Max Baer vs. Max Schmeling, June 8, 1933

Max Baer earned his shot at the world’s heavyweight boxing championship by scoring a TKO in the 10th round of this fight between Baer and former champ Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium on June 8, 1933.

Schmeling got up at the count of seven, but referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight moments later.

Baer went on to beat Primo Carnera and became champion, only to lose the belt to the Cinderella Man, James J. Braddock, a year later.

Californian Scores Surprise With Technical Knockout

GERMAN STAR “OUT ON FEET”

Victor ‘Goes Wild’ and Gives Maxie Terrible Lacing

By HENRY McLEMORE
United Press Staff Correspondent

New York, June 8.—Guile and finesse bowed to power and fury in the Yankee Stadium tonight when Max Baer, of California, scored a technical knockout over Max Schmeling, of Germany, in the middle of the tenth round of a scheduled 15-round fight. A crowd of more than 60,000 persons watched Baer develop from a playful cub in the early rounds, into a blood-maddened grizzly out to kill. The kill came one minute and 51 seconds after the stolid German ambled out of his corner for the tenth round. It happened like this:

Baer Goes ‘Berserk’

They were sparring in the center of the ring with only an occasional derisive boo to mark their efforts. Suddenly Baer went mad. The mocking smile that he had worn while Schmeling was trying to penetrate his guard, changed to one of fury. Every muscle in his magnificent body drew taut and his right arm flexed like a steel bow.

Then he let it fly, like an ancient bowman, and the bolt struck its mark, squarely on the bull’s-eye that was the German’s black stubbled chin. Schmeling never knew what hit him. His eyes glazed and he looked painfully puzzled. For one moment he swayed. Then he folded up like a puppet whose strings had been severed.

Somehow he managed to gain his feet at the count of nine, and reeled drunkenly to the yellow ropes of a neutral corner. His hands flopped helplessly by his sides, and his face was an expressionless wooden mask.

Then Baer dropped his longbow and picked up a machine gun. There was a succession of bangs—one, two, three, four, five, six—each one a blow gone home. The crowd rolled out a thunderous, rhythmic chorus—seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven—each one timed as though by clockwork.

Referee Ends Slaughter

The crowd counted up until 21 but Schmeling, under the force of the blows, slithered across the ropes, trying mechanically to find shelter from the merciless barrage. Schmeling backers were howling frantically to “hang on, Maxie, hang on!” But by that time Maxie had nothing to hang on to nor with.

As he stood there, a fixed target, Referee Arthur Donovan thrust himself between the men and denied Baer the joy of a clean kill.

A minute later and Baer, a boyish grin on his face and wiping a thin trickle of blood from his nose with a pudgy thumb, stood beneath the yellow flood lights and found his arm upraised by the hoarsely eloquent and elderly Joseph Humphries.

His was a cheer that rolled down from the packed steel tiers and broke upon the billboards upon which Babe Ruth sets his sights. He deserved it. A 14 to 5 underdog in the betting and faced by the coolest, craftiest sharpshooter in the business, he went out there and threw punches until something dropped.

The fight was not a particularly inspiring one until the tenth round.

Baer Scores First

Baer took the first two rounds cleanly, doing all the leading and scoring repeatedly with solid rights. Schmeling seemed sluggish and the counter punching for which he is famed was strangely absent.

Baer continued to set the pace in the third, but a right swing to the ropes cost him the round.

He also took a very dull fourth round, principally because of his jolting slants in close. Twice in this round he forced the German to break ground in exchanges.

Baer adopted Schmeling’s tactics in the fifth round, allowing the German to come to him. Schmeling got across several straight rights to the jaw and Baer laughed. He seemed to relish them.

The sixth was even because both boys did nothing in a large way. In fact, the ringside crowd deserted the fight momentarily to watch a much more spirited encounter between two well-oiled citizens of New Jersey in the sixth row, section A.

The seventh was Schmeling’s best round. Four times he shook the Californian with short, jolting rights. This flurry was brief-lived however, for Baer took charge in the eighth. Schmeling spent most of his time this round yanking at his slipping trunks. Baer continued his long range hammering in the ninth, and in the middle of the heat landed a looping drive that shook Schmeling to his heels.

Round Six

Schmeling landed a light left to the face. Baer countered with three straight lefts, none of the three hurting Schmeling. Schmeling drove Baer into a corner and they pummeled each other in the body. Baer landed a left and then another left to Schmeling’s jaw without a return. They clinched. Coming out of the clinch, Baer landed a right to the jaw which sent Schmeling against the ropes. As the German rebounded Baer caught him with a terrific right which shook Schmeling to his heels. Baer poked Schmeling in the face with several lefts. Baer landed a blow in the pit of the stomach which looked low to Referee Donovan. The crowd booed Donovan when he warned Baer. They were in a clinch at the bell. Baer’s round.

