Max Baer vs. Tony Galento

Unfortunately both Galento and Baer were grossly overweight and inactive for the fight and it really showed, since Galento's timing was way off and Baer's usual handspeed was nonexistent.

 

Baer found Galento with one brutal bodyshot, after which Tony was in visible pain. It's one of my favorite Baer's punches.

Maxie dominated all fight long and despite Galento's power, Baer ate everything without much problems.

 

I actually quite like this fight, battle of the big personalities. Was one of the first Baer fights I ever saw, admit its not his best lol, but Its good to see both have their moments here.

 

If I could have recorded what each fighter was saying to each other of any one fight it would have been this one lol.

 

Butterbean and Joe Savage would beat those two. And that was a "highlights" video, if the rest of the fight was worse than that...no wonder it is considered a career highlight that Galento was able to beat up an untrained actor (Jackie Gleason). After watching that I'd probably have bet on Gleason if I didn't know the result.

And Baer "ducking/rolling into" left hooks from a guy who looks 6 inches shorter...it looks like a fight between two untrained men.

 

Well, I disagree with you on one thing. I find this a very entertaining fight. It is even more entertaining if one is good at reading lips.

Two obvious points. This is the first film I have seen in which Baer is the more skilled fighter. And this is the only film I have seen of Baer in which he is not the dirtiest fighter in the ring. Galento managed to commit every foul possible. The referee seemed content to let the two fellows have at it. The fight wouldn't have gone very long if he had DQ'd for breaking the rules.

How did they look? Well, Galento had no skill, and was more wide open than any fighter I can think of. Baer was only slightly better. Both men did manage to duck some punches, but the punches were not only telegraphed, they were sky-written. They could be seen coming from miles away.

The commentator said that Baer was in top shape, but he was 10 lbs. heavier than he had been against Nova one year earlier. Galento was 20 lbs. heavier than he had been against Nova the previous autumn. Poor Tony was gulping air after a couple of rounds. Whatever else, though, Galento was really tough to march in wide open like he did. He survived a lot from Baer. Was this only because of Tony's toughness or had Baer gone back in power? Or was Baer's punching power always overrated?

As for Galento quitting because of an alleged broken hand, I noticed that he used both hands quite often in the 7th round. I think the broken hand excuse was mainly bs.

Not a good fight, with almost no skill shown, but for me a fun watch.

 

Saw that too at 04:10, hilarious.

For his weight, its hard to see from the quality if he was a little out of shape.
For his skills and behaviors, I believe a trainer some 20-40 years later could have created another fighter out of that frame and strength.
For how he was and fought, its just another proof of what a weight-advantage (as well as power*chin along with it) could lead to.

 

That's exactly what I expected because these guys are low skill brute sluggers at heart. I'm not surprised that fatty Galento ran out of steam against gym rat Baer.

 

a fight totally devoid of skill and both fighters lacking in talent

the likes of Quick Tillis, Adilson Rodriguez would have punched these pair silly and the likes of Gary Mason, Renaldo Snipes would have knocked 'em flat

 

To be honest, I see the David Jaco, who went the distance with McCall and Douglas, giving both these guys a run for their money.

 

Joe Louis fought who was put in front of him, it's not his fault, but fighting opponents of the level of Baer and Galento wouldn't prepare a fighter for a real boxer.

Some say that Baer was his best opponent? Baer looks to be no more than a 4 round level fighter at best. Joe Louis might adapt to better fighters, but facing Galento, Baer, Schmeling, Braddock, etc. would not prepare a fighter to step in with Michael Dokes, Greg Page, Pinklon Thomas, Tim Witherspoon, etc. Louis would have a steep learning curve if he was transported to a better era.

Louis wouldn't be fighting stiff, unskilled, uncoordinated, slow fighters. Dokes, Page, Thomas, and Witherspoon would be bigger than most, faster, and more skilled than all, of the fighters he actually fought.

 

Good Lord.... A decent ham and egger today would tear apart either one of these... Just awful.