Why boxing people used to mock Carnera while

A lot of it was down to the fact that Willard was the kind of champion they wanted, and Carnera wasn't.

Carnera was an Italian national, and yes he was backed by some very unsavoury people.

Ironically, Carnera's resume seems to have aged a bit better.

 

Maybe because Willard was the link between 2 eras, between 2 ATG's? He won the title against the ageing Jack Johnson and lost it against the young and arguably the first boxing superstar in Jack Dempsey.

 

In addition to the good points made here, I will add that Jess Willard was able to do what Jeffries, Ketchel, Burns, Flynn, Moran, etc. were not - defeat Jack Johnson.

Carnera's title-winning KO of champion Jack Sharkey has always been viewed with suspicion. His mob connections and allegations of fixed fights detracted from his popularity and credibility. Because of Carnera's unsavory connections Ring Magazine did not award a "Fighter of the Year" in 1933, as Carnera would have been otherwise the obvious recipient. When he lost to Max Baer, he lost the title to a colorful, wildly popular personality whom the fight crowd readily embraced. I believe that in more recent years, Carnera has become viewed more favorably in terms of legitimate skills.

 

I've not read of any contemporaries being particularly enthused about Willard's reign.:huh

 

Willard was a white, American, clean living champion.

That made him very acceptable to the media.

 

Carnera's life story was a tear jerker:cry:

 

Carnera was white , but the rep of the people behind him was black .:deal

 

And rightly so.

 

This is my take.

It is a bit like the story of the boy who cried wolf!

 

I don't know hat footage you are looking at to say the uppercut is a lock on legit. It is totally inconclusive at best .. when you add the fact that Sharkey fought the whole fight looking drugged and Carnera had not legitimately KO'ed anyone of top caliber there you go .. I also hardly see Willard ever rated highly except maybe at the time for beating Johnson but even then it was recognized that Johnson gave him a beating for the first twenty rounds .