Max Baer Cinderella Man Villain was Totally the Opposite of Steve Bierko's Portrayal of Baer as a Villainous Man Killer
By Jack Corbett
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In real life Max Baer was a handsome showoff, who loved to make people laugh. His clownish behavior no doubt caused him to fall short of the boxer he might have been. When he di ed, his last words were, "Oh God, here I go." Over 1500 people attended his funeral. Among his pall bearers were Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis |
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Craig Bierko playing the villain, Max Baer, in "Cinderella Man"
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I love this clip of the menacing Craig Bierco telling
Braddock's wife, "I don't want to make you a widow"
The following videos show some of Max Baers fights, plus a few that show the enormous appeal of the man.
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Documentary Max Baer the Tender Hearted Giants
Max Baer's Fights
At six foot six and weighing in for his fights as much as 275 pounds Carnera was a giant
In a world when the average male was only five foot six inches tall. Obviously such a giant among men could enjoy enormous appeal as a fighter. So the story goes that Carnera became a creature of organized crime, which carefully nurtured his career. Eventually Carnera became world champion after a History of beating up on unskilled boxers that were reputedly hand picked by the mob. Then there were the more skilled boxers Carnera dispatched who had taken dives for their mobster bosses. Eventually Carnera was forced to fight a high quality fighter. That fighter was Max Baer, and you can see what happens to Carnera when he has to fight a real fighter in the following video.
Video: Max
Baer vs Primo Carno 8-14-1934 for the Heavy Weight
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Max Baer would later star in The Prizefighter and the Lady, a film, that is closely based on the career of Primo Carnera.
Keep in mind that this 1933 film actually preceded the championship fight between Baer and Carnera. One year later in 1934, the Primo Carnera-Max Baer bout is for real, but this time, Baer slaughters the inept Carnera. Which makes it one of the most interesting of Max Baers fights.
The film features performances from the real Jack Dempsey as well as Primo Carnera. Baer in the "Prize Fighter and the Lady" also has Jack Dempsey in the movie.
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Max Baer Training 1934
Max Baer training. If you think that boxing in the ring is easy, just try to go a single three-minute round with someone with gloves on. My step grandfather, who taught me how to box, used to train as an amateur fighter on the speed bag and heavy bag then he'd spar a few rounds with a friend, and after that the pair would jog 18 miles from Staunton, Illinois to Litchfield to complete their training session.
This second of Max Baer's fights is of his match against Max Schmeling in 1933.
Schmeling had been crowned world champion in 1930 after suffering from a low blow from the reigning world champion Jack Sharkey. Sharkey would win the title back from Schmeling in 1932 due to a controversial split decision. Future world champion, Gene Tunney, would claim that Schmeling was the better man and had been robbed.
Video: Max
Baer vs. Max Schmeling
Video: Max
Baer loses the Heavyweight title to James Braddock
6-13-1935
Video: Max
Baer vs Ben Foord 5-27-1937
Video: Max
Baer vs Tommy Farr 4-15-1937
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Max Baer vs Lou Nova first fight 6-1-1939
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Max Baer vs Lou Nova 2nd fight 4-4-1941
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Max Baer vs Tony Galento
The last fight is against Joe Louis.
Unfortunately for Baer, Joe Louis was after Muhammad Ali the finest heavyweight champion of all. In my opinion.
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Max Baer vs Joe Louis 9-24-1935
Max Baer was in ten movies. Including The Harder They Fall. It's 1956, almost twenty years since Baer's fought Schmeling and Louis. And Baer's acting alongside Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger, two of the finest actors in the business.
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