What if Braddock defended against Schmeling first ?

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Schmeling would have won and the nazis would have held the title hostage.

 

It's not a given that Schmeling beats Braddock.
It's probably quite an even fight.

Braddock took two years off and was still good enough to put Joe Louis on the deck. And he had a very good chin.


If Schmeling wins the title back in 1937 ...... hmmmm. He probably would have been persuaded to stay in Germany.
Max took some quite long layoffs, so maybe he defends once in 1938 , once in 1939 maybe, and then the world goes tits up. Two proper defences at most.
I guess he'd take on Tommy Farr, and/or a German. No need to fight Joe Louis again. He would have liked to have fought Baer again, but the Nazis had Baer down as a Jew and wouldn't have welcomed him, so unless Schmeling goes to America for that one I doubt it's happening.

 

I think Max would have gone down as the first man to regain the title.

 

I don't think Braddock would have gotten past Schmeling. Max was riding the crest of confidence and prestige that came with beating Louis and would have been just as methodical and thorough in dismantling Braddock, IMO.

 

Schmeling too clever for Braddock. He wins this through superior craft, imo.

 

Schmeling was actualy prety consistent against people slightly below his level, baring bad decisions.

If you gave him a Risko, Uzcdun, or Stribling, he would take care of business.

Max Baer underestimated Braddock, but Schmeling would prepare for him as thouroghly as he prepared for Louis, perhaps more so.

I have a feeling that he would not be denied.

 

I'll accept that as a done deal....

And yes this topic has been beat to **** numerous time before...

 

I think that part of the reason that Braddock did well against Louis, was that Louis was still building himself back up after his loss to Schmeling. He did put on a few subpar performances after that loss. I also think that Baer took Schmeling a lot more seriously than he took Braddock.

Of course both these points are my interpretations.

 

Baer was motivated by hatred. His dad was Jewish and there was a big buildup in that 1933 bout against Schmeling as though he represented the racist Nazi state. Baer took that fight very seriously.

 

I think an even more interesting thread question would be what if Baer defended against Schmeling instead of Braddock.

 

Didn't schemelling have a layoff as well? So you'd have had two inactive fighters going at it but ofcourse the huge favourite would have rightly been schmelling, we'll never know of course but i'd be confident in him stopping braddock.

Also, did someone say james did better against joe than max did? Maybe that someone should watch the first louis-schmelling fight.

I think max would defend against max then again a year later against joe, where he gets obliterated in a round.