Primo Carnera versus Mike Dokes

The theme of the thread seems to be benchmarking against 'prime-for-prime' and 'best-for-best'.

 

Prime for prime, doesn't necessarily mean that the inconsistent man, plays a one off career blinder.

 

It doesn't need to mean that for this exercise.

 

OK, so you have a guy who was nothing more than a contender by 1930s standards, fighting a lineal champion, who seems to have been a lot more consistent.

The latter even holds a 40lb weight advantage, which you would certainly argue if the positions were reversed.

Can't you see where I am coming from here?

 

Baer was no more than a contender, before he smashed Carnera silly - and Primo had over 50lbs on Max.

What does that make Baer - a Mega-Elite? And, Louis a Hyper-Mega-Super-Elite?

 

And consequently Carnera was installed as the betting favorite.

 

Whether or not he'd be a "betting favorite" is not the point, here. All that means is that I'd make more money by betting on Dokes.

You have made clear, by implication, that you consider Carnera an "elite". I don't think that fits with most observers' description of Carnera.

In my opinion, even Baer is a borderline case, for being considered an elite heavyweight. Joe Louis? Yes. Max Baer? maybe (not entirely convinced).

Dokes, on his best day, beats Primo's, on his.

 

A 6’3” 220 Ib heavyweight with blazing handspeed, good mobility, decent power and a solid chin would have been viewed as nothing more than a contender in the 1930s? The only thing that would have held him back from being hyped to heaven in that time like Primo was would have been his color. Rather than been viewed as nothing more than a contender, someone with Dokes physical attributes and abilities would have been avoided like the plague in the 1930s.

 

Rest assured, we ALL know where you're coming from!

 

Basically in a pretty crap era for heavyweights Carnera managed to win the title and hold it for a year ,until he met a real bonafide contender.

 

I would define anybody ranked in the top five as being an elite heavyweight, and perhaps some outside it.

In that sense you might not take exception to my use of the word?

 

He might even have had trouble getting a manager, and the financial backing to train full time.

It is even possible to imagine some scenarios, where he disappears without a trace!

 

Primo Carnera could have obtained cocaine, if he had wanted it more than boxing success!

 

By that definition, Dokes himself was an elite Heavyweight.