He has size, speed, and power over Schmeling. It wouldn't be an awful shock to see Schmeling win, but I just think it's a bad matchup for him. I'm glad you reminded me of the "my butt" angle, as it actually figures very heavily into my choice here. I shall expound at great length in a moment......
Quarry was around 195 pounds in his prime, while Schmeling was around 190. Not much of a weight difference and Schmeling had advantages in height and reach. Schmeling is faster with single punches in my opinion, very quick with his right hands, while Quarry could be more mobile with his feet when he wanted to (the Thad Spencer fight for example). I don't think a case can be made for Quarry having more power than Schmeling. Certainly Schmeling's right hand was more dangerous than any punch Quarry possessed, although he had overall a better arsenal of punches. Personally I think Schmeling's skill, awkwardness and better countering will make it a hard night for Quarry. I had Ellis and Patterson beating him, so being bigger than him wasn't the only way to beat him. I see it going much the way Schmeling's rematch with Sharkey went, except with the decision going to the right man.
Eh, maybe I overplayed the size angle, but I definitely believe Quarry to have fairly significant advantages in the other two, particularly power. Gil Clancy once described Quarry as "the best puncher I ever trained." He wasn't necessarily referring to raw power there, rather the blend of power and punching technique he brought to the table.
Schmeling decisions Quarry, with his ability to hurt Jerry with counter right hands being the big difference. Jerry was a fine counterpuncher as well, so at times it would have been a strategic chess match...but Max's strategic mind ala the 1st Louis fight trumps anything that Jerry ever accomplished...and that's not underplaying Quarry at all. A flash knockdown of Jerry from a Schmeling right late in the fight would have been the deal sealer IMO. Schmeling would have fought a cool, calculating fight and forced Jerry to do the leading.
Clancy has said a lot of things though. Quarry could hit, but stopped most of his opponents through an accumulation of punishment while Schmeling can be seen on film putting several of his opponents out cold.
Yes...Schmeling was a consumate, cruel, and methodical attacker who would lower the boom after getting his oppnent "drunk" so to speak, like he did with both Louis and Stribling. He had great power in his right but still was very thorough in preparing the way for the coup de grace.
Bodell would hardly be the test for a puncher, but Jerry did get him out of there in a most spectaculat way sort of way. A more significant feather in Jerry's cap would be his spectacular one punch ko of Scrapiron Johnson...topping anything that even Liston or Frazier were able to do vs Scrapiron.