How would you rate Max Baer?

James Toney stopped Holyfield.

 

"Baer is the best of the challengers. I'd rather fight Schmeling twice than Baer once. Baer's got a dangerous punch in both hands, Schmeling only has the one."

Joe Louis

 

Baer's win over Carnera was probably more impressive than Dempsey's over Willard (in terms of the quality of the opponent). Baer's win over Schmeling was actually great. He was wildly popular. Everyone could see his potential. More than 130,000 people combined showed up for his bouts with Schmeling and Louis.

He just didn't have the ferocity to go with his skill set.

He had the attitude of a "cutie" who wasn't interested in getting hit, but he fought like a slugger who had to get hit to score himself.

His mental game and his physical game didn't mesh well.

Just an odd guy. Maybe the American version of Golota.

 

Here I disagree.

Just because a fighter has a crude style, doesn’t mean that they do not know the finer points of the sport.

A fighter builds their style around their physical assets, and a slugger will often be very devious.

Max Baer did know a lot of tricks for countering his opponents, and he would often do things like manoeuvre them into his corner at the end of the round, so that they had to walk back.

 

VERY raw...big...strong...could punch like hell with that right hand.

 

Hercules body. Pea brain.

 

To use his words:

Million dollar body, 10 cent brain!

 

Certainly he knew tricks. I look at a fighters technical merits all the way around. Offensively he had that great right hand and he lured opponents into that punch. He had no real jab or left hook. Everything was centered around hitting an opponent with that right hand. Defensively "tricks" are not a substitute for basic boxing. Baer was easy to hit especially with a jab, no head movement.....easily outboxed.....as long as you don't get hit with that right hand.

 

Marciano and Foreman. Don't know the exact order though

 

He was a monster who's nickname should have been "the bear jew"! He was definitely a brawler who could rely on his power. If you think about it his losses aren't that bad. He had 3 knockouts out of 13 losses in his career. Two were late in his career to Lou Nova. The other was to the great Joe Louis.

 

Braddock being one? Yeah, I rate Baer's power very highly, he had that wild, slingy overhand right that could hurt anyone if it landed clean.

I liked the story of when he was dying of a heart attack someone asked if he wanted to see the House Doctor, and he replied "No, dummy, get me a people doctor!". Great line if true.