l. lewis vs primo carnera.....

Wow...I was just thinking, if I could just get a time machine and a punch meter, and get some people here to bet sizeable amounts on what they are saying about pure punching power, I could be a very wealthy man!

 

The Wiggins fight was certainly on the level.

Carnera's handlers picked Wiggins because he was a spent force and had some worrying moments when he fought back viciously.

 

With the difference being that his fights were on the level.

 

Buck Smith's? I've always felt that his record was a bit questionable.

He beat a lot of people who had never won a fight but I wouldn't claim them "fixes". Some of those people used aliases in order to fight him again so he could pad up his record more.

In the 1990's there was also a tradition to call a fight a no contest in case it went the distance when a fight was made on a short notice. This was done so that neither fighter would risk a loss on their record. Smith has numerous no decisions on his record which may or may not have been losses.

 

I never said he wasnt capable, I just said he was no puncher.
I have no criitcism of Carnera, but plenty for the lice who fed off him.
Peterson went down without being hit in their first fight I think thats pretty conclusive.
Wiggins was a hell of a tough man , who had the respect of many great fighters ,he was not however averse to a "deal."

 

The vast majority of his fights were set ups. If they were not please explain the following:

Why does no one rate him as a top KO artist with his record ?

Why was he a .500 fighter post Louis as a still young man after the mob droped him ?

 

If you think Carnera was a puncher I think you would do better to keep your money in your pocket.

 

Health problems, wear and tear, severe beatings at the hands of Louis and Baer. He's not exactly the only fighter to be done at 30 years of age.

After losing to Louis, he went onto win his next four, including a win over Walter Neusel, lost twice to Leroy Haynes by TKO and then another humiliating loss after which he retired. He came back at 40 years of age and lost 3 more.

Why no one rates him as a top KO artist? Tarnished reputation, whether justified or not, padded up record, no knockout wins over top fighters aside from Jack Sharkey.

There are a lot of fighters with good KO records who aren't rated as big punchers.

 

I never said I believe he was a great puncher. I said he was a harder puncher than many linear champs. I would bet a lot more than was in my pocket on Carnera against Sharkey on a punch meter, and I would give sizeable odds as well.

 

I really don't think Sharkey would bet on Sharkey in a punch meter contest with Carnera!

 

From what I've read Peterson went down from a grazing left hand. He may have dived but I'm not sure if I'd call it a fix.

Is it any different from this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFS_4SLMfac

I don't rate Carnera among the biggest punchers either but he did have a couple of solid stoppage wins on his record. He punched out Sharkey, in my opinion unquestionably, with one uppercut, knocked Schaaf down with a jab although Schaaf was in no condition to fight at that point, stopped Neusel on a cut, KO'd chinny but competent Isidoro Gastanaga, KO'd Bearcat Wright a fairly durable opponent (although I don't know much about this bout), KO'd journeyman George Cook, Jack Gross, Bud Gorman and stopped the huge Victorio Campolo, Jose Santa and Ray Impelletierre.

On film it seems to me that rather than being a mediocre puncher, Carnera is simply rather awkward and doesn't always find his opponents with his ponderous punches. When he does land a punch flush, which isn't often, the effects can be seen immediately.

 

Partial quote:

Exactly! :good

 

Would you say Carnera was a BELOW average puncher, then?

 

yes.