Round Seven

They came out cautiously. Both landed hard rights to the head. Baer poked a long left into the German’s face. Schmeling pushed Baer against the ropes and belabored his body. Baer sank a hard right into the stomach. They circled around the ring. Schmeling backed Baer into a corner again and shot several hard rights to the heart. Baer backed away as Schmeling threw several authoritative lefts to the body. Schmeling landed a left and right to the head. Baer missed a hard right to the head, almost swinging himself off his feet. Schmeling’s round.

Round Eight

Baer threw a left into the stomach. Baer held his left shoulder high as Schmeling swung several rights to the jaw. Baer landed a solid left hook to the body. They clinched. They pounded each other in close. Baer got Schmeling on the ropes and clouted him with two rights to the head. They clinched. Coming out of the clinch, Schmeling landed a left hook to Baer’s chin. Baer grazed Schmeling’s chin with a right which he threw from the floor. Baer held out his long left teasingly and smiled as he poked Schmeling several times. The swarthy Teuton however did not return the smile, but kept plugging away. They roughed each other about a bit at the bell and the crowd booed. Round even.

Round Nine

Baer poked two lefts to the face. Schmeling did the same thing. Baer missed a right which he telegraphed. He tried again and this time landed right on the button. Schmeling did not like it. Baer rushed Schmeling to the ropes and smacked him several hard rights to the head. Joe Jacobs, Schmeling’s manager, began to yell from his corner. Schmeling stopped and turned around. This caused Jacobs to cry, “watch him.” Schmeling went into a clinch. Baer pushed the German away and sank a left to the body and followed it with two lefts and two rights to the head. Schmeling crossed a right to Baer’s chin but the Californian did not seem to mind it. Baer pushed Schmeling against the ropes again and landed several rights to the head as the bell rang.

Round Ten

Baer rushed out like a madman and threw lefts and rights to the German’s head. Schmeling held. They circled about. Schmeling sent a vicious left to Baer’s nose which drew blood. Baer threw five successive rights to Schmeling’s head and had him groggy against the ropes. Baer floored Schmeling coming out of a clinch with a right to the chin. Schmeling came up after a count of seven and Baer rushed out slugging with lefts and rights. The German was out on his feet and Referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight, awarding the fight to the Californian, Max Baer.

Packs Wicked Wallop With Schmeling Showing Plenty of Courage

By JACK SHARKEY
Heavyweight Champion of the World
(Copyright 1933, Universal Service, Inc.)

New York, June 9.—Whew! That fellow Max Baer can punch. He gave everybody at the Yankee Stadium a real thrill when he came from behind and knocked out Max Schmeling in the tenth round of their battle at Jack Dempsey’s show last night.

There wasn’t anything phony about the Baer knockout. It was as clean as a whistle. Schmeling had been forcing the issue. Baer was taking things easy as he tried to pick openings for his shots. As Schmeling came in, Baer let drive with a high, sweeping right drive. It landed flush on Schmeling’s jaw. Those persons close to the ring could see instantly that Baer had his man. Schmeling’s eyes became glassy, while his legs sagged. Baer was quick to take advantage of the situation. He blazed away with a series of swinging lefts and rights to the head. The German displayed rare courage, and tried to defend himself. He was unable to do so.

Schmeling Goes Down

Baer set his right hand and let it fly with everything he had behind it. It crashed to the jaw, and Schmeling went down to the canvas. It was then all over but the shouting. Schmeling managed to regain his feet at the count of nine, but was hopelessly beaten. The eager Baer was set for the kill. He shook Schmeling up with short left and right-hand smashes to the head, then blazed his right for the jaw. The blow landed with terrific effect and turned Schmeling half-way around. The German was out on his feet, his arm dropped to his side, and he looked out at the crowd. Baer rushed forward ready to release his right hand again. Referee Arthur Donovan acted wisely when he stopped the bout at this point. Another blow by Baer might have had disastrous effect on the helpless Schmeling.

Schmeling proved by far the better boxer. He was leading by a comfortable margin on points when the end came. Baer, however, was dangerous at all times. His careless, awkward style and ability to punch with either hand had the German upset on numerous occasions. I thought Baer carried the first two rounds. He also had a margin in the ninth round, while he was well out in the lead in the tenth chapter when he left his terrific right.

To Give Baer Chance

Baer is a swinging puncher, and is always dangerous. I shall give him a crack at my title next year in the event I win over Primo Carnera on June 29. And I believe I shall upset Carnera. I like to meet swinging punchers like Baer. They give me an opportunity to use my skill as a boxer. I feel I will be successful in defending my title against Baer. The latter is blessed with a terrific wallop, but he will experience trouble scoring it against me.

Although defeated, Schmeling made a creditable showing. He displayed good boxing ability, while he landed numerous healthy punches. I think he underrated Baer, especially after he made the Californian look foolish during tests of boxing. It was a hard, grueling battle, and should help boxing. The huge crowd was a tribute to the drawing powers of Schmeling and Baer and to the splendid ability of Jack Dempsey as a promoter.

I made enough mental notes about Baer’s boxing and punching to beat him when we meet next year. Meanwhile, I’ll get back to Gus Wilson’s camp at Orangeburg and resume training for Carnera. I do not want Primo to bounce a kayo off my chin on the night of June 29.