Max Baer vs Gerry Cooney

Then why didn't he demonstrate this power against a legitimate contender?

Max Baer was beating people ranked in the top ten in 1932, and he was still doing it in 1940!

Cooney never did it!

 

There are some who say... and I don't intend to include myself... but there are some who contend, and again not necessarily me, there are some who think and express the thought that those people ranked in the top ten in 1932 wouldn't have the slightest chance to reach the same ranking in 1979.

And again, I am not saying that these would be my thoughts. Not me. No, not me.

 

That might be an argument if Cooney had actually beaten somebody ranked in the top ten!

What makes your argument worse, is that most people don't think that Cooney fought in a particularly strong era!

So you have an undisputed champion of a weak era, matched against a flop from a weak era!

Pick your bets!

 

Who were these "good technicians?" I'd like to see them on video, I've seen Carnera, the Baers, Braddock, Simon, Schmeling, Galento, Sharkey, but I must have missed the "good technicians?" Can you list some of them?

 

Oh cmon, if he beat Joe Bugner, Leon Spinkis, Ossie Occasio, Scott Ledoux, Earnie Shavers, would he be viewed any different than beating Young, Lyle, Norton, Dino Dennis, and ST Gordon?
He gave Holmes a helluva fight, even though he didn't win. Holmes himself said if Cooney came along one year later, it could have been a different outcome. I know because I just read Cooney's autobiography, and Holmes is quoted on the back cover saying so. Yes Cooney was a protected fighter but that was more Dennis Rappaports fault than Mike Jones who wanted Cooney to fight some top 10 guys. I suggest you read the book, and I', not being a smarta$$$ either.

 

Yes, if a contender is not beating guys with a current ranking, that is a big red flag!

So his best result is a losing effort.

This is another big red flag!

Our problem, is that we have to judge him on what he did, not what he might have done.
Baer for all of his manifest failings, was beating guys ranked in the top ten, over a period of nearly a decade.

He should be the favorite here!

 

There are a couple of very good breakdowns of Max Schmeling's win over Joe Louis on the internet.

Look at these, and then consider that Baer actually beat this guy, with the style that he had!

 

Yes Max Baer had a system. Please. He was big and strong for his era. He could punch. He had a good chin. That's about it. He won his title and lost it to two of the worst heavyweight champions in history. The guy was more colorful than good.

 

Baer by knockout

Sorry Gerry

 

Some might say, not necessarily me, but some might say, um. how to put this politely... that Max Baer couldn't box. At all. Not even a little bit. But he was an early prototype superheavy athlete who got by, such as he did, on those aspects alone.

Those people just talk. But that's what they say when they do talk.

 

Yeah but losing to Larry Holmes is a whole different thing than putting him in against no defense Baer!

 

That might be exactly what I say, when I do say it.

 

Galento may not be even his top 5 win. He beat Scheling, Carnera, Schaff and Farr - all better than Galento. He also had wins over Risko, Campbell, Foord and Comiskey which can be argued over Galento too.

Schmeling would probably beat all of them, especially given that Norton was past his best at this point. I can also see Farr beating Lyle and have even fight with Young. Comiskey would likely KO shot version of Norton too.

He lasted much longer with Louis who was 10 times the fighter Cooney was. He lasted much longer in two fights with Nova even though he took a beating.

It's simple - because he beat many fighters with more than a decent skills. Schmeling was ATG fighter and please, watch more of his fights before judging him from Baer fight. Farr was very good fighter too. There is nothing wrong with Comiskey skills when you watch Baer fights either.

 

It's good to see COONEYS LOONEYS are still alive and kicking. MY favorite fantasy fighter is CLUBBER LANG; the SOUTHSIDE SLUGGER.

 

Nah, surely not.
Surely no one seriously believes Max Schmeling and Max Baer of 1932 vintage would fail to emulate the likes of Alfredo Evangelista and Lorenzo Zanon ....
Does anyone here ??