How would you rate Max Baer?

[ThunderGatti]

With all the hype of the Cinderella Man movie coming out and the attention on Jimmy Braddock. For a moment lets take away the attention of Braddock and turn in to Baer. I was wondering how people here would rate Max Baer?

First off I would have to say in my opinion Baer had one of the deadlist if not thee deadlist right hand in the history of boxing. Hed be my #1 for the right hand. As an overall heavyweight heres my quick rundown -

1. Joe Louis
2. Rocky Marciano
3. Jack Dempsey
4. Ali
5. Larry Holmes
6. George Foreman
7. Joe Frazier
8. Floyd Patterson
9. Gene Tunney
10. Sonny Liston
11. Max Baer
12. Georges Carpentier (my sleeper)
13. Jack Johnson
14. Max Schmeling
15. Ken Norton or Lewis i dunno

We might not never know how good Baer could have been since he didnt take boxing too seriously and focused more on ****ing actresses and becoming an actor and he retired at a young 26 yrs old.

But he was devistating puncher and had good charisma in and outside the ring. I watched the Braddock fight the other day an found myself laughing ot loud to the antics Baer was pulling and this is 70 years later!! I think he was the type of fighter that gave Ali trouble as well, and now come to think of it Ali was bitin Baer's style too.

[marvdave]

we can't rank him very high becuase of his lack of commitment. As far as talent goes, he was incredible. I'm a big Baer fan, but he did enjoy the Beer on tap as much as anyone.

[oldgringo]

Ali
Louis
Holmes
Foreman
Marciano
Dempsey
Holyfield
Lewis
Frazier
Johnson
Tyson
Tunney
Schmeling
Norton
Walcott
Patterson
Baer (somewhere far after these guys)

I think the distinction of best right hand would have to go to Lennox Lewis for my money. He used his length, size, and jab to set it up and crush his opponents about as well as I've ever seen.

I've never personally seen footage of Baer fight, but from what I've heard, he had good power and fairly good ring ability. It seems like he lost in his biggest fights though outside of Schmeling and Carnera.

[Bozo_no no]

Baer can't be ranked very highly in terms of accomplishment, but he was an exciting heavyweight to watch.

The beating he gave Primo Carnera was one of the most violent beatings I've ever seen.

[marvdave]

Ali
Louis
Holmes
Foreman
Marciano
Dempsey
Holyfield
Lewis
Frazier
Johnson
Tyson
Tunney
Schmeling
Walcott
Patterson
Baer (somewhere after these guys)

I think the distinction of best right hand would have to go to Lennox Lewis for my money. He used his length, size, and jab to set it up and crush his opponents about as well as I've ever seen.

I've never personally seen footage of Baer fight, but from what I've heard, he had good power and fairly good ring ability. It seems like he lost in his biggest fights though outside of Schmeling and Carnera.

He was literally drunk in the Louis fight and legend has it that he carried Braddock to give him the payday knowing he would get the rematch that never happened becuase Braddock took the more lucrative Louis fight on a 70/30 split.

[The_One77]

Jesus christ! Seriously man,
I've just seen his fight against Primo Carnera, it was a JOKE!
He just threw that right hand like a unexperienced wild amateur, he looked like he had pratical had no boxing skill. He did not have a devastating right hand, it was just his opponent was too bloody crap to duck or weave under the punch.
He wouldn't of given ali trouble, if ali could of taken foremans, listons and frazier's best shots being not in his prime, I don't see how
max baer could knock him down.
He would of just got outclassed by ali, just like louis. NO CONTEST.
He wouldn't of even been able to catch ali with any of his punches, and i know for sure that if max baer wanted to fight someone like mike tyson, max would barely last one round.
Mike would duck and counter that right hand so easily it would look like a sparring session.
No offence to max baer or anyone else because he was a great champion, but i think u lot overrate him by quiet a margin.

[ThunderGatti]

Jesus christ! Seriously man,
I've just seen his fight against Primo Carnera, it was a JOKE!
He just threw that right hand like a unexperienced wild amateur, he looked like he had pratical had no boxing skill. He did not have a devastating right hand, it was just his opponent was too bloody crap to duck or weave under the punch.
He wouldn't of given ali trouble, if ali could of taken foremans, listons and frazier's best shots being not in his prime, I don't see how
max baer could knock him down.
He would of just got outclassed by ali, just like louis. NO CONTEST.
He wouldn't of even been able to catch ali with any of his punches, and i know for sure that if max baer wanted to fight someone like mike tyson, max would barely last one round.
Mike would duck and counter that right hand so easily it would look like a sparring session.
No offence to max baer or anyone else because he was a great champion, but i think u lot overrate him by quiet a margin.

I think your very wrong on two points here. First of if u think his right hand was a joke u need to check your head. Bare was charge with manslaughter in 1930 when he KO'd a dude named Frankie Campbell, and as a result Campbell died. And it was because of this it was believe Baer never had the will to finish his opponets after this fight.

But again Baer killed another person in the ring named Ernie Shaaf. So to say Baers power is joke I think you need to correct yourself.

Also you said he throws he punch like a amaetur, well you have to consider the time, back then when you threw hooks you could also backhand your opponet, which Baer was a genious at.

And the Ali situation, come on man, Liston threw the fights. Foreman was completely sapped of all stamina by the end of the 2nd round. Ali lost to frazier b/c he had devistating power and pressured ali, very simliar to Baer's style. And Ali has no where near the power that Louis had, and Louis was really the only fight to put Baer down

[The_One77]

alright fair enough, he does have a very powerful right hand.
But i don't think he would of caught muhammad ali, ali's jab and fast combinations would be too much for him.
I agree with u that liston took a dive in their 2nd fight but in there first fight ali dominated the match with his speed, footwork and punch accuracy.
Foreman wasn't finished by the second round, just watch round five ali took everthing that foreman could offer.
And as for frazier, max baer and joe frazier had different styles. If u watched ali-frazier fights then u would know that he constantly ducked and weaved his head in order to escape from ali's handspeed flurries.
Max baer instead walked forward without crouching and relied on his overhand to do the damage, most skilled heavyweights today could see that punch a mile off.
I would say that lennox lewis has the best right hand, simply because he did it with more timing, better precision and accuracy instead of raging with it like a pub brawler.

[hollister]

Jesus christ! Seriously man,
I've just seen his fight against Primo Carnera, it was a JOKE!
He just threw that right hand like a unexperienced wild amateur, he looked like he had pratical had no boxing skill. He did not have a devastating right hand, it was just his opponent was too bloody crap to duck or weave under the punch.
He wouldn't of given ali trouble, if ali could of taken foremans, listons and frazier's best shots being not in his prime, I don't see how
max baer could knock him down.
He would of just got outclassed by ali, just like louis. NO CONTEST.
He wouldn't of even been able to catch ali with any of his punches, and i know for sure that if max baer wanted to fight someone like mike tyson, max would barely last one round.
Mike would duck and counter that right hand so easily it would look like a sparring session.
No offence to max baer or anyone else because he was a great champion, but i think u lot overrate him by quiet a margin.

Primo Carnera was like 6'6 or 6'7 and used his outstretched arms as a defense alot, he grappled. Max didn't always loop his right like that, he was trying to get around Primo's arms alot of that time. Watch his fight with Louis, it's different, even though he wasn't himself that night lol