How would Max Baer do in today's HW division?

Sam Peter is a better fighter than Baer was.

I'd pick Peter, Wlad, Vitali and maybe Chagaev over Baer.

 

What happened to him?

Me too.

 

Max Baer could beat them all, brutally and electrifyingly.

But he could lose to them all too, and stink the joint out in the process.

That was Max Baer.

If he was around today he'd be on the cover of all the magazines, probably being screwing Angelina Jolie, Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez, and drawing record PPV audiences.
Boxing would be back on the front pages.

 

Personally, I think that his brother Buddy would have a better chance of making a bigger impact today, given that he had all the right size dimensions and physical tools which fit the bill for this era. Max had talent, but skills that were rather unrefined. His brute strength may have gotten him his meal ticket in an era, where most heavyweights were not built like they are today, but in anytime post 1960, he'd have to come up with something other than just savage slugging, and frankly I just don't think that he had the right accumen.

 

I'd expect him to beat Wlad and the rest of the top boxers, EXCEPT Chagaev and maybe Peter. Chagaev's skills and hard-working attitude would allow him to pick up plenty of rounds while Baer is clowning and not working. Peter-Baer would be a classic brawl; I think if Peter can make enough of an impact early on he can get Baer unwilling to engage a sufficient number of times in the second half, and thus sneak a decision.

Of course, this is all if Baer is focused. Since he often wouldn't be, he'd pick up a lot of silly losses against people one would never pick to beat him.

 

You may have a point, except if Baer exercised his tendency to clown, as you say, then he might have a very long and hard night against Wladimir Klitschko

 

Max Baer was the Earnie Shavers of his day. Shavers was always one crushing overhand right away from being a world champ. I'd give Baer a good chance against any of today's heavyweights. On any given night he'd knock their blocks off. And on another night they'd crush or outbox him. But unlike a lot of today's fighters, Baer would campaign for rematches, and probably get 'em.

 

This sums it up nicley. The distractions that prevented Baer from fulfilling his potential in his own day would be magnified ten fold today.

When he was on he would tear through any heavyweight active today but his consistency would let him down.

 

He would have em all. When it came to screwing celebrities Baer was without peer in the pantheon of heavyweight champions.

 

Max had more power than his brother,and a better chin,but lacked his dedication.