Here's a 24 minute version of the fight : [url]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmi9xs_primo-carnera-vs-ernie-schaaf-1933-02-10_sport[/url] I'm not sure what happened to make Schaaf die. Some say he had a blot clot in his brain already caused by getting KO'd against Max Baer, others have suggested that an illness like meningitis had weaken him and caused a brain swelling. Anyway, that's all by the by. Another fallen warrior in the history of the sport, may he R.I.P. I think Carnera looks decent here, I don't really understand most of the criticisms levelled at Carnera. His main problems were a lack of snap in his punches, he kind of just wore men down with clubbing pushing punches, not unusual for such a muscular behemoth. And he had a shaky chin at the highest level. his skill and style weren't bad at all though, he used his assets well, boxed at range and when in close he leaned on his opponents, and mauled them and roughed them up with his big arms and elbows. He's pretty mobile for a muscle-bound giant. He weighed 264 pounds for this one.
Very good break down on Carnera this - not just the usual predictable manufactured ambling alp - I'm of the opinion that Carnera's lumberingness and lack of speed and agility was amplified greatly by the fact that he was fighting much smaller fighters generally - today's behemoths would I beleive look quite lumberous by comparison with the likes of Baer and Louis etc - we just don't notice it to the same extent these days because generally these days thry're matched with other lumbering behemoths
Exactly. In recent years we have fighters like Tony Thompson, Jameel McCline, Michael Grant. and as much as I respect Vitali K and admire his workrate and toughness, his movement is downright clumsy-looking he'd make Carnera appear like a ballerina at times. Carnera was actually respected at his absolute peak, for his agility and even his speed for such a big lump. It's only when he got beat and went downhill that people started to mock him and drag up again all the easy set-ups and tomato cans he'd been matched with early in his career. When he was champion people had to concede that he was pretty good and much improved on when he'd first come to America. Probably the most unfairly underrated fighter ever.
