Max Baer (boxer)

This article is about the boxer and actor. For an article about his actor son, see Max Baer, Jr.

Max Baer
Statistics
Real name	Maximilian Adelbert Baer
Nickname(s)	Livermore Larupper, Madcap Maxie
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 2 1⁄2 in (1.89 m)
Nationality	United States
Born	February 11, 1909(1909-02-11), Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	November 21, 1959(1959-11-21) (aged 50), Hollywood, California, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	81
Wins	68
Wins by KO	52
Losses	13
Draws	0
No contests	0

Max Baer (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was an American boxer of the 1930s (one-time Heavyweight Champion of the World) as well as a professional wrestler and referee, and had an occasional role on film or television. He was the brother of twice World Champion boxing contender Buddy Baer and father of actor Max Baer, Jr. (best-known as Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies). Baer is rated #22 on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Early life

Maximilian Adelbert Baer was born on February 11, 1909 in Omaha, Nebraska to Jacob Baer (1875–1938), who was Jewish, and Dora Bales (1877–1938), who was of Scots-Irish ancestry.^[1] Baer was nominally raised in the Catholic faith.^[2] His eldest sister was Frances May Baer (1905–1991), his younger sister was Bernice Jeanette Baer (1911–1987), his younger brother was boxer-turned-actor Jacob Henry Baer, better known as Buddy Baer (1915–1986), and his adopted brother was August "Augie" Baer.

Move to California

In May 1922, tired of the Durango, Colorado winters, which aggravated Frances's rheumatic fever and Jacob's high blood pressure,^[3] the Baers piled into a just-purchased automobile and began the long drive to the milder climes of the West Coast, where Dora's sister lived in Alameda, California, across the Bay from San Francisco.^[4] They drove more than 1,000 miles along unpaved roads. Jacob's expertise in the butcher business led to numerous job offers around the San Francisco Bay Area. While living in Hayward, Max took his first job as a delivery boy for John Lee Wilbur. Wilbur ran a grocery store on B Street and bought meat from Jacob.

The Baers lived in the Northern Californian towns of Hayward, San Leandro and Galt^[4] before moving to Livermore in 1926. Livermore was true cowboy country, surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of rolling hills and rangeland which supported large cattle herds that provided fresh meat to the rapidly burgeoning towns nearby. In 1928, Jacob bought the Twin Oaks Ranch in Murray Township where he raised over 2,000 hogs, and which he worked with daughter Frances's husband, Louis Santucci.^[4] Baer often credited working as a butcher boy, carrying heavy carcasses of meat, sledge-hammering cattle with one blow, and working at a gravel pit, for developing his powerful shoulders (an article in the January, 1939 edition of The Family Circle Magazine reported that Baer also took the Charles Atlas exercise course.)^[5]

Professional boxing career

Baer turned professional in 1929, progressing steadily through the Pacific Coast ranks. A ring tragedy little more than a year later almost caused Baer to drop out of boxing for good

Frankie Campbell

Baer fought Frankie Campbell (real name Francesco Camilli, whose brother was Brooklyn Dodgers star Dolph Camilli) on August 25, 1930, in San Francisco in a ring built over home plate at San Francisco's Recreation Park to fight for the unofficial title of Pacific Coast champion. In the 2nd round of the fight, Campbell clipped Baer and Baer slipped to the canvas. Campbell went toward his corner and waved to the crowd. He thought Baer was getting the count. Baer got up and flew at Campbell, landing a cheap-shot right at Campbell's turned head which sent him to the canvas.

