his height to pull back away from punches against the smaller heavies of his day and he was often 70 or more lbs. heavier which allowed him to throw people around. When he fought some bigger athletic guys he lost some of that advantage and was exposed (Louis and Baer). This would be true with Willard also and with the big right cross a motivated Jess might stop him. Would have to be the version that fought Johnson not the slow one that fought Dempsey.

 

Good video here. It addresses Willard and Carnera.

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