Benny Leonard calls Primo Carnera's defense "Marvelous"

Rez you absolutely showed valuable information concerning Carnera. There is no doubt that many/most including myself wrote off Primo as a clown and an oaf. Indeed he was a far better fighter than his reputation dictated. In some ways shockingly so.

 

Prlmo Camera will not he able to walk for at least three weeks, Dr. Vincent Futoni, his physician said today. The ex - champions ankle is badly swollen and X - rays will be taken today to determine whether bones are broken. Primo tore ligaments when he fell the first time in the first round," Fanoni said. "That's why he could barely stand up In the following rounds, and went several times to the floor without being hit. The physician disclosed that he wanted the match postponed, due to the bad physical condition of tbe Italian giant, but that Prima himself Insisted on the match. He had a grip (flu) attack two weeks ago." Fanoni said, "but he did not call me until a week later. I told him he must stay in bed but be disobeyed me. He was In no condition For the match."

The Daily Times June 15 1934

 

"Old Chappie said that there was always a cloud over his ability,but that Carnera was the gateway to the championship."

The weigh in.
"I really looked close up at Carnera standing there in his boxing trunks.He was a huge hunk of a man six feet five and three quarters and 260.5lbs .I was six feet and one half inch and weighed in at 196lbs.
For all his big self I wasn't the least bit intimidated,although Carnera kept making faces at me,saying all kinds of silly stuff.he looked foolish to me!
The fight between the 28 years old Carnera and the 20 years old Louis.

"I got in some hard punches in round one.
He just moved around and flicked out a jab.
The first thing that shocked Carnera and the audience was that instead of him handling me like a baby,I handled him.They were looking at his size and not his talent.
The fight moved along smoothly for me.I remember in the fight round we clinched and I picked him up off his feet.That's when he spoke to me the only time in the fight.He said "Oh oh oh"His eyes bulged out in surprise .Then he said ","I should be doing this to you"."I was just as surprised as he was at the ease with which I moved him around.
Carnera had nothing.
He couldn't punch, but he had a pretty decent jab.He pushed with his right and he was awkward Mostly he tried to scare me with his weight."
It was hard to get under his guard at first, but Chappie had told me to pace myself and the openings would come.
Just before the bell rang for the sixth round Chappie said, "go get him","I hit him with a right and the blood spurted form his mouth.I knocked him down the first time with a right to the jaw.I put him down again with another right to the jaw,.Then I finished of with left-right combination.He went down for the third and last time." "He never hurt me once". Joe Louis.
I'll take Joe Louis' opinion.

 

I did ,see my latest post!

 

LOL - You've been playing unjustly and illogically, pretty much from the get go.

Perhaps, rather than just accuse me, you could cite the instances of my alleged treachery.

I really wouldn't want you to miss out on the 'victimhood' that's owed you (if it is indeed owed).

 

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
16 Jun 1934, Sat
Page 15, Column 1 and Page 18, Column 4

The Old Sport’s Musing’s

HOW? WHEN? WHERE?​

Where and when did Baer perfect that murderous punch? I do not believe that he did any secret training. for Max is the type who does not think anything is worth doing unless there is a crowd to see him do it.
Nevertheless, there he is in that ring repeatedly whipping over rights with astonishing accuracy and deadly power. He was calling the shots, so to speak, and

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, Willie Ritchie, Johnny Dundee, Barney Ross awn other ring masters too numerous to mention.

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Where was the Carnera who knocked out Jack Sharkey, who outboxed that wizard of the ring Tommy Loughran, in Florida?

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With Baer scoring with his right to the jaw every time that he really cocked the punch,

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One of the most surprising things about this curious fight is the fact it lasted as long as it did. After the knockdown in the first round I would not have given a dime a dozen for Carnera’s chances of sticking around for more than five rounds.

BAER A SHOWMAN​

It is the Old Sport’s opinion that it wouldn’t have lasted three heats if Baer had been determined to make it a short fight. But Maxie is a “show-off”. It looked very much to me as though Baer knew after the first round that Primo couldn’t hurt him and that he could knock the Italian out any time that he pleased.

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Maxie talked to his victim continuously. Any one would have known that he ha d Hollywood background by the manner in which he registered disgust, merriment, hate, friendliness, ferocity, timidity, disdain, pity and what have you.

