Chris Byrd vs. Max Schmeling

On paper Byrd is the type of fighter that Schmeling excelled against, except for the awkward detail of him being a southpaw.

 

Max has the skill to eventually lay a glove squarely on Byrd (though it may take some puzzling over) and when he does, goodnight.

 

Well, as Janitor already wrote Schmeling has a style advantage here. Byrd is for once the bigger man in the ring, quite slick and would be one of the fastest fighters that Schmeling faced and a southpaw (don't think Max ever fought one).
However, Schmeling has the perfect tools to do what he often did, methodically exposing the flaws of his opponent and making them pay for it. Schmeling would have some issues in the beginning due to Byrd's slickness and southpaw stance but after 3-4 rounds he would have adjusted and started to use and land his right constistently to great effect. As durable as Byrd is, I do not think he goes past ten here.

 

Max stops him late on.

 

Byrd via late stoppage. Byrd would simply land more leather and wear Schmelling down.

 

Max would figure him out and that right hand would start landing until Chris succumbed.

 

Chris holds almost all cards here. I don't think Max is quick enough to really catch Byrd and don't think Max hits near on the level of an Ike or Wlad. Byrd wins a wide UD with no really scary moments because when Max lands he can not follow up sufficiently.

 

Byrds whole style was based around giving away size. He made massive heavyweights look awkward and lumbering but I'm not sure how well that would play out against a smaller, quicker heavyweight like Schmeling. I like Max here.

 

Schmeling wasn't just any 190lb man though, was he?

 

I think Byrd outpoints him but Schmeling makes him work for it.

 

I think Byrd wins quite easily.

 

Byrdman. Going away.

Max would not land much on this guy and the more fatigued he gets the sloppier he gets. Chris would land those 1-2 combos of his at will the second half of the fight. Just pepper away at the guy. And his head movement and feints would not see him caught by a big right hand. Without landing a big right hand, what chance does Schmeling really have?

 

I fancy Byrd here. Clever, hardworking boxer with a good defence and a good chin. And for once he isn't outweighed by 30lb ... in fact, he's the bigger man. I think he might take it on points, he didn't hit particularly hard and Schmeling was a rough customer.