Primo Carnera vs. KO Christner I (full fight now on youtube)

Christner had been kod in1 round by 166lbs Mickey Walker.Thanks for post in this.

 

@William Walker : Hello again! Just a curiosity question; as you know, mostly it's the world champions who go down in boxing history, and it's the absolute legends who become immortalized in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. But then there are the names who will stick though even though they weren't world champs. We remember the titlists more (for their positive outcomes). However, given the movie made about him and his unfortunate prison stint of nearly 20 years, do you think Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, despite never being champ, etched his name forever in boxing annals? Thanks in advance!

 

I have never seen this one, and it is the earliest Carnera film I have seen.

K O Christner was a fair journeyman I think, looking at his record. He lost 39 times and was stopped 15 times in 115 fights but had his moments. He beat Ernie Schaaf, Joe Sekyra, Bearcat Wright, Knute Hansen, and Jose Santa. He also had a DQ win over Johnny Risko, and went to a MD with Jack Sharkey.

The first thing which stood out to me is the size differential--265 lbs. to 201 lbs. This might understate it a bit, as Carnera seems to be in better shape. Christner is a little soft about the waist. Carnera looks all muscle.

The speed of the film is again a problem. I timed the first three rounds and assuming they are complete (and when exactly the bell rings is not precise), it appears this film is running about 18% too fast. The fighters were not as fast as they appear.

My reaction is Carnera looks very good. He is so heavily muscled he seems to have trouble throwing hooks, but his straight punches appear effective--the jab and straight right, as well as the right uppercut.

The knockout looks totally legit to me. Christner hurt by a right cross, and then put down by an uppercut and left hook.

There is a school of thought that Carnera couldn't fight at all, and only got anywhere because of fixes, but his films just don't back that up.

Thanks a lot for posting this one.

 

According to the Chicago Tribune next day report it was due to him slipping through the ropes "aided somewhat by one of Mickey's lefts", and injuring his knee on a chair.

 

Cool, what's the title of the documentary btw?

 

Primo Carnera is an enigma. For me, I've read for 40 years or more how terrible he was. And the more video of his actual fights that shows up year after year the better he looks to me. (LOL)

By the same token, you read for half a century how awesome some of those other old timers were. And the more I see of them, the lower my opinion of them becomes.

I have no doubt some guys bailed or took dives when they fought Carnera. But I don't think it was nearly the number people have always suggested. And I think many of those "fall guys" were no worse than guys who go down without being "out" against top fighters today, and then pop up when the ref reaches 10 and they're all smiles and shake hands with everyone. We see that all the time now. Literally every card. Like, I showed up. Took some shots. Did my part. I know I can't win. So I'll put my gloves over my face, take a shot, go down and I'm out of here. Nobody screams dive, because we see it all the time. (Maybe they didn't see it as much then.)

Historians always look at Carnera fights and go "I don't think his opponent was 'really' out." Well, how many of the 22 guys Anthony Joshua stopped were "really out" either, compared to how many complained when it was stopped or jumped up as soon as the count was over, or were all smiles a minute later?

Carnera's reputation definitely precedes him, and unfairly so ... which seems to become clearer with each new fight that becomes available.

Carnera was big for his era. He weighed a lot for his era. He threw a lot of punches. He certainly could take a shot. Fact is he was a tough out for just about everyone ... except maybe Joe Louis. Even Hall of Famers like Tommy Loughran couldn't do anything with him, because Carnera was too big, strong and just tough to handle for many of them.

Primo was fine. Not the greatest. But fine. There were worse champs. Certainly many more who didn't have the heart he did.

 

Good job Young William, daring to step off the playground once again..

 

"He certanly could take a shot?" Every puncher he faced floored him.
He had 84lbs on the punchless Loughran who broke his toe when Carnera stamped on it.
" Maybe Joe Louis?"
Carnera never won a round in the Louis fight and Louis said, "he had nothing".

 

Carnera was stopped five times in 104 pro fights. If he got knocked down by EVERYONE who could punch, he certainly didn't stay down.

And I said he was a tough out for everyone but Louis.

What are you arguing about, exactly? (LOL) You've basically confirmed what I wrote.