I'm not going to make any solid convictions here, but I like Primo Carnera in this match. Its certainly possible that a well trained and motivated Braddock could have pulled off an upset, but I think Carnera's outside fighting game, lengthy jab, and incredible size, would give him the edge. My inclination is to pick Primo by a decision after a very competitive and crowd pleasing fight.
Carnera was huge but that's about it. He scored more KOs than any other HW Champ but he really wasn't a huge puncher... I don't see him stopping Braddock who was only stopped twice in 88 fighst (once on cuts, once by Joe Louis). Carnera had heart and definately had height and reach over the 6'2" Braddock who had a 75" reach. Carnera was 6'6" with an 85" reach and 260-270 Lbs. Braddock at his very best could win a decision over Carnera. I could see Carnera beating an underprepared Braddock by close decision though.
It's hard for me to look at Loughran-Braddock, and see Jimmy produce a different result against Carnera. Braddock did get the best of 6'4" Art Lasky, but Jimmy's reach was just an inch less than the taller man's. Primo's wingspan was ten inches greater than Braddock's. Jimmy did have the punch to bring Primo down if he connected properly, but nobody kept Carnera down for any length of time. Braddock would have to try beating Primo over the distance. Before Haynes ruined him, Carnera was legitimately outpointed three times: by Jim Maloney, Jack Sharkey, and Larry Gains. The losses to Gains and Sharkey are preserved on film, and many of us have seen at least some of that footage. Maloney held decision wins over Sharkey, Renault, Heeney, Risko and others. A competent boxer who lost his rematch to Primo, as Sharkey later would.
That's just it though, Braddock wouldn't come in unprepared...but still, with the size differential and the fact that Braddock wasn't blessed with the kind of power Baer and Louis had, who knows...maybe an awkward decision win for Primo..but one thing..Jimmy was very determined and he did have the discipline to stick to the script if a winning strategy was devised for him by his wily trainer Joe Gould.
Interesting fight that nearly took place. I tend to think that Carnera would use his genuinely quite good boxing skills and movment to edge a decision. No money going down though!
Weeeell, I would say to you that nullifying your opponents most dangerous punch, however you elect to do it, is a key aspect to out-boxing someone...Braddock used a mauling, moving style to take away Baer's right hand, Carnera basically stuck his chin out. The chasm between their respective performances against this key opponent is pretty eye-opening I think...Braddock also did better against Louis. In a best-for-best encounter I sincerely believe there is a class gap.
A fair point, but one that might not tell the whole story. If we go to the next teir of contenders eg Lasky, Levinsky, Uzcdun etc then Carnera matches up fairly favourably with other champions of the era such as Baer. I also wonder how Braddock might have fared against Jack Sharkey.
Little off topic. But a friend about a month ago, who had no interest whatsoever in boxing, knowing i did, came ranting to me about how amazing a boxing film called Cinderella Man was and how he really loved the characters and got into the fight scenes. And i've been lending him old fight tapes since. Put a big smile on my face because he's not the type that would usually be into anything like boxing, he's a part-time dj student hipster +1 for boxing history