Had baer knocked out young joe louis we should only rate baer on the fighter joe louis was at that time rather than the fighter louis became because in all likelihood louis may not have become the fighter he became had he blew that fight. At the time baer fought joe louis the biggest name on the brown bombers record at that time was primo carnera, a guy baer had already TKO'd. after that the only rated guys young louis had beat were king levenski and patsy peroni. it was still a thin resume at that time. Louis was a big draw but a KO defeat from baer as well as the eventual KO loss to schmeling and perhaps joe louis may not have become joe louis. This would mean two former world champions had beat him, the big win over carnera would then look no better than Leroy Haynes KO win over carnera meaning like Haynes joe could have been out of the title race altogether. louis could have been thrown into the black circuit along with Haynes, obbi walker, lorenzo pack, jack trammell, tiger jack fox, eddie blunt, curtis sheperd and lem franklin roscoe toles and later elmer ray who were also capable of beating white heavyweight contenders but usualy fought each other.. No doubt louis would have rose to the top but while the bomber was treading water with all these black guys would the heavyweight title be in Germany by then? would joe louis's career be destroyed by the war? joe louis might have had to have had a career like jersey joe walcott if he lost against max baer in 1935.
