Heavyweight FOTW #11: A Baer Bonanza

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mrkoolkevin, Mar 18, 2019.



  1. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    We're back. This week, we take a close look at several of Max Baer's defining moments in the ring. Really interested in seeing fight assessments and breakdowns from anyone who has time to rewatch any of these fights.

    Baer v. Schmeling, Carnera, Braddock, and Louis

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  2. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I am willing.

    What exactly do you need clarifying?
     
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  3. PhillyPhan69

    PhillyPhan69 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Generally RBR scoring and insights into the ebb and flow of the fight and breakdowns of the fighters style strengths and weaknesses
     
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  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    OK, before I give a more detailed breakdown, I will explain Baer.

    He became a slugger, for the reasons that most great sluggers became he same!

    He basically worked out that his power, reflexes, and chin, could circumvent the rue book!
     
  5. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    Whatever you notice when you rewatch the footage. Philly summed it up nicely.
     
  6. BrutalForeman

    BrutalForeman Active Member Full Member

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    An ATG in action
     
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  7. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Yes, always great seeing Primo Carnera.
     
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  8. Pat M

    Pat M Active Member Full Member

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    Schmeling fight - Baer looks to be 5-6" taller than Schmeling and is obviously stronger. Schmeling didn't have the quickness or the boxing skills to take advantage of Baer's lack of skills.

    Carnera fight - Carnera is worse than Baer as a boxer, Baer's punching power is probably exaggerated, he knocked Carnera down, and Carnera got up immediately and Baer hit him as soon as he got up. Baer was unable to hurt Carnera and Carnera made it through the round. Carnera looks worse than Mark Gastineau in the ring.

    Braddock fight - Braddock is about as tall as MB and although he doesn't seem to be athletic, he was able to exploit MB's lack of skill. Braddock was a better boxer than Baer, which isn't saying much.

    Louis fight - Louis dropped MB easily, MB does not seem to have great punch resistance . Louis is the only fighter among Baer, Schmeling, Carnera, and Braddock who had decent balance and good punching technique and he seemed to hurt MB with everything he landed. Louis walked through Baer and easily beat him.

    Joe Louis looked good. He was fighting a weak opponent and took him out with no problem. Carnera is terrible, nothing else needs to be said about him as a boxer, Braddock and Schmeling were able to get to the top in that era, that probably says a lot about the era, and Baer is awkward, and unskilled, almost as unskilled as Carnera. After watching these partial fights, I believe that Baer's ability to punch and take a punch have been embellished over the years. He looks like a guy who was bigger than most of his opposition and was able to beat some of them because of his size advantage. I didn't see any impressive punching from Baer or any evidence that he could take a heavy punch.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2019
  9. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Maybe I'm the only one who laughed when I read this
     
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  10. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Louis was there
     
  11. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Loved the Gastineau reference lol.

    Agree with most of this and some of it is spot on. For example, Louis, even those he's facing the crude Baer, he still dominates and easily. Smashes him as he should and gets credit for that.

    Nothing needs to be said of the Canera v. Baer fight from my end. I'll leave that up to others to give me the the nuances that I"m clearing missing. To me, when Max Baer makes you look like it's amateur hour, that says a lot. Baer gets it done, I guess

    I'll disagree on the Schmeling in that I believe he wasn't peak at this point in his career and was getting mixed results. He was better than this fight illustrates and just ran into a guy who had some physical intangibles on him and took advantage of it this fight imo

    The Braddock fight I have mixed feelings about. If I didn't see Max clown in other fights, and I saw another fighter act like he did, I might think they threw the fight. It was that bad. so who knows. It was for the HW Championship of the World, and you smile and grin and think that's going to win? It's almost surreal watching the display. So I'll call this one.... who cares it shows us nothing. Jim took advantage of a guy barely trying and he himself could barely win, and Max didn't really seem to try to win, that that tells us little. We've seen Max go after people, especially physically inferior people, yet here he almost night and day. Odd.
     
  12. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Carnera had a foot injury from one of the knockdown, and still went through the bout.
     
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  13. The Long Count

    The Long Count Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Baer in the Braddock fight is so bad that without any actual evidence I believe he may have taken a dive. His punches are wildly inaccurate, I mean he looks as if he accidentally hurts Braddock I think in the 6th with a short right hand, and his follow up is so bad it’s disturbing. Here is a man that has given away numerous rounds already and he finally hurts his opponent and he pauses, allowing Braddock to retreat then rushes over with a totally telegraphed haymaker that he Then lands on his back?!
    Really watch this fight closely, Baer’s Punches up til the 12th lack any steam and are the most inaccurate shots in a big fight I may have ever witnessed. And Braddock wasn’t hard to find or hit.
    As for Braddock he definitely trying to win the fight. He keeps his chin tucked down, and throws a decent looping overhand right that time and again finds Baer’s face.
    Baer also has never heard of a jab.
    To be honest Baer doesn’t look too good in many fights. I’ll rewatch the the other fights later but boy an awful performance in the Braddock bout.
    He clearly looks best vs Schmeling. Far more active and with real steam on his punches.
     
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  14. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I literally feel the exact same way. It was a terrible display that stinks. I have no evidence to back it up, and I've never heard a lot of cries about him taking a dive (usually it's wildly reported, yet here, there's almost nothing on it), but it just looks like a dive to me. I'm sorry, but his display is that bad. You would never think someone was putting on the display he was and think they were trying to win. Not sure what the heck was going on here.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
  15. The Long Count

    The Long Count Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Funny how for years Sharkey was accused of taking a dive in a bout he fought way more competitive than Baer did in this fight. The guy literally stands still most of the fight allows himself to be hit, throws timid punches in reply and any time he tries to throw a hard punch (which just looks fake- looks like someone trying to throw a hard punch) the punch misses wildly or lands on the back or arm.
    Yet nobody of the era, ever claimed this bout was a fix. And really with the odds in this bout - if you picked Braddock you would make a killing- this would be the fight to fix.
    Was the media complicit? They built Baer up to be a man killer. And downplayed Carnera’s Broken foot when he won the table.
    I’m suspicious of this fight. I don’t know how anyone can watch this bout and believe Baer was trying to win.