Biggest underachievers in heavyweight history

JohnThomas1 · Jun 18, 2009

Greg Page

Mike Dokes, Witherspoon and Douglas also come to mind.

janitor · Jun 18, 2009

ChrisPontius said: ↑

Why? I think that's very much an insult to Braddock. Schmeling had a weak jaw and other assets than did Braddock. And it's not like the Schmeling fight was an easy win for him.
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I wouldnt describe Schmeling as having a weak jaw. The only person apart from Baer who knocked him out anywhere close to his peak was Joe Louis who also knocked out Jimmy Braddock.

I would add that Baer didnt just knock Schmeling out he was even with him on the score cards going into the fatefull round.

Braddock should have been a routine defence for him.

Yep. OR until he runs into Braddock, Nova, Schaaf, Loughran, Risko, Uzcudun, Farr or Davis, and loses.

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Lets look at each of these in turn.

There are a 101 scenarios in that era that dont oinvolve Baer defending his title against Jimmy Braddock. The fighters seen as the top three challengers when Baer won the title were Hamas, Lasky and Levinsky. All swarmer types who would have been tailor made for Max. Schaff was dead, Loughran was shot, Risko was out of the picture, Uzcdun was never likley to challenge for the title again and Farr was a couple of years away from being in a position to challenge for the title.

The Davis fight was only an exhibition where the refferre waalowed to award a decision. It is doubtfull that Baer was actualy going all out.

When Baer had won the title he had just defeated the champion (Carnera) and the man who was really the best heavyweight in the world (Schmeling). The rest should just have been a mopping up operation if he had focused on the game.

Or you are buying into this magical, unbeatable version of Baer who took advantage of a lesser durable opponent, but still lost tons of times i've pointed out.

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I am not saying that he was magical or unbeatable.

Just capable of beating anybody around if he aplied himself.

Different fighter or not, he wasn't all that. It was a weaker division after the Dempsey/Tunney retirement gap where a former journeyman LHW could climb up to win the title against a highly respected champion.

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Whatever you think of the division it was the one he was actualy fighting in.

The question of this thread was not to name great heavyweights but to name heavyweights who were underachievers.

So to be clear, the question is could Baer have done a lot better than he did in the era the was fighting in?

Absolutely.
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mcvey · Jun 18, 2009

janitor said: ↑

All solid shouts.

I could add Luther McCarthy though it wasnt his fault.

Henry Flakes is another possible call.

Andrew Golotta (obviously)
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Henry Flakes????

JIm Broughton · Jun 18, 2009

What about Gerry Cooney and Corrie Sanders?

OLD FOGEY · Jun 18, 2009

dmt said: ↑

OLD fogey,

does any film of schmeling-sharkey 2 exists? I agree that this article is exxagerating his ability but nonetheless id like to know if any reports of this fight exists. If it was such a disputed decision why did Smith say that Sharkey won?
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Smith was the referee who gave this fight to Sharkey. Assuming he is on the up and up, it was obviously the way HE saw it. It is fair to say that most others did not see it that way.

Yes, film does exist. All I have ever seen is a few rounds. They show Schmeling chasing Sharkey (nothing like the first fight) and landing big rights rather convincingly on the retreating Sharkey. But I haven't seen all the fight to make any judgement on the decision other than what I have read.

However one takes this decision, don't you think Schmeling should have been given an immediate rematch rather than being shunted into a fight with Baer while Carnera gets the shot, despite his loss to Gains? Schmeling obviously was not treated fairly in America, a point Gene Tunney once made publicly.

janitor · Jun 18, 2009

mcvey said: ↑

Henry Flakes????
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Ibeabuchi of he 1940s.

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