Your thoughts about: Joe Louis v.s Max Baer 1935 fight

[QueensburyRules]

it was a good fight but i think baer gave him too many open looks.

- -As Google purged fight films, Joe was purging former heavies in his 2nd yr.

Nobody come close to Joe Louis since.

[HOUDINI563]

Watch the video of this bout where the audio is included. Listen to Joe Humphries introduction of both fighters. Joe was a product of pre 1900 thought. His intro for Louis includes the phrase “Although colored”. After this intro the modern announcer Johnny Addie spends a bit of time walking it back.


https://*************/watch?v=E8BIB8aes3s

[Willie Pep 229]

Watch the video of this bout where the audio is included. Listen to Joe Humphries introduction of both fighters. Joe was a product of pre 1900 thought. His intro for Louis includes the phrase “Although colored”. After this intro the modern announcer Johnny Addie spends a bit of time walking it back.


https://*************/watch?v=E8BIB8aes3s

It's a bit hard to understand Humphries' remarks but I don't think the second announcement was an attempt to walk back anything Humphries may have said, but would have been included regardless.

Unless you are speaking of a later announcement not on the video.

There was some unease going into the fight that the crowd might react negatively to Louis KOing a popular former (white) champion, thus the call for sportsmanship.

(I don't think they felt the same concern when Louis took out Carnera. LOL He was neither American or popular.)

But if you listen to the introduction you can hear IMO that the crowd is considerably more pro Louis and that the added speech was unnecessary.

[QueensburyRules]

It's a bit hard to understand Humphries' remarks but I don't think the second announcement was an attempt to walk back anything Humphries may have said, but would have been included regardless.

Unless you are speaking of a later announcement not on the video.

There was some unease going into the fight that the crowd might react negatively to Louis KOing a popular former (white) champion, thus the call for sportsmanship.

(I don't think they felt the same concern when Louis took out Carnera. LOL He was neither American or popular.)

But if you listen to the introduction you can hear IMO that the crowd is considerably more pro Louis and that the added speech was unnecessary.

- -No one cheers for a giant-Wilt Chamberlain.

I generally don't judge previous generations thru my more educated eyes, and most especially during this time of race baiting pandemic insurrections framed in the mass herd stamped Corona Virus Panic and Depression of 2020.

Joe was generally loved from start to finish, more so than his progenitor Dempsey wh was loved only at his career end.

[louis54]

[QUOTE=Maxie's Gal;2256509]

it was a good fight but i think baer gave him too many open looks.

I found an article by Grantland Rice after he'd visited Baer's training camp 5 days before the bout that gives some interesting insights into where Baer's head was at and Rice's opinions of Baer's readiness for the fight.

Enjoy,
Cat
www.maxbaer.org

-----------------------------------------------

The Sport Light - by Grantland Rice

Bear Feels Fit

Speculator. Sept. 19.—"Whatever happens in this fight," Max Baer told me. "—And I'm going to win—just put it down that I am in the best condition I ever knew in my life. If Louis can whip me now, he could whip me any time I ever started. But Louis isn't going to whip me. Please remember that."

Baer had just finished 4 rounds against George Turner and Abe Feldman, the two best sparring partners he has drawn in any field.

"How did I look?" he asked. Baer had knocked Abe Feldman down with a right hand - the first time in his career Feldman had ever bounced off the floor.

"You want an honest answer? I asked Max.

"Sure," he said. "Go the limit."

"You looked about the same as you always look in these training exhibitions. Nothing to yell about. They both hit you 20 times with a left hook because your right guard was too low."

"That's right." Izzy Kline, his trainer, said. "I've been telling Max about that. He's got to keep it higher."

"You know I can't box," Max said. "I'm not a boxer. I never was and I never will be. If I'm not a fighter, then I'm not anything. I wasn't anything against Jim Braddock. But I give you my word I'll be different this time. This is where I rise or fall. If I win, I'm on my way to a million. If I lose I'm a bum and I may never get another chance. Nobody knows that better than I do."

Baer's Strength and Weakness

In watching Max work out, you could figure these angles of strengths and weakness. As Max put it, "I feel as strong as a young bull." There is no question about his gameness and his ability to take a terrific punch-or several in a row.

His pride is now at stake and he will stay up as long as his legs can lift him. He has a murderous right hand-when he can land it. He has only a fair left-a rippling left, when he can bend it like a big bow. His stomach is lean and hard-almost too lean. He stepped on the scales at 211 pounds, wearing wooden sandals. He invited all present to sock him in the stomach. No question that Baer has given everything he has in stock to get right.

