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MID-DAY STANDARD
FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1934
PRIMO CARNERA vs MAX BAER
How Max Baer Became
World Champion
CARNERA DOWN
TEN TIMES AND
BEATEN IN AN
AMAZING FIGHT
Max Baer, the film star pugilist, made
good his boasts when he defeated Primo
Carnera, and so became heavyweight
boxing champion of the world, at Long
Island, New York, last night.
After one of the most amazing con-
tests in the history of the ring, he
gained the decision in the eleventh
round on a technical knockout, the
referee intervening after Carnera had
been knocked down.
Throughout the contest Baer laughed
and taunted his rival, whom he knocked
down ten times. Carnera damaged his
ankle early in the fight.
TECHNICAL
KNOCKOUT
LONG ISLAND BOWL, NY, Friday
In one of the most amazing pantomimes
ever staged in the history of the prize-
ring Max Baer, the lady-killer, film-star-
boxer from California, thrashed the giant
Carnera and became the heavyweight
champion of the world.Carnera, whom many thought invincible
because of his size, was forced to give up
in the eleventh round, and therefore beaten
on a technical knockout.
It was a most remarkable contest in
every way. Carnera down 10 times-
Baer strutting around the ring like a
turkey-cock, bowing and scrapping to the
crowd and taunting his rival- women
pitying Carnera and screaming at the
referee to stop the fight- 50,000 people
yelling wildly, as Baer, mainly with
wicked right hooks, floored the champion.
It was such that one American sports
writer had a heart attack and police and
doctors had to rush forward to revive him.COLOSSAL CHEEK
Baer was continually making grimaces at
Carnera. No man has ever tried so deli-
berately to make a fool of another before
an audience. No man has ever bore the
ignominy with greater fortitude.
It was colossal cheek and demanded
heaps of courage against such a huge and
fierce figure as Carnera.
Baer carried his great self-confidence
through the end.
"Exactly as I expected," he said after the
affair was over.
Baer went at once to a night club where
he is to appear among admiring blondes as
master of ceremonies for a salary of 10,000
dollars.
Carnera was heart-broken. His face was
puffed up. his nose was made to bleed by
a terrific blow during the fight, but one
could not see if it was broken or not.
His ankle was twice its normal size.
Carnera said he twisted it in the first round,
and that prevented him from carrying out
a planned attack.
Some people wondered whether the
Italian asked for the fight to be stopped.
Many at ringside thought he did, but
this was denied by the announcer.In view of the result, it seems that Baer's
taunts were somewhat justified. He pro-
mised his friends he would turn Carnera
upside down. He did.DOWN TEN TIMES He could, in fact, have knocked Carnera
out at any moment from the first round.
The clowning, arrogant youth was too much
for the giant, though the latter faced the
odds with a great heart.
Carnera won the admiration of the huge
crowd for the wonderful recoveries he
made after being knocked down, especially
as sometimes his eyes looked very glassy.
Including on or two falls, in which both
rolled on the floor together, Carnera went
down ten times.
Baer started off in amazing fashion. He
was all out for a knockout, and had his
man on the floor twice in the first round for
short counts.
It was a shock for the Italian, who did
not get over it for a long time. Baer, who
swaggered about as if he were on the stage,
easily took the second round, and again
floored Carnera with his right in the third
round.
Here he was warned by the referee to
go to his corner whenever he scored a
knock-down. Baer had stood in the
middle off the ring, as though he wanted
to finish his man off there and then.
Carnera took the fourth round, but Baer
carried off the next two.
The champion then made a comeback.
Using a fine straight left which won him
many points, he took the seventh, eighth
and ninth rounds. But he could not keep it
up, and Baer put him down again in the
tenth round.
The big Italian, to everyone's surprise,
came up for the next session with plenty
of spirit, but Baer twice sent him to the
boards, and the referee thought it was
about time to put an end to the fight.
This he did. The crowd roared itself
hoarse as the referee held Baer's hand up
in victory.
Before the fight Jack Dempsey, Gene
Tunney, Jimmy McLarnin, Jack Sharkey,
Tommy Loughran and Steve Hamas were
introduced from the ring.
Carnera was a 10 to 9 on favourite at the
start.ALL FOR NOTHING?
And it may have been all for nothing!
The receipts from the fight amounted to
£85,000, but it is not certain how much of
it will go to the principles. Carnera was
due ti receive 37 1/2 per cent of the proceeds
and Baer 20 per cent, but both may have
fought for nothing.
A receiver had been appointed to take
charge of Carnera's winnings because the
latter failed to appear before the court for
examination as to his ability to pay L3000
judgment made against him in favour of
Miss Amelia Tersini, the former London
waitress.
Baer, too, is being sued for £10,000 by
Miss Shirley Labelle for "heart balm."
ROUND BY ROUND
Round 1.- Carnera rushed out of his corner
to attack at once. There were some fast ex-
changes, then a few clinches. A cautious period,
and then a right to the body from Baer. Carnera
replied with a left to the head, rights to the
kidneys and then a left to the jaw. Baer, stung
into fierce retaliation, set the crowd roaring by
flooring Carnera with a strong right.
