I don't recall this scenario being discussed before..what if Max Baer got a rematch with Jim Braddock, trained his ass off and came into the bout with serious intentions (I know that's the biggest stretch) and ko'ed Braddock to regain the title... Would he have defended the crown in Nazi Germany vs Max Schmeling? And what would you think would be the outcome?
Hm, the first Max vs Max fight was close until the stoppage and Baer himself said Schmeling hurt him. I think in a rematch at home, and with Baer going in there with the result of the first fight in the head and given Baer´s history of taking things too lightly, he may take Schmeling more lightly than he should and thus suffer a stoppage loss. If he beats Schmeling again, he becomes a huge national hero and Louis´ may never get to fight him for the title. :think
Baer is an interesting case. It would be interesting to speculate how good he would've been if he had been more motivated.
If anybody motivated Baer to be a killer..to be mean, it was Schmeling. I think Baer had Schmeling's number..and when he fought with lethal intentions..and he sure as hell would have in defending the crown against the (unfairly perhaps) representative of the Nazi state, it would have a been a repeat, or even worse, of their first fight. Baer had the advantage of knowing he was indeed capable of destroying the German.
