I decided to upload it for you guys. Here is film of a prime Clarence Henry. Bob Baker was rated # 3 at the time and undefeated. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDZ0BZBtbSo&feature=player_embedded[/ame] There is a good reason why I rate Clarence Henry as the best heavyweight of the era who never got a title shot at marciano.
You came up trumps again Suzie! I like Baker, he is quick, powerful,and can hit , he could cause some trouble if he were around today and his hands were sound. Henry looks pretty complete here ,doesn't he?
Yes he was quite the puncher. Yes. I know its grainy film, but you can clearly see in this film bakers hands look signifigantly faster and his jab snaps out there pretty fast. This is because back in 51, he didnt have the hand problems he suffered a couple years later that affected the way he snapped his punches.
Good Stuff Suzie, both men looked like very good skilled big men with Power but it also showed how good -Great Archie Moore was because he dominated Henry in 1952 but Henry lost a close one to Harold Johnson. Henry would be a tough Heavy today and the last few decades. Excellent fighter. Clarance Ko'd Satterfeild in 1 rd. in 1952 and also won in a rematch over Jimmy Bivens after his lone KO loss to Jimmy early on. Looks like he had the goods in a tough era
Suzie seems to be fishing for comments, so this is my take. Baker was a skilled boxer, but clearly even at this point in his career, and I don't know what shape his hands were in, he didn't have the power to keep Henry honest. It is easy to see why those perhaps overly impressed with size thought he would be champion, and also in retrospect easy to see why he leveled off as a second tier contender. I agree that Henry probably was the best heavyweight of the Marciano era whom Marciano did not fight (with the exception of Harold Johnson, if he is counted), but the window of opportunity is petty tight as Henry had such a short career. You have uploaded his two biggest wins in late 1951 over Baker and early 1952 over Satterfield. This put him in the top echelon. He immediately lost a close one to Johnson, and then was beaten very one-sidedly by Archie Moore (9-1, 8-1-1, 7-2-1 on the scorecards) and basically slipped from top contender status. He did handle a cautious Baker in a return, but wasn't up to Jimmy Slade or Hurricane Jackson. It is interesting to me that Rex Layne and Henry never fought as both were West Coast fighters who would seem to have been natural rivals. They fought a great many of the same opponents. I am sure we will get a knee jerk reaction that Marv Jensen ducked Henry, but Jensen really didn't seem to be protecting Layne and Layne was consistently matched with top men earlier than Henry.
Good Point about Layne. I don't know why it never came off. It's funny because a Louis-Henry fight in 1951 was almost agreed upon. Would have been very interesting. Old Fogey are you interested in seeing the Layne vs Louis exhibition? I can upload that
