Max Baer vs. Foreman

If Max clown at mid-range, waiting to start swinging away, Foreman will pound him with his heavy jab.

If Baer tries to open up Foreman will land those heavy, clubbing blows.

However, in response to the OP, Baer is faster: he had a good chin and with less protection with less padded gloves there can be a case made that Foreman may never have received such telling blows.

So yeah, Prime Foreman may be outgunned. But he still showed enough durability, power and forcefulness that I dour he'd lose. Baer is in with someone even more dangerous than him.

For the record I also think Foreman would smash through Dempsey.

 

Carnera-more endurance than Foreman? Apart from Ali, when did you ever see Foreman not stick it out?

Also, seems toe that Carnera has 'opted out' in at least two fights (Louis and Baer) at least according to the commentary and apparent signalling of Carnera to the ref.

 

He finished very weakly against Young as well, but again, that was in part due to a foolish choice on his part not to get properly acclimated to the heat and humidity of Puerto Rico. But yes, Primo very obviously had more endurance than Foreman. He wore down Tommy Loughran over 15 rounds in a clear triumph of attrition, and twice decisioned 20 round veterans Paulino Uzcudun and King Levinski. He had enough energy to try helping Schaaf to his feet after 13 rounds of action, and Ernie's fatally impaired physical condition does not reflect on Carnera's preparedness to go the distance. Art Lasky and Jim Maloney are also credible distance performances. He came from behind to stop Impellitiere late. (I'm not convinced that Foreman would last 15 rounds against the Uzcudun who knocked out Wills and decisioned Baer.) Sharkey dropped Primo early in their first match with an FOTC type bomb of a hook, and battered the snot out of him, but couldn't wear him down enough to get a stoppage before 15 rounds were up.

But nobody ever counted ten over Carnera. With one bad ankle, he mounted a credible rally against Baer, and packed it in when it became clear that he had no chance to successfully defend his title (and Max was photographed visiting Primo in Carnera's hospital room the following day). It looked to me as though Carnera was genuinely out of it after getting to his feet following the final knockdown from Louis, hanging on the ropes. He wasn't in position to defend himself, and there was no mandatory eight count, leaving the referee with little choice.

 

I still think that Carnera had a ton of heart to endure as much as he did in those fights.

According to Carnera himself, he didn't quit against Baer. He said he was complaining of Baer's fouling.

 

This makes sense, considering the fact he got up instead of taking the count. (Ironic though, as Primo was no choir boy when it came to questionable tactics. His best punch against Loughran was a backhand right, and his best maneuver was stepping on Tommy's feet.)

 

While he was training for Carnera, Max Baer had his sparring partners stamp on his feet to get him used to it.

 

I wasn't suggesting he didn't have heart, he clearly had it in abundance (I actually think Carnera gets underrated, I see some real quality in him at times,could compete today IMO) just stating that I felt any he did have would not be drastically bigger than Foreman's heart and will.

Fair enough points in ALL the responses thus far, thanks for filling in gaps.

I certainly wasn't saying Carnera was any less of a fighter. The beatings he takes leading up to the end of the both of those fights is more than an indication of his heart, as the other fights were proof of his ability.

Can someone shed some light on the damage he sustained to his ankle in the Baer fight? I was rewatching it recently and to be honest, he gets bundles over and knocked down in so many awkward and heavy ways that I found it hard to determine at which point he hurt himself and which ankle he was favouring. Baer is brutal in that fight, particularly the first overhand right, a perfect example of how deadly he was with it.

Back to the OP, and as correctly noted thus far, a major weapon in any strategy for Baer to beat Foreman. I think 'Prime' George was still durable and tough enough to gather his senses under the inevitable rushes of Baer, where shots are winged in fast and from odd angles, and every shot is designed to bash your head in.

Besides the device of the thread (to devise a scenario in which Baer would/could win) I actually think it's a very good hypothetical matchup; one I hadn't considered before and which I'm enjoying playing over in my mind. Two of favourite offensive-minded Heavyweights.

 

Max had an excellent chin and would get in some good licks but.... Foreman will eventually overwhelm Baer.... It takes someone like Ali or Young to beat Foreman.... Baer has the wrong style of fighting and would get kayoed.... Larry Holmes is someone who had the style to defeat Big George.... Baer is a slugger and Foreman was practically impossible to outslug.

Foreman KO 5 Baer