Max Baer-Rating?

Baer was an awkward powerful palooka. I think the best fighter He'd consistently beat is Ken Norton. Top 30 ish.

 

Marciano had a pretty good KO average, and I can remember Ali said that an older Marciano was hurting Ali when they were doing a computer simulation fight. I think Dempsey showed some good power after beating down Willard and out slugging Firpo, plus his win over Fulton. That's why I rank them highly.

 

Max Baer called his right hand Bertha, and his left hand Betty.

Those were two very formidable ladies!

 

Hardest right hands hitter ever......somewhere in top 20 heavyweights ever

 

Maybe top 35-45. Baer could not box, but he could hit and take a punch. I think the times he fought in helped him stand out.

 

Who were they? I need to do a bit more research on Louis.

 

I don't like to rank anyone past a certain point, and Baer wasn't good enough to warrant entering any particularly exalted lists. As a champ he was tough and awkward with good power for his era, but he blew hot and cold and could be outboxed by averagely skilled smallish guys like Braddock, so I don't especially rate his chances H2H against any of the better names the division has seen over the years.

Power-wise, like I said, he was above average for his era, but I don't see anything freakish about him in this regard when applied to a wider canvas.

 

As far as talking to his foes and trying to showboat in the ring... he was an ATG at that. As far as the actually sport of boxing.... he had above average power and below average skills.