Suppose there had been a Braddock-Baer II ?

Mendoza, I'm not entirely sold on that because of Max's trilogy with King Levinski. Properly fired up, he should have wiped out the Kingfish in one round the first time they squared off. Instead, they go ten and 20 rounds. Late in that 20 rounder, Max does look like he's still engaged in seriously trying to corner his prey for a knockout. Then, we see the drastic contrast in their exhibition. He was trading obscenities with Galento [which surely must have been recorded by the overhead microphone], and reportedly genuinely pissed off by Two-Ton, yet he even clowned his way through parts of that one.

Sure, he could have tanked, and brazenly did against Louis when he waved to the crowd from the floor after that triple hook knockdown. [To me, he only appeared in genuine sense separated distress at the end of Nova II. He doesn't get enough credit for knowing when to get out, and deserves to be acknowledged for it. For the first time, his ability to take a shot had truly deserted him when he was indeed serious and focused, and he wasn't about to dismiss it as an anomaly. Nobody knew better than he what could happen if that continued to be tested. Obscene that he then died at only the half century mark, two years younger than when Holmes last competed.]

His son says that he was really interested more in acting, that he thought boxing "was horse****." [Max, Jr. made these comments when Opie released Cinderella Man.] It ought to be pointed out though that none of his kids were born before the Frankie Campbell tragedy, up to which time he was reportedly dedicated to the sport. He carried on anyways, as did Charles after Baroudi [although Ezzard was also forever compromised as a result]. Remember, Marciano always said in no uncertain terms that he would have retired from boxing if Carmine Vingo had died.

Like Foreman, people took dives against Max w/out getting hit, fixes which the winners apparently were in on. [Remember Ali asking in the ring after Liston II whether or not Sonny laid down like that? He wanted to be sure Liston was competing.]

 

It would depend greatly on how Max approached the rematch. Braddock was clearly the more clever of the two, but his age and health issues were starting to catch up to him. Baer would presumably be out for blood. It would be a tough call to make.

 

Baer would have won a rematch. The first fight was a close one.

 

Bear would have won the rematch. I don't think lighting would strike twice. The fact that the rematch takes place in 1936 not 1935 could have a huge impact.

After beating Braddock, Bear would defend against Louis. Were probbly looking at September 1936 at the earliest. Louis would easily win.

Louis/Schmeling I was in June of that year. It's possible that fight never happens. It's also possible that it dose and Schmeling beats Louis who goes on to fight Bear a second time. I think Bear would win the second time too. In this case I think Bear and Louis meat in 1937 with Louis winning the championship. We also would miss out on one of the greatest knockouts in boxing history. Louis still goes down as one of the greatest heavyweights in history.

 

Anybody know why did Braddock waited for two full years to defend his title? These days he would have been stripped of his belts after a year at the most.

 

Well, he did take some time off to make money in exhibitions and appearances, but he was lined up to fight Max Schmeling in 1936 after Schmeling upset Joe Louis, but the fight was sabotaged by various American interests who didn't want the German getting the title.

 

I really didn't see anything special in Braddock's win over Baer. He did very little, and Baer did nothing.
It was a close fight.
If Baer bothered to fight at all I'd imagine he'd beat Braddock.
But who knows if he'd bother ?