Max Baer in the 1970s

Jesus, Richard Dunn. I’ll never forget the first time I saw his fight with Ali. The champ hit him with one right hand & he froze cold in his tracks, upright but tremoring as if struck by a bolt of lightning

Ali then proceeded to deck him about a half dozen times. It would be genuinely terrifying to see Baer punch his heart through the back of his body.

 

He'd be the best slugger around aside from Foreman, without George's stamina issues.
Beats Frazier, Norton, Chuvalo, Shavers, Lyle, Ellis

50/50 against Foreman, Quarry and Young

Losses to 1974 Ali and Holmes

With wins over Levinsky, Schaaf, Schmeling and Farr, and a proven ability to go 20 rounds, a motivated Baer is a massive problem for everyone in the 70s.

 

He becomes a serious hard hitting contender but never gets the big prize.

 

He would cave in Holmes’ skull in 1974.

 

Badly. He gets the **** beat out of him.

 

Key word "in his time".

 

So with a different trainer, more and improved skills and in better shape, he'd have been fine?

Do I need to go on or are you with me?

 

Yes 100%.

 

Not all of them

 

Baer is an awkward slugger, he's tough and he went for it. His size, power, toughness and determination as well as his unwieldy style, strangely angled punches (windmilling overhands especially) and his toughness inside with his wrestling prowess and dirty tactics would give him a shot in any era.

I don't think Baer would win a title, but he definitely would have his place throughout the 70s. Chuck Wepner, Duane Bobick, Randy Neumann were all ranked top 10 in 1976, who's to say Max couldn't hang out near the top for some time? Jose Luis Garcia (#10 1971) vs. Baer? Wepner vs. Baer? I think Max would win. I think he would also smoke Bobick.

Baer could be a nightmare for Jerry Quarry if JQ decided to brawl. I think there are other winnable fights for Max, too: Earnie Shavers--battle of who lands their bomb first, Maxie could beat Chuvalo in a war, he could beat Ringo Bonavena in an tricky and maybe bizarre fight. I think Norton would beat Max, but Kenny could unravel if Baer landed. I think Baer vs. Lyle would be an incredible slugfest with Lyle probably winning.

In short, he would be right there in the mix at the bottom half or middle of the top 10. Guys like Ali, Foreman, early Holmes, late Liston, Jimmy Young, Joe Frazier, would be a lot for Baer, but there are many winnable or coin-toss matchups in there, too.

 

I feel like Baer’s awkwardness is too often overlooked, he had a decent cross guard and his constant clowning, spitting, overall erratic behaviour made him very unpredictable. Fighting someone who’s well conditioned, durable, powerful AND unpredictable is exhausting even with their flaws.

 

Absolutely. That's part what made Bonavena such a problem for guys during this very time period, and Bonavena wasn't the puncher nor did he have the size of Baer. Norton's unorthodox method of killing the jab was giving people trouble during this time, even if it was a way different and more technical style, it was partially the awkwardness people couldn't deal with.

With Max, on the outside you have to watch for a bomb and he closes the distance in crazy ways, on the inside he will wrestle you down. He could hit from tons of unconventional angles, and when he let off, he would really hurt guys. And he would keep pouring it on.

 

A durable man who can go 15 rounds with a lot of power is a danger to anyone. Would I favor him over Frazier ? No

 

So what would I do if I were his manager in the 70s, knowing what I know now?

That is very simple, I would target Frazier.

Ali is going to outbox him, and there is no particular reason to assault the narrow Foreman window.

Against Frazier he at least has a physical and stylistic advantage, that we can work with.

I would promote him to be on a collision course with Frazier, preferably after Frazier had done the heavy lifting for him.

The gamble would be that he stands in Foreman's shoes, and produces the performance of his life.

If it doesn't work out, then at least I tried.