After the round, Campbell said to his trainer, "Something feels like it snapped in my head", but went on to handily win rounds 3 and 4. As Baer rose for the 5th round, Tillie "Kid" Herman, Baer's former friend and trainer, who had switched camps overnight and was now in Campbell's corner, savagely taunted and jeered Baer. In a rage and determined to end the bout with a knockout, Baer soon had Campbell against the ropes. As he hammered him with punch after punch, the ropes were the only thing to hold Campbell up. Herman, as Campbell's chief second, had the option of throwing in the towel, but did not. Referee Toby Irwin seemed oblivious to what was occurring and by the time Irwin finally stopped the fight, Campbell collapsed to the canvas. It is reported that Baer's own seconds administered to Campbell, and that Baer was by his side until an ambulance arrived 30 minutes later. Baer "visited the stricken fighter's bedside", where he offered Frankie's wife Ellie the hand that hit her husband. She took that hand and the two stood speechless for a moment. "It was unfortunate, I'm awfully sorry", said Baer. "It even might have been you, mightn't it?", she replied.^[6][7]

At noon the next day, with a lit candle laced between his crossed fingers, and his wife and mother beside him, Frankie Campbell was pronounced dead. Upon the surgeon's announcement of Campbell's death, Baer broke down and sobbed inconsolably. Brain specialist Dr. Tilton E. Tillman "declared death had been caused by a succession of blows on the jaw and not by any struck on the rear of the head," and that Campbell's brain had been "knocked completely loose from his skull" by Baer's blows.^[8]

Ernie Schaaf

The Campbell incident earned Max the reputation as a "killer" in the ring. This publicity was further sensationalized by Baer's return bout with Ernie Schaaf, who had bested Baer in a decision during Max's Eastern debut bout at Madison Square Garden on September 19, 1930.

An Associated Press article in the September 9, 1932 Sports section of the New York Times describes the end of the return bout as follows:

"Two seconds before the fight ended Schaaf was knocked flat on his face, completely knocked out. He was dragged to his corner and his seconds worked over for him for three minutes before restoring him to his senses... Baer smashed a heavy right to the jaw that shook Schaaf to his heels, to start the last round, then walked into the Boston fighter, throwing both hands to the head and body. Baer drove three hard rights to the jaw that staggered Schaaf. Baer beat Schaaf around the ring and into the ropes with a savage attack to the head and body. Just before the round ended Baer dropped Schaaf to the canvas, but the bell sounded as Schaaf hit the floor."^[9]

Schaaf complained frequently of headaches after that bout. Five months after the Baer fight, on February 11, 1933, Schaaf died in the ring after taking a left jab from the Italian behemoth Primo Carnera. The majority of sports editors noted,^[10] however, that an autopsy later revealed Schaaf had meningitis, a swelling of the brain, and was still recovering from a severe case of influenza when he touched gloves with Carnera. Schaaf's obituary stated that "just before his bout with Carnera, Schaaf went into reclusion in a religious retreat near Boston to recuperate from an attack of influenza" which produced the meningitis.^[6][11] The death of Campbell and accusations over Schaaf's demise profoundly affected Baer, even though he was ostensibly indestructible and remained a devastating force in the ring. According to his son, actor/director Max Baer Jr. (who was born seven years after the incident):

My father cried about what happened to Frankie Campbell. He had nightmares. In reality, my father was one of the kindest, gentlest men you would ever hope to meet. He treated boxing the way today's professional wrestlers do wrestling: part sport, mostly showmanship. He never deliberately hurt anyone.^[12]

In the case of Campbell, Baer was charged with manslaughter. Baer was eventually acquitted of all charges, but the California State Boxing Commission still banned him from any in-ring activity within the state for the next year. Baer gave purses from succeeding bouts to Campbell's family, but lost four of his next six fights. He fared better when Jack Dempsey took him under his wing.^{[citation needed]}

Max Schmeling

In June 1933, Baer fought and defeated (by a technical knock out) the German heavyweight Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium. Baer's trunks displayed an embroidered Star of David,^[13] which Baer swore to wear in every bout thereafter. He dominated the rugged fighter from Germany into the tenth round when the referee stopped the match. Because Baer defeated Schmeling, German dictator Adolf Hitler's favorite, and because Baer had a Jewish father, he became popular among Jews, those who identified with Jews, and those who despised the Nazis.^{[citation needed]}

World Champion

On June 14, 1934, Baer knocked out the massive, 275-pound (125-kg) Primo Carnera, Heavyweight Champion of the World, to win the world title, which he would hold for 364 days.

