Max Baer?

[NYDominican]

Max Baer had wins over Frankie Campbell, King Levinsky, Ernie Schaaf, Tuffy Griffiths, Max Schmeling, Primo Carnera, Junior Munsell, Bearcat Wright, Tony Galento, and Pat Comiskey.

Max had losses to Tiny Abbott (L Disqualification), Les Kennedy (L Points), Ernie Schaaf (L UD), Tommy Loughran (L UD), Johnny Risko ( L UD), Paulino Uzcudun (L Points), Jim Braddock (L UD), Joe Louis (L KO), Willie Davies (L Points), Tommy Farr (L Points), and Lou Nova (Two losses, both by TKO's).



Baer had A LOT of punching power. But, many times, Max's attitude was very lackluster.



1. Had Max been more mentally grounded, committed, and determined. -----------


Do you think that Max Baer could have been one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time? If so, why? If not, why not.




Please explain.

[HomicideHenry]

During the 1967 NCR315 computer tournament Joe Louis said that Baer could have been potentially the greatest of all... Had he been more serious about his profession.

[bwu]

Let's say Baer committed himself mentally, as well as physically. He still beats Carnera, probably defeats Braddock and likely KOs Schmeling again. Then what? Maybe one or two other fights and he meets a rising Joe Louis. Does this version of Baer see the same flaws as Schmeling did in real life? If so, Baer gets the win and would be celebrated as a top 10 guy. If not, Louis knocks him out just as he did in real life. Baer then gets a better reputation than he has today, but still doesn't make the upper echelon.

[HomicideHenry]

If Baer was always bringing his A game, the only man I see him potentially losing to would have been Louis. Guys who came straight at Louis were essentially tailor made for him.

Baer did struggle with movers too, as evident in his matches with King Levinsky and Tommy Loughran and Tommy Farr. Then again, all of those losses came after the Frankie Campbell fight in which Baer was never the same.

So it's difficult to assess how good or great he actually was because he seldom ever went 100% after Campbell. His bouts with Schmeling, Galento and Carnera are essentially the only times we can look back on and say, "That's the real Max!"

[Ilya Muromets]

Max Baer kept his sense of humor right up to the end. He was alone in a hotel room when he suffered a heart attack that was to prove fatal. He called the operator and asked for a doctor. The hotel telephone operator asked him if she should send up the hotel doctor. No, he replied, I want a people doctor!

[Ilya Muromets]

During the 1967 NCR315 computer tournament Joe Louis said that Baer could have been potentially the greatest of all... Had he been more serious about his profession.

I'd say the same about another heavyweight too, the late Corrie Sanders.

[gilgamesh]

During the 1967 NCR315 computer tournament Joe Louis said that Baer could have been potentially the greatest of all... Had he been more serious about his profession.

I'd say the same about another heavyweight too, the late Corrie Sanders.

Corrie Sanders is a bit hard to read as a potential talent actually. He was beaten by Rahman when he was in pretty damn good shape, but beat Wladimir when he was fat, and soft around the middle...life's funny that way sometimes.

He definitely had tremendous one punch power in his straight left, and I'm sure he could've gotten more out of himself if he had more dedication to his fitness, and his craft. We'll never know for sure.

[Ilya Muromets]

During the 1967 NCR315 computer tournament Joe Louis said that Baer could have been potentially the greatest of all... Had he been more serious about his profession.

I'd say the same about another heavyweight too, the late Corrie Sanders.

Corrie Sanders is a bit hard to read as a potential talent actually. He was beaten by Rahman when he was in pretty damn good shape, but beat Wladimir when he was fat, and soft around the middle...life's funny that way sometimes.

He definitely had tremendous one punch power in his straight left, and I'm sure he could've gotten more out of himself if he had more dedication to his fitness, and his craft. We'll never know for sure.

Youve got that 180 degrees backwards. For the Rahman fight his foot was injured so he did zero running, zero aerobic exercise. He was knocking Rahman around like a rag doll until he ran out if gas. Wlad, on the other hand, had the misfortune to run into him the one and only time he really got into training for a fight, using all sorts of innovative training methods, he really got into it.

And then I couldn't believe how he showed up for the Vitali follow up, but when i saw him in all his training pictures wearing a baggy sweat shirt i suspected it - and he showed up fat - against a superbly prime Vitali - and still he was missing Vitali with bombs by inches! He could have been the best of them all. He was a fantastic natural athlete, but he hated training, and he didn't like boxing that much either. He like golf much better.

[Ambling Alp II]

As others have mentioned, Baer was a hard puncher. He also had a good chin. He probably could have had a better career had he always been focused. Some of his losses, most importantly the Braddock one probably could have been avoided. He simply was beaten by an opponent who worked harder in that fight. Same could probably be said about the Uzcudun and Farr fights.

However, he was always going to be a flawed fighter. He telegraphed his punches. His didn't have a variety of punches either.
Except for Nova, he actually did pretty well in rematches. He avenged losses to Risko, Schaaf, and Farr. Maybe he figured them out. Or maybe he just gave a better effort the 2nd time.

He could have done better against Louis, but this was always going to an uphill battle for him. He did have hand trouble in this fight and could have been more competitive.

[DrDuke]

I guess, he still can be rated pretty high through the whole history. Maybe somewhere from top 30 or 40. He wasn't too ingenious boxer, he was more of a tough fighter, strong and kinda awkward, what had also been an advantage. So, he was able to become a top guy and to beat some good names. Schmeling victory was particulary very valuable, cause Baer made more technical and rational boxer look very uncomfortable and he stopped Schmeling eventually.