Baer chased Carnera round the ring like a
madman, and got home two more rights and
battered him about the head and body in an un-
ceasing attack.
Carnera held on, but was put down again for
another short count before the finish of the
round. Baer's round.Round 2.- Baer was carrying out his policy
of going all out for a knockout. He opened the
second round with a terrific right to the body
and two more to the head. Both fell down in a
mix-up. Carnera was helpless, and Baer punched
at his head. It was an amazing spectacle.
Baer scored another right to the body, and the
crowd was in an uproar. Baer roared with
laughter as Carnera attempted to maintain his
stance. Baer landed a right swing to the head
and another to the body before the bell. Baer's
round.Round 3.- Carnera walked out quickly, but
Baer attacked to the body and head, staggering
the Italian giant, who doubled up. Carnera
jabbed with his left and both exchanged hard
rights, the Italian connecting also with a left
and right to the head. Both men were cautious
for awhile. Then Carnera became aggressive
and both went at it with both hands. Baer once
more floored Carnera for a short count with a
right to the head.- Baer's round.Round 4.- Baer taunted the Italian, but the
latter got home three good left jabs, followed by
two left hooks to the body. Carnera landed two
lefts to the jaw and punched away steadily to
the head. Baer lashed out with both fists to the
body, but the Italian got another two straight
lefts home to the jaw.- Carnera's round.DANCED A JIG Round 5.- Carnera began with a body attack.
Baer landed a right to the kidneys, broke away,
and rushed in to score with both hands. Carnera
was now taking things more coolly, after four
turbulent rounds. Baer walked round and round
him calling on him to attack. Carnera was con-
tent to spar a bit and then landed a good left
hook.
Baer, however, drove home three stinging right
hooks. He followed up with an attack to the
body and one smashing right to Carnera's nose
that caused it to bleed. Baer landed another
terrific right hook and was roaring with
laughter. Baer's round.Round 6.- Baer was absurdly arrogant. He
danced a jig in order to annoy Carnera, who
made horrible grimaces which he supplemented
with something more solid. He was booed how-
ever, for using the back of his hand.
Baer staggered his rival with a right and left hook,
but he fought back and caught Baer with three
hard punches on the ribs and a left to the body.
Carnera also hit him both hands to the head.
Baer, however, responded with great courage
and a slamming right to the head brought a roar
from the crowd. Then he strutted like a peacock
to his corner. Baer's round.Round 7.- Carnera protested against Baer's
clowning tactics. He scored with a hard left-
right to the head, followed by two more rights
to the same quarter. Carnera continued on the
attack, and kept jabbing with his left, and also
scored with a hard right to the body. Baer
missed with a left to the body. Carnera's
round.Round 8.- Carnera scored points with a two-
handed body attack and Baer replied with a
hard right to the jaw and another to the body.
The Italian sent another hard right to the body
and also hit Baer's jaw with an uppercut, fol-
lowed by a left to the body. It was now all
Carnera. He staggered Baer with a strong left
lead to the head, but Baer still continued to
bow and scrape to the crowd. Baer got home a
vicious left and right to the body.
Baer twice hit the Italian on the jaw and
poked a left into his ribs. Carnera was in a
rage. "Come on," he cried, and clouted his man
with a hook to the head. Baer then missed and
fell flat on his face. He was up in a moment,
however.- Carnera's round.CARNERA DAZED Round 9.- Once again Carnera led with a
left and a right to the head. Baer skipped away,
hitched up his shorts lackadaisically, and then
went in to hook his man with a left. Carnera
countered with two stinging lefts to the head
and another hard left to the jaw. He also
jabbed Baer's face four times in quick succes-
sion. Baer tried to retaliate, but without suc-
cess. The big Italian seemed now to have got
the upper hand, and he scored a hard right to
the jaw as the gong sounded.- Carnera's round.Round 10.- Both slugged away hard on the
ropes. Baer appeared to foul Carnera about
five times with lefts and rights. Carnera, how-
ever, replied with a right hook to the head that
knocked it sideways, and continued to attack
with both hands to the head. He landed one
particularly fine punch, a hard right to the head
which shook Baer.
Baer however, staged a great come-back. He
landed a hard right to the jaw. Carnera stag-
gered to his corner, were he was put down for
a count of four from a barrage of blows to the
head. He was in a dazed condition as the bell
went.- Baer's round.Round 11.- Carnera, too, made a remarkable
recovery. he attacked furiously, but once more
Baer floored him with a terrific right. Carnera
was up again. Baer followed with two rights.
Carnera slugged away at the head.
Baer rushed in to attack to the body. Baer
staggered his man with a swinging right to the
head. Carnera went down for a count of three.
He rose, but was in a dazed condition and the
referee stopped the fight. The round had lasted
2 min, 16 sec.
Result.- Baer beat Carnera on a technical
knockout.