"I haven't even smoked a cigaret, Grant, for six weeks," he said. "I haven't broken any training rule. I may take a bottle of beer tonight if you'll come up for a bridge game. Dig us up a couple of suckers-but not that Hal Sims. He took $4 from me a little while ago before I knew the game had started."

"How's your golf?" I asked him.

"Only played once," he said. "and then I took too many divots. They were big ones-but not as big as I'll take out of Joe Louis' chin."

Now we'll come to Max Baer's weaker side. He was wide open for a left. Russell and Feldman laid at least 20 clean punches over Baer's lowered right guard-and they landed with a wham that reverberated aroudn the Adirondack peaks. His next weakness-one that might be fatal-was his comparative lack of speed. When Baer gets that right hand under way, it can whistle for the last two feet. It comes flashing in like a streak of lightning. But it has to get away to a long start. Max starts it back in the $2 seats, and by the time it has reached ringside, it is almost inconceivable that Louis' chin is going to be waiting in the road. For that chin of Louis is something on the order of a timber wolf's head. Ever try to slap a timber wolf in the face ? There is an animal reaction to Louis that reminds one of the wild, before too much civilization has begun to work on normal reflexes.

Lack of Protection

Bear is game enough-tough enough-and a hard puncher with that right. But his weakness is lack of protection. He is almost sure to leave himself open. He was coached to keep that right hand up, but, after the first few flurries, through force of habit, it fell far below the safety line. Habit and instinct can be conquered in shadow boxing, just as the golfer curing a fault can swing correctly at a cigar stump or a dandelion.

But once it goes into the box score, that makes it all different. Then old habits and old instincts and old faults come rolling back. They come rolling back through the subconcious mind.

"What is your angle," Baer asked, "on how to start this fight?"

"Turn it into a mixture of football, wrestling, slugging and everything you can get by with," I suggested. "One of the big factors on the Joe Louis side is balance. He is the best balanced competitor I ever saw—one of the best, at least. If you can't crowd him off balance—then you can't win. The longer the fight goes—the less chance you have, He can outbox you two to one. He is just as dangerous as you are—and with either hand. He is faster. But his main power comes from perfect balance. If you can't upset that balance, then you can't win."

"That's what Billy McCarney tells me." Max said. "And that's the way I'm going to fight. I'm telling you this is going to be a fight."

Neither Baer nor Louis cares a rap about losing a round on a foul. One round thrown away means nothing in this scrap. So there is quite a chance that several rules may be overlooked or forgotten, in spite of the earnest admonitions of the boxing commission. For Baer's best and only chance is to win this fight by a rough and tumble brawl.

Max won't admit this. But that is the way the road winds, and down in his heart Max must know it. If he can't crowd Louis off balance, there can only be one answer. The only way this fight can go to a 15-round decision is if both are scared. And I don't believe either man is. Of the two, after having visited both camps I should say that Baer is doing most of the worrying. The answer is that he has the greater imagination. And there are times in sports when imagination is a handicap rather than a help.

Great article, grantland rice really knew his stuff !!!

[HOUDINI563]

Humphries words are very clear. He came from a time where the preponderance of the population viewed blacks as inferior to whites. Second class citizens. Humphries “although colored” harkens to that time.

[Willie Pep 229]

Humphries words are very clear. He came from a time where the preponderance of the population viewed blacks as inferior to whites. Second class citizens. Humphries “although colored” harkens to that time.

NO! I don't mean his context. I mean I can't understand what he is saying, literally -- I hear him say Jack Johnson, and I think he says Benny Leonard (maybe) --- on my cheap-ass lap top computer he is just mumbles. Don't tell me I'm wrong LOL, tell me what the F he actually says.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Baer was crazy for taking that fight given his condition. I would have loved to see a prime Baer fight Louis. That's a pick-em if there ever were one.

[QueensburyRules]

Humphries words are very clear. He came from a time where the preponderance of the population viewed blacks as inferior to whites. Second class citizens. Humphries “although colored” harkens to that time.

- -Guess U antiquated genius IQ slipping.

People of "color" is the new statistical rage entering the political stage as they overtake the antiquated "white majority," hence the insurrections.

[billeau2]

Baer was crazy for taking that fight given his condition. I would have loved to see a prime Baer fight Louis. That's a pick-em if there ever were one.

A pick em? really Rusty? Lol. Baer is one of my favorite fighters, but there is no way he is ever beating Louis except on a lucky punch... lets employ your distorted logic for s hits and giggles shall we? Braddock beat Baer, so how would he survive Louis? That there is Rusty logic!!!

Baer had weaknesses against anyone who could box well enough to keep him at bay. Watch the Lou Nova fights for an example... Now Nova was no slouch by any means! But he handles Maxi with decent boxing skills and a bit of power.