Max Baer vs. Rocky Marciano

Baer's shots land on a granite chin! Rocky would likely grin at blows that wouldn't harm him in the slightest.

Superior boxing ability prevails. Rocky by pulverization in round 8.

 

Rocky's (very) often underated defense is demonstrated in this match-up with the tall right hand bomber...I like Marciano by 11th round TKO...Although smaller, Rocky has the leverage to put Baer on his back foot IMO...and Baer would have extreme difficulty punching down with the right hand. Marciano is not given any credit for his aggressive defense it seems(?)

 

Marciano would crowd him, he'd come inside that big looping right hand of Baer's. Baer has the physical equipment to beat Rocky, but not the polished tools.
Baer could definitely hurt him and put up a good fight for a while.

Baer had some nights where he was "on", fierce and serious, and brave, no quitting or clowning in him. But I doubt he ever had the sheer determination TO WIN, the pathological phobia of losing, that Marciano possessed. In some rounds I can imagine Baer drifting into "survival" mode, or hoping for the one big punch, while Marciano just goes hell-bent.

 

Every time somebody does a Baer vs. XXXX, and say Baer's "in the best condition of his life" yada yada, "who wins?" y'all use existing films to compare Max to the other fighter. Those films are typically Baer vs. Schmeling, Carnera, Braddock, Louis, Nova.

I'm curious whether any of you have actually read accounts of Baer vs. an opponent in the years 1929, 1930 ? The pre-Campbell and including Campbell bouts.

Max Baer of 1929 and 1930 in a boxing ring was not quite human. He not only had the thunderous right, he excelled with his left, and with fighting inside. The newspapers of the time literally wrote "he punches hard with either hand." His right wasn't always the fist that KOd his opponents then. Were there some opponents during those years that outboxed him ? Certainly.

But just for once on these Baer vs. XXXX, I'd like to see somebody argue from the perspective of Baer in 1929-30. THOSE were his savage years.

I don't know enough about the other fighters to argue the particulars, but when you use the same films over and over as evidence, Max ain't gettin' a fair shot in the discussion.

Regards,
Cat
www.maxbaer.org