The "Scientific" boxer Max Schmeling, or the smooth boxing Billy Conn? Tough Match up. Cast vote & please explain. with result. First round of Tournament. 10 Rounds.
"C'mon in!," said the spider to the fly. Max would have laid back and waited for Conn to go on the offensive. Billy had an excellent chin, but at some point Schmeling catches him with that sharpshooting counter right and Conn isn't able to shake the cobwebs in time to survive the follow up. I don't think this is a good match for Conn, who would have had to take repeated chances with a vigilant opponent in order to have a shot at posting a decision. To score points, Billy would have to open himself up to counters, Max's specialty. I can't see Conn moving in and out without paying a deadly price against this chess master.
Well Conn is very good defensivly... But it's true he would have to go on the attack & Billy is known for being too brave for his own good. Max would sure have his right hand cocked & ready. Tough call. I'm gonna have to think on this one to see, if there is any other way Billy could fight to try & pull this one off.
i agree with the above. billy being the way better technical fighter at some point max will get to him. so i say baer takes it
I think that Conn's speed and boxing smarts would cause Schmeling a lot of trouble and likley see him take the early rounds while Schmeling tried to set up his right hand. My prediction is that Schmeling would eventualy take control of the fight and stop Conn by aplying pressure and it would not be his right hand that would win him the fight but his left.. Schmeling would keep following up his right hand leads with left hooks to the body which would chip away at Conn ans slowly grind him down. In this respect the left side of Schmelings body almost functioned like a pressure fighter. The overhand right would eventualy end the fight but nobody would know when or how untill it happened except Schmeling.
I see Schmeling as the victor in this one, it could be a decision or a late stop...Max puts on the pressure and attempts to land the right hand which eventually is the key to the fight...Conn outjabs Schmelings early pawing and the movement keeps Max from getting set but the strength and focus of Max eventually find the opening for the right hand
Schmeling was a clever, cruel counterpuncher, and I feel he could have capitalized more on his ko of Louis in the 2 year period between the two Louis fights...I feel, for one thing, that he would have ko'ed Braddock if they had met..and whoever he fought, his confidence would have been sky high after the job he did on the Brown Bomber. I think that immediate post-Louis version of Max...the vindictive right hand counterpunching strategist that he was may have been a bit too dangerous for Billy, who I otherwise think was a great all around fighter.
The problem predicting how Schmeling would fare in fantasy matchups is that there has never really been anybody else with his particular style. He was something of a chimera between an orthodox counterpuncher, a left hooking pressure fighter, and a southpaw.
Conn is very difficult to read aswell. All but unbeaten at his best weight, light-heavy, he's got a "reading" style where it can be very difficult to tell why he is being so successful - he makes guys look bad. He was also a defensive genius and one of the few who absolutley did not sacrifice his offense...i would pick Billy over 10.
I see Conn taking an early lead, too, with Schmeling coming on hard in the middle and later rounds. My pick is a Schmeling win, by decision or late stoppage.
Naturally, I'm curious as to how you apparently shifted your position from one expressing that this is a horrible draw for Conn in post #3 to choosing Billy to take a decision in post #12. Janitor has obviously studied both very carefully, as have you, making the adjustment in your conclusion all the more striking. (Have you been reviewing footage of both in the meantime?)
