Schmeling Beats Braddock & Defends Against?

Funny I read your headline and without opening the thread I went to boxrec and scanned the opponents of the era, and the first 2 names that jumped out at me were Mann, and Farr. I think either is likely his next opponent. I also think either could give Max some trouble at that point in his career although I see him beating both. For an outside long shot chance I could I see Larry Gains getting a shot as word was Schmeling wanted a rematch with him during his initial run as champion before he got robbed by Sharkey. I checked Gains’ record and he was on a long win streak in 37 against very weak opposition he would of been an easy first defense. Not sure that match would fly in Nazi Germany but who knows.

 

Obviously if Schmeling had won Pastor would receive no chance as he was Jewish. I also don’t think Galento gets any chance he had a more “New York” regional personality that I don’t think would sell in Germany. I could see Godoy an international fighter like Farr also being in the mix for a title challenge.
So my opinion is Farr, Mann, Godoy, and Gains if somehow he was worked into rankings.

 

The most meaningful defense for Herr Schmeling, and the most dramatic, historically significant match that could be made...and for all the right reasons...to me anyway, would be vs Max Baer...because he already ko'ed Hitler's champ (though I'm not implying that Schmeling was a Nazi...he wasn't)...plus, Maxie Baer liked to display the Mogen David....the Star of David on his trunks.
The drama and political implications, Baer's mouth...he had a more volatile personality than Louis, and whether he did actually have real Jewish blood coursing through his veins or not, you could bet that Baer's antagonism vs the Nazis would have been even more personal than it was with Louis.

 

You’re most likely right although I will say the war had not broken out yet, and during The Olympic Games many Germans rooted openly for Jesse Owens. A hostile environment for sure but I wouldn’t totally rule him out based on color. However his chance had probably passed already.
I could see Barlund as a soft touch he was on a winning streak at that time he would be viable.
Couple of other options - maybe Braddock gets a return match. After he lost to Louis he defeated Farr (by most accounts a very dubious deciscion) and was placed as a number 1 contender but he opted to retire rather than face Louis again. Perhaps facing Max would be a more tenable position?
Also Max May have faced him and defeated him many time already but Uzcudon vs Max with Hitler’s cozy relationship with Franco may not be out of the question. Would be a big seller.

 

Baer I doubt would want to go to Germany. Dangerous proposition for him at that time. If he won he may not leave on his own 2 feet.

 

Schmeling went against the Nazis a few times. I don't think taking on a black challenger, even Louis, is totally out of the question. Especially if he could get as favourable a deal as Braddock.

 

Just on Jesse Owens--Jesse said that contrary to what is printed, Hitler shook his hand and congratulated him on his performances,

but Franklin Roosevelt did not invite him to the White House when he returned to the USA, although he did invite the white American medal winners.

That is really sad.

As for the thread topic, Farr or Pierre Charles (the Euro champ) or Gunnar Barlund seem the most likely defenses. My guess is Barlund would have gotten the first shot.

 

Schmeling said that he would have retired if he had beaten Braddock, but of course he could have changed his mind.

I actually think that Schmeling would have wanted to defend his title in the USA, though he might have been under pressure to do otherwise.

A European clash against Farr or Barlund might have looked like an appealing proposition.

I could see a scenario where Schmeling ultimately traveled to the USA to fight Louis or Baer!

 

Farr is the likeliest candidate as Schmeling was working towards a deal to face him anyway, when Braddock’s camp moved and chose Louis. Then Louis offered Farr more money and he bailed, freezing Schmeling out. Something along those lines if memory from the last Louis Schmeling book I read serves.
I just finished watching several old fights today - Schmeling vs Uzcudon 1929 and Braddock vs Farr. Fun fights

 

If you are right about the first title defense taking place in Germany, then it would almost have to be Farr based on his victories over Loughran, Olin, Foord, Max Baer, and Neusel unless Braddock's performance warranted a return match. However, I am virtually certain that Jimmy Johnston, as Madison Square Garden's director of boxing, would have required, under the terms of the contract Max signed to fight Braddock, that Max's first defense of the title to be under the Garden's promotional auspices. This was the way it had been for both challengers Max Baer and Jimmy Braddock in Baer-Carnera and the Braddock-Baer fights. It had become standard boilerplate in the Garden's contracts ever since Carnera had traveled to Spain to fight Uzcudun against the Garden's wishes. After the first successful defense, however, the champion would be free to go his merry way. All this assumes, of course, that Schmeling would have honored his contract. Because the Garden had supported him so strongly in his bid to fight Braddock, I think he would have honored his commitment with Johnston and the Garden.

So, if Schmeling's first defense takes place in the USA, that opens up the field. Undoubtedly, given the political situation at the time, Johnston would have been concerned about losing control over the championship if Schmeling won his first defense and took the title back to Germany. Johnston's incentive would have been to match Schmeling against the challenger who had the best chance to win. At the time, this might have been even more important than realizing the largest possible gate. So who? Max Baer? You might think, because he had kayoed Schmeling previously, that he would be the most likely, but Baer was not even rated in the Top Ten. After the back-to-back losses to Braddock and Louis, Max had taken nine months off and then gone on the road fighting nobodies in small towns. As far as title contention, he had dropped off the radar.

Meanwhile, Louis had been re-habbing his career, running off a string of victories, some against good fighters like Jack Sharkey, Al Ettore, Jorge Brescia, and Bob Pastor. Really, I don't see anybody at the time who would have been perceived to have better chance of defeating Schmeling than Louis, even in view of Joe's 1936 loss. But Johnston had rebuffed Louis' management prior to the Carnera fight and Louis had signed with Mike Jacobs as promoter, so it's unlikely that Johnston would have gone with Louis. All that said, I have no idea who Johnston would have chosen to fight Schmeling other than Louis.

I think Johnston likely would have selected four top contenders and held a mini-elimination tournament (he might not have called it that) with the winners of the first couple of fights to meet in a final. Hopefully, that would have clarified things about who was most deserving as well as building up the gate for a 1938 title defense by Schmeling. That's pretty much how Braddock was selected, after having defeated John Henry Lewis and Art Lasky.

Just for laughs, I'll pick Farr, Mann, Max Baer (if he thought he was ready), and Bob Pastor to participate unless Johnston could have reached an agreement with Mike Jacobs (who was Louis' exclusive promoter) to allow Louis in the tournament. Farr and Mann because they were highly rated and hadn't been defeated by Louis. Baer because he was a past champion who had already defeated Schmeling, and Pastor because he was a hometown boy from New York who has survived 10 rounds with Louis without being kayoed. I include Baer despite my earlier misgivings because if he had been able to win both "elimination" fights, he would in the process have worked his way back into title contention.

 

Interesting and well thought out post. Schmeling being studious would be well prepared in any of the 4 fights. What could of been

 

If Max had disappeared over to Germany then I see it being hard to wrestle the belt from him .Maybe a series of title bouts much the same as Eubanks WBO Day's !
With a few lowly Challenger s thrown his way and decision s in his favour. Against the top challengers of his day ,Max holds the belt for a couple of years tops imo .