Carnera ... How Is He Rated Here by Board ?

**HE Grant** · 12-07-2008, 12:02 PM

I have been debating with a lot of people as of late on true merrits and abilities of Primo Carnera. Sinced this Board has many of the most researched historians I know of, I'd like to hear definative thoughts and facts on Carnera.

Was he completely mobbed up ?

Did he become title material?

Do you believe he beat Sharkey legit?

Did he legit beat Uz and many of the others?

and so on ...

**bodyblow** · 12-07-2008, 03:16 PM

He was mobbed up but later in his career he actually showed talent and legitimately. his ko of sharkey is legit and so is his defense against uz. he literally jabbed ernie schaaf to death. He legitimately beat Loughran as well. heres something else to think about: unless im mistaken he was the only champion from Tunney to Louis who defended his title more than once. He won it from a HOFer and defended it against a HOFer successfully in addition to beating Uzcudan who was a tough proposition. I also believe he would have beaten Braddock if he'd gotten a shot at him for the title... thats not saying much though.

**PeteLeo** · 12-07-2008, 03:37 PM

Schmeling KO'd Stribling in the fifteenth before defending against Sharkey in their second match. PeteLeo.

**hagler04** · 12-07-2008, 03:44 PM

Here you can find the list of Primo's legit and fixed fights. As can be seen, his biggest wins were legit.

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/cbzfo...ad.php?p=90201

He was a good fighter, not great, but not the 'sideshow' oaf that revisionist historians love to easily tag him as. Looking at him on film he's easily better than the likes of Valuev, McCline, Grant etc.

**HE Grant** · 12-07-2008, 07:29 PM

OK His record has 66 KO's ... are most legit? Why does no one rate him with thegreat punchers at all ? Why after the Louis fight at only age 29 was he a .500 fighter and soon retired ?

**bodyblow** · 12-07-2008, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by PeteLeo

Schmeling KO'd Stribling in the fifteenth before defending against Sharkey in their second match. PeteLeo.

Like I said Carnera was the only champion to defend his title twice. Schmeling defended his title once and then lost it to Sharkey. A loss is not a defense. Not a successful one anyway.

**hagler04** · 12-07-2008, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by HE Grant

OK His record has 66 KO's ... are most legit? Why does no one rate him with thegreat punchers at all ? Why after the Louis fight at only age 29 was he a .500 fighter and soon retired ?

He wasn't a .500 fighter after Louis, he was 5-3 upon retiring in 1938, when he retired due to having a kidney removed (he was a diabetic) 2 of those losses were to Leroy Haynes, who was a pretty good Heavyweight.

He's not rated as one of the greatest punchers b/c his # of knockouts decreased as the calibre of opponent increased . .the Sharkey KO was more of an anomaly. With his size and physique, critics saw him as a relatively weak puncher. Just like Valuev today . . he has a 66% KO ratio and clearly is no feather-duster, but for a 7ft 320 lb man he's not a very big puncher . . . he can KO 2nd raters like Barrett and Ettiene but not top 10 guys like Ruiz and Chagaev.

**hawk5ins** · 12-08-2008, 12:25 AM

to today's heavyweight division, Carnera looks pretty good.

If we are comparing him to the overall group of fighters who were heavyweight champions throughout history, he doesn't fare so well.

There has been a relatively recent revisionism done of Carnera, that I don't think I've ever truly understood.

Maybe indeed it is being done as a result of the terrible state of the modern heavyweight division.

Hawk

**PeteLeo** · 12-08-2008, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by bodyblow

Like I said Carnera was the only champion to defend his title twice. Schmeling defended his title once and then lost it to Sharkey. A loss is not a defense. Not a successful one anyway.

Ah, but you didn't qualify the statement with the adjective, didja? The rematch with Sharkey was, indeed, a defense when it began and an unsuccessful defense -- as you pointed out -- when it ended. Isn't it a frequently-heard statement that, "So-and-So defended his title against Sew-and-Sew, only to come out on the short end of the decision"?

I also grunt with distaste when hear someone discuss an orthodox fighter's vicious "right hook." PeteLeo.

**HE Grant** · 12-10-2008, 04:45 PM

I have Carnera beating Nausel, Smith, Brackey and Gastanaga, losing to Haynes twice, Duneglio and Zupan ... that's 4 and 4 unless I'm missing someone ...