Ngannou in the 1930s heavyweight scene

During this era Louis's number 1 contenders didn't stick around long after losing to him. They didn't lose that status in the ring. In Galentos case he got that status because Lou Nova had beaten Max Baer and Farr before Galento "beat" him.


By March 1942 the Louisan HW division had 8 number 1 contenders either retire or move away in Braddock, Farr, John Henry Lewis, Schmeling, Godoy, Max Baer, Buddy Baer and Abe Simon. The division probably had the best top 50 of any HW division ever but at the same time there was just nothing stopping someone who should be ranked in the 20s getting into the top 5.


There might have been a sort of "number 1 contender" lineage up to Max Baers retirement but if that was a thing Galento was only a part of it because of the Nova fight. After the Louis fight the Baer bros made that very clear.

The HW title had only become undisputed when Louis beat Schmeling. It was only undisputed because of Louis and the big summit of 1938 which went out the window in WW2. There were 4 major alphabet organizations at this time the NBA, NYSAC, IBU and BBBC. A decade earlier there had been a 5th the ABA. The British and Europeans were largely doing their own thing they just did badly enough in unification bouts where they can be ignored.

 

He'd be a fringe contender type on the basis of his size, power and athleticism, but would get beaten without too much issue by most the top 10, and annihilated by Louis.

 

I don't see Lou Nova beating Francis tbh.

 

Probably better than it would appear.

 

They also both had two arms and legs
Wore boxing gloves
Punched people for a living

The similarities are uncanny!!!!

 

I think Ngannou would beat Carnera.
And Carnera, a "miracle of nature", has never seen a greater Miracle than himself.
You may criticize me, but I don't think Ngannou punches any weaker than Max Baer.

 

They're about as similar as Ngannou and Foreman are to each other. Probably less so now that I think about it.

 

Carnera was a walking stiff Ngannou is an athletic freak, of course he'd do better. Ngannou started training MMA in his late 20s and was in his late 30s before he ever had his first pro-boxing match (and got a KD on Fury).

A Ngannou who started training boxing in his teens (instead of slaving in a cameroon salt mine), would be very impressive I feel. How far would he have gone? we'll never know but the potential was all there.

 

I've never seen Baer land a knockout shot on someone like Ngannou did to Overeem. If he did you can bet all the old time farts would be jizzing their britches over it even if it was over some anorexic 160 pound journeyman with twenty losses.

 

Ok guys; thanks for your understanding.
I thought the "nostalgia" would work.