For all this, Baer was trying to win the fight. He really went after Louis early, and I think that Louis might have been a bit relieved, when the first bell rang. When he realized that he wasn't going to blast Louis out, and he was getting the worst of it, he boxed more defensively. Obviously if he broke his hand as some have claimed, we would have a lot of sympathy with him quitting.
No, but he was the lineal champion when Baer beat him. He beat Schmeling, who had the alternative claim to be the top heavyweight, and Carnera who was the current champion. That left the #1 situation very clear!
"When the bell rang for round one,Baer came out of his corner like he was scared to death.Chappie told me to wait for an opening." I knew I had Baer when I hit him with a left uppercut in the first round.After that I just jabbed him with my left until I found openings,The only time Baer hit me hard was at the end of thesecond round,He'd hit me withtwo rights on the ehad butthey didtnhurt.He couldn't hit as hard as Ithought he could,yet he was abetter fighter than carnera.For a while I think he tried to throw the fighthe just wasn't right.I don't know what happened to him that night I felt he wasntthe fighter he should have been.I remember when the bell clanged for the end of the second round,I dropped my hands and the son of a ***** hit me with a left hook and a right hand to the jaw".Joe Louis "My Life". Doesn't sound much like the fight you watched does it? ps Baer never claimed he broke his hand in the post fight interview.
It is only fair to note, that Schmeling backed out of their proposed fight, and Carnera resented it. After that, they both navigated separate paths to the top. As for Schaff, he couldn't exactly regroup and have another go, after Carnera beat him!
Then he would have flattened somebody world class in his own era. Baer is a level above on paper, possibly even two.
