Baer-Carnera 1934 and Carnera-Sharkey 193

[sport historian]

The 1934 Max Baer-Primo Carnera title fight is on ESPN Classic at 10:30pm ET tonight, July 21. Carnera's controversial win over Jack Sharkey is on at the same time Friday night July 22.

 

[Guest]

The 1934 Max Baer-Primo Carnera title fight is on ESPN Classic at 10:30pm ET tonight, July 21. Carnera's controversial win over Jack Sharkey is on at the same time Friday night July 22.

Do you think the Carnera figth was a fix ?. Carbera was an inept fighter but had vastly improved by the time he fought Sharkey againnot sure either way that fight was a fix.

 

[sport historian]

I don't know. There was a magazine article about Carnera many years ago in Sport magazine, which I read in an anthology. The writer (I forget his name) stated flatly that Sharkey took a dive. To his dying day, Sharkey insisted he was knocked out. It is hard to believe that any Heavyweight champion would deliberately lose his title. There is just too much benefit to holding the title.


This writer did acknowledge that Carnera improved and that some of his wins were on the level. After losing to his title to Baer, the mob put him in with Joe Louis, who stopped him in 6 rounds in June 1935. They dropped him after two more bad beatings later that year. They had made a lot of money off him and left poor Primo with none.

 

[Guest]

I don't know. There was a magazine article about Carnera many years ago in Sport magazine, which I read in an anthology. The writer (I forget his name) stated flatly that Sharkey took a dive. To his dying day, Sharkey insisted he was knocked out. It is hard to believe that any Heavyweight champion would deliberately lose his title. There is just too much benefit to holding the title.


This writer did acknowledge that Carnera improved and that some of his wins were on the level. After losing to his title to Baer, the mob put him in with Joe Louis, who stopped him in 6 rounds in June 1935. They dropped him after two more bad beatings later that year. They had made a lot of money off him and left poor Primo with none.

I think most of Carnera's early fights where fixed but Carnera did learn on the job and developed a pretty good jab.


I agree that there is to much money for a HW champion to take a dive the only way that could happen would be a betting scam and that would be to big to keep secret.

 

[Gary]

I think the Carnera-Sharkey fight in 1933 was on the level-Carnera had improved since his lost to Sharkey in 1931. Carnera was not skillful or graceful but he caught Sharkey with a good uppercut that put Sharkey down. Carnera defended the title against Paulino Uzcudun and Tommy Loughran. Uzcudun was big like Primo and niether were very good, but Loughran was good .Carnera won both fights by decision. Primo was 6'5 and 270-Loughran was 5'11 and 186. So Primo, never a great or even good fighter, had improved since his loss to Jack Sharkey in 1931. Carnera became a wrestler[which he was more suited for then boxing].They made a movie roughly based on Carnera called "The Harder they fall", not a bad movie starring Humphrey Bogart,Max Baer and Jersey Joe Walcott. When Carnera fought Baer-Max gave him a very bad beating,that fight was also on the level.But many of Carnera's early fights are very,very suspect.

 

[bigman]

great fight... this is where Carnera got his start in wrestling...Edited by: bigman

 

[moose]

I have seen some of carners fights and he looked like he had some good skills, he was not the unskilled bum he is made out to be.

 

[sport historian]

Yes, I watched the film last night and Carnera was better than the Sport article I mentioned portrayed him. He had a fair jab, which combined with his weight, made him respectable.

 

[bigman]

watched the Sharkey Carnera fight and really have to agree and add that Carnera was much more skilled a boxer than Nat Flietcher made him out to be IMHO... Sharkey too was extremely good, good speed and mobility and strength .. I see both of these guys a very good HW... Carnera if properly trained in any era would be tough to beat and Sharkey as well.. great fight!