As in, facing off against Jack Johnson? So Primo of the Sharkey aeeem fight, up against Jack Johnson in his last title fight. Does Primo fail to stop the old champ?
Yes. Primo Carnera was a better fighter than Jess Willard and the version of Johnson who Jess beat was diminished.
Idk, I'm tempted to say Jess was a more durable guy. I know Jack was on last leg s but he was leading I believe in the fight. Could Primo, in a fight on the level, in that heat, still be around in 26? Anyway, good to see you back mr Magoo. You been gone to long!
Johnson would have had more chance of getting the stoppage against Carnera. That might have made the difference.
I'm of the opinion that Primo's fights when he was on the way up were fixed. At least some of them. Jack Sharkey never got any Oscar consideration which is a dam shame. Dump the title, no Oscar, but he gets to live.
His first manager sad 24 of his early fights were fixed.Several later ones are considered to be as well.
Makes you wonder, if Primo was thrown in against JJ, even a Johnson that had seen his best days, how he'd cope with a long distance fight? Willard hung in there, I'm not sure Carnera had the stuff to last in those conditions. He might have found things a little to hot and mentally crumbled.
No, he didn't have the chin and tgat version of Johnson would've caught him eventually Though I have a somewhat contrarian opinion that Willard was the better of the two. Primo was better taught, but Willard was much more of a natural fighter.
Willard was to Carnera what Vitali was to Wlad...less conventionally skilled, but tougher, stronger and more dangerous in an "outside the box" sort of way. BTW, 1919 Toledo Dempsey would have killed Primo in that 1st round.
