"Schmeling-Walker"... Was this necessary?

Walker would have beaten Baer.

And yeah, Walker was a heavyweight. His results there prove it. Just as Archie Moore or Harold Johnson were good heavyweights. Actually, I tend to think all three deserve to be among the Top40 heavys of all time above such giants as David Tua or Gerry Cooney.

 

I was exagerating a bit. Mr Bill made it sound as if Baer would destroy Walker. I disagree. I doubt Walker would beat the Baer of the Carnera or Schmeling fight but the one who got outboxed by Loughran or Braddock would get beaten by Walker. The Toy Bulldog wasn´t just a pressure fighter, he could box and I guess he would box more against a puncher like Baer. To me this fight is close to 50/50.

 

Keep in mind I don´t rate h2h in my rankings.

 

I think Baer would have decapitated Walker.

 

I don't think Schmeling had a better resume than Sharkey. I think it is a lot closer than some people think.


Schmeling defeated

Joe Louis
Jack Sharkey
Johnny Risko
Young Stribling
Mickey Walker
Paolino Uzcuden 2x
Steve Hamas
Walter Neusal
Harry Thomas
Adolf Heuser


Jack Sharkey defeated

Max Schmeling
Harry Wills
George Godfrey
Primo Carnera
Tommy Loughran
Young Stribling
Johnny Risko
Jack Renault
Jack Delaney
Mike McTigue
Floyd Johnson
Bud Gorman
King Soloman
Jim Maloney
Athur De Kuh
Phil Scott


Just look at how many ranked men Sharkey beat. Simply amazing.

 

Sharkey would have boxed Max Baer's ears off.

 

A resume doesn´t consist just out of the names someone beat but also about the losses, about consistency, about the circumstances of fights and so on. Imo considering everything, Schmeling comes out on top. Sharkey´s resume is still Top and good enough for a Top20 ranking.

 

I think that Walker was always going to run into either Schmeling or Carnera. Two fighters who had the tools to beat him and never took an opponent lightly.

Hard to say what would have happened if he had fought Baer. Walker could have given him some problems but Baer was simply a juganought. The idea of putting a man of Walkers size in with Baer makes me cringe.

 

Baer may have been a bit lackadaisical in his approach many times, but against a very good small man, a big name at that, I think Max may have clowned some, but he would have pulled it together at some point and badly hurt Walker. He may have hurt him real bad and then begged the ref to stop it.

 

Where Schmeling covers himself in glory at Sharkey's expense is in his huge win over Joe Louis, and this spits in the eyes of Baer, Carnera and Braddock as well. Sharkey was Louis' 1st victim after Schmeling, and until the revenge ko of Max in '38, that achievement of Schmeling's had to put him in another class from his title winning contemporaries. Even years since, it elevates the German's esteem IMO, due to a fairer assessment of the fight and consideration of the masterful strategy and courage Max exhibited in that fight.

 

Baer had a wonderful straight right. You should watch more of him, he used it quite often.