Heavyweight FOTW #11: A Baer Bonanza

Looking past all the crazy knock downs, I think you can see in the Primo fight, a lot of the same issues as against Braddock.

 

Such a shame that this thread is less specific than the rest of FOTW threads. Nobody even tried to score any of mentioned fights. Maybe I will try to do it, though given Baer reputation it's probably wasted time. I will try anyway, maybe somebody will do it too.

 

Baer vs Schmeling: a sloppy and gruelling affair, with a ton of wrestling and mauling. Baer's jab was extremely slow and sloppy, leaving him wide open and off balance, and his power punches were often telegraphed and borderline arm shots that threw him off balance, but Schmeling fought to Baer's strengths by constantly trying to duke it out on the inside where the bigger, stronger Baer had the advantage. Baer I believe knew he was being outboxed, but showed a bit of craft by every so often exploding with short, aggressive combinations that sometimes hurt Schmeling; mostly however he relegated himself to constant digging shots to the ribs and cuffing rights on the inside when both fighters "locked horns". In the tenth, Baer went for broke and caught Schmeling with a massive looping overhand that stunned him and allowed Baer to get the stoppage, albeit using a lot of dirty tactics like backhands and hitting and holding. It was a solid performance against a smaller man that couldn't really hurt him, but had the skills to potentially outpoint him. Baer's defining win for me.

I'll follow up with the rest later.

 

"Perfect!!!"

 

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Round 1
Schmeling connected with a few rights (one of them backed up Baer) but overall he was quite passive and Baer had his own moments with some heavy shots. Probably Baer round.

Round 4
Schmeling round, he outlanded Baer on the inside and connected with a beautiful right counter at the beginning of the round. Schmeling problem is that it didn't make any impression on Baer, he ate his punches without any problems. Baer had huge chin and he did what he should - punch Schmeling to the body and arms with clubbing shots to wear him down.

Round 6
Schmeling round, similar to round 4. Baer had some crafty moments but Schmeling outlanded him again. Baer was also warned for backhand try.

Round 7
Schmeling again landed many rights on Baer's chin but he couldn't do anything to shake him. Baer showed a few creative tricks but it's another round for Schmeling. Keep in mind that Baer didn't seem concerned for losing rounds, he wanted to wear down Schmeling. He clowned a bit in this round as he usually do in fights we have.

Round 8
Baer round, he fought more agressively than before and Schmeling looks tired at this point. His usually great head movement failed him a few times, though to his fortune Baer didn't throw many power punches in close. Probably the best Baer round so far.

Round 9
At the beginning fo the round Baer did his Foreman improvisation and started pushing Schmeling away with ease. He landed some solid punches throughout the round and Schmeling looks weak and he missed more rights than before. Baer punches seems to have bigger and bigger effect on him. Clearly Maxie Baer round.

Round 10
Baer round and the KO. Schmeling took brutal beating.


Overall, I think that Schmeling fought stupid fight against Baer. He had an early success (probably even bigger given that we don't have rounds 2, 3 and 5) but he should have fought with more mobility, trying to counter everything Baer threw. It's not that easy, as Baer could walk into him basically anytime he wanted. Schmeling also scored with his jab, but he underused it.
Baer was just Baer - took quite a few solid punches to the chin but showed good signs of defensive awareness. He didn't clown too much and protected his chin behind the shoulder well. He also showed some crafty ways to set up his lethal right hand and occasionally he overwhelmed Schmeling physically (throwing his around the ring and pushed off with ease).

Overall, it was a great win for Baer because Schmeling fought like a warrior, but his gameplan wasn't the best and he could have done better in my opinion.

 

On the hand issue I have tracked down some of the source material that I referred to previously from Max Baer.org.

June 06, 1935.

New York Boxing Commission Doctor William Walker "gave the champs hand's a thorough examination because of persistent reports that bone bruises might prevent him from meeting Braddock. Maxie injured his hands in an exhibition bout with Eddie Simms at Cleveland, just before starting training. They have not responded properly to treatment. The knuckles of the left hand were bruised badly and the bones in the back of the right hand were contused. Dr. Walker admitted the possibility that Maxie's hands may bother him in the Braddock bout, but he was confident they would be in shape for the fight. As Maxie ends his training tomorrow, they will have four days to rest."

After losing the championship to Braddock, Max sat down with reporters. "A cigarette in one hand, a bottle of beer in the other" Max was "all cheerfulness." 'I have no alibis to offer,' he explained, 'Jimmy won and no better fellow deserves a break. He didn't hurt me in the fight, but my trouble was that I couldn't hurt him.' "So saying, the ex-champ held up a right hand in the form of a fist, pressed the knuckles and demonstrated to observers how the metacarpal bones jumped out of position considerably." 'That hand, not too good to start with, went completely in the fifth round, and the left, though you may not believe it, went in the third."

"He visited Dr. Leo L. Michael early in the afternoon to have his hands examined and it was revealed that both weapons were broken. X-ray photographs indicated that there were two bones broken in the right hand and a chip fracture in the left. Despite the injuries, Baer strenuously objected to offering any alibis. 'I know I deserved to lose the decision,' he stated 'and I don't want to take anything away from Braddock. I thought my hands were strong enough when I went into the ring, and its my own fault I didn't knock Jim out early. Frankly I didn't expect the fight to go more than seven round.'"