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Starting one of the early rounds,

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The Funny Feller then danced merrily away. This was so good that Max had to laugh at himself.

CAPPING THE CLIMAX​

But with all the instincts of a showman, Baer saved his best business until the finish.
Between the 10th and 11th rounds Carnera’s seconds dumped some resin in his corner—probably with the hope that it might enable the giant to stay on his feet. Baer, whose sharp eyes miss nothing, sat in his corner—not listening to his handlers, but cudgeling his brain for the business that would get another laugh for Maxie.
He didn’t miss either. For,

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Carnera didn’t know what to do about it. The Italian has a one-way brain, if any, and he did’t know any answers. As a matter of fact, at no time since signing for the fight has Carnera known what to do about anything.

MASTER MIND MISSING​

In justice to Primo, it must be recorded that he was handicapped from the first by the absence of Duffy, his Svengali. Bill had a misunderstanding with Uncle Sam about his income tax and heard the bad news over the fine radio that he has in his cell.
As a result, Primo was in there playing a lone hand, all deuces. True, Manager Luigi Soresi was in his corner, but the former banker knows even less about ringmanship than Carnera. So was “Dumb Dan” Morgan—and today everyone knows why Daniel is so called.
Morgan might have been of some use had Carnera any faith in him. But Primo didn’t want Morgan, he wanted Benny Leonard. Soresi and Duffy insisted on Morgan, however, and in doing so destroyed Carnera’s confidence in himself and threw him into a panic.

It was plain to be seen that Italian was worried when he came into the ring. He looked actually frightened. I do not think he was in any physical fear of Baer, but he was afraid that a fast one might be slipped over on him. Hadn’t he heard about Dempsey’s hands in that Toledo fight and wasn’t Dempsey closely connected with Baer.

This thought and a lot of other disturbing ideas probably festered in Carnera’s brain and made him feverish. Throughout his pugilistic career, Primo has had Duffy to do his thinking, Duffy to protect him, Duffy to advise him, Duffy to tell him just what to do and how to do it.
In Carnera’s mind, nobody could put anything over on Duffy—but now…

CHAMPION PERTURBED​

Small wonder that Carnera looked worried, preoccupied, like a man in a trance, when he entered the ring. Later he looked like something that had been refused admittance to the morgue.
But Duffy or no Duffy, Carnera would do well to stay out of any ring occupied by Max Baer—that is, if he wishes to remain healthy.

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, I never want to get well.

 

Brown said," Baer is a bum and Carnera is a bigger bum!"

 

So, you want to declare Primo as being injured and debilitated from as early as round-1...

...but you also want to show clips of round-7 and declare this demonstrates Carnera "using his size, reach, mobility, defense, and jab to world class effect" and claim I'm "ignoring the distance and footwork"?

Which is it?

 

Yes - I think there was an openly expressed sense that the Heavyweight Championship was being mocked a little, in that piece from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

It was also interesting to see other pieces, either by or about Benny Leonard, looking like he was going through a process of damage control (a PR exercise for himself). Although, I do not doubt the claims he makes that Carnera had conjured up a fear about Baer's association with Dempsey.

 

Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wisconsin)
17 Jun 1934, Sun
Page 14, Column 3

*********​

This is what Benny Leonard, former lightweight champion of the world said.Of course Benny has got a little bone to pick as he picked Carnera to win.

Benny Leonard talked to Carnera in his hotel room before the fight and here is what he says:
“I never saw a man more badly rattled or scared in my life. He took me aside and, his eyes rolling around, nervously questioned me about reports that Jack Dempsey would be in Baer’s corner. He told me he heard Dempsey put lead weights in bandages. Why, the big fellow was just scared blue.
“ I tried to reassure him and tell him those reports were all bunk. But I couldn’t make him believe it. He had been badly scared and he stayed that way. He moaned because Bill Duffy wouldn’t be with him. He said Duffy was the only man he could depend on.

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He seemed afraid to let Baer walk around him at will. That’s what fear can do for a fighter.”

 

"You can have your cake and eat it too" Lay Lady Lay.Bob Dylan.lol

 

"Whatta you mean Max won't be wearing the cuffs?"