Cinderella Man

On June 13, 1935, one of the greatest upsets in boxing history transpired in Long Island City, New York, as Baer fought down-and-out boxer James J. Braddock in the so-called Cinderella Man bout. Baer hardly trained for the bout. Braddock, on the other hand, was training hard. "I'm training for a fight. Not a boxing contest or a clownin' contest or a dance." he said. "Whether it goes one round or three rounds or 10 rounds, it will be a fight and a fight all the way. When you've been through what I've had to face in the last two years, a Max Baer or a Bengal tiger looks like a house pet. He might come at me with a cannon and a blackjack and he would still be a picnic compared to what I've had to face." Baer, ever the showman "brought gales of laughter from the crowd with his antics" the night he stepped between the ropes to meet Braddock. As Braddock "slipped the blue bathrobe from his pink back, he was the sentimental favorite of a Bowl crowd of 30,000, most of whom had bet their money 8-to-1 against him."^{[citation needed]}

Max "undoubtedly paid the penalty for underestimating his challenger beforehand and wasting too much time clowning." At the end of 15 rounds Braddock emerged the victor in a unanimous decision, outpointing Baer 8 rounds to 6 in the "most astounding upset since John L. Sullivan went down before the thrusts of Gentleman Jim Corbett back in the nineties". Braddock took heavy hits from Baer, but kept coming at Baer until he wore Max down.^{[citation needed]}

Decline and retirement

Baer and his brother, Buddy, both lost fights to Joe Louis. In the second round of Max's September 1935 match, Joe knocked Baer down to one knee, the first time he had ever been knocked to the canvas in his career. A sizzling left hook in the fourth round brought Max to his knee again, and the referee called the bout soon after.^[14] In the first televised heavyweight prizefight, Baer lost to Lou Nova on June 1, 1939, on WNBT-TV in New York. His last match, in 1941, was another loss to Nova.

Career statistics

Max Baer boxed in 84 professional fights from 1929 to 1941. In all, his record was 71-13-0. 53 of those fights were knockouts, making him a member of the exclusive group of boxers to have won 50 or more bouts by knockout. Baer defeated the likes of Ernie Schaaf, Walter Cobb, Kingfish Levinsky, Max Schmeling, Tony Galento, Ben Foord and Tommy Farr. He was Heavyweight Champion of the World from June 14, 1934 to June 13, 1935.

Baer was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1968, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1984, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995 and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. The 1998 Holiday Issue of Ring ranked Baer #20 in "The 50 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time". In Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers (published in 2003), Baer is ranked number 22.

Acting

Baer's motion picture debut was in The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) opposite Myrna Loy and Walter Huston. In this MGM movie he played Steven "Steve" Morgan, a bartender that the Professor, played by Huston, begins training for the ring. Steve wins a fight, then marries Belle Mercer, played by Loy. He starts seriously training, but it turns out he has a huge ego and an eye for women. Featured were Baer's upcoming opponent, Primo Carnera, as himself, whom Steve challenges for the championship, and Jack Dempsey, as himself, former heavyweight champion, acting as the referee.

On March 29, 1934, The Prizefighter and the Lady was officially banned in Germany at the behest of Joseph Goebbels, then Adolf Hitler's Minister of Propaganda and Public Entertainment, even though it received favorable reviews in local newspapers as well as in Nazi publications. When contacted for comment at Lake Tahoe, Baer said, "They didn't ban the picture because I have Jewish blood. They banned it because I knocked out Max Schmeling."

Baer acted in almost 20 movies, including Africa Screams (1949) with Abbott and Costello, and made several TV guest appearances. A clown in and out of the ring, Baer also appeared in a vaudeville act and on his own TV variety show. Baer appeared in Humphrey Bogart's final movie, The Harder They Fall (1956), opposite Mike Lane as Toro Moreno, a Hollywood version of Primo Carnera, whom Baer defeated for his heavyweight title. Budd Schulberg, who wrote the book from which the movie was made, portrayed the Baer character, "Buddy Brannen", as blood thirsty, and the unfounded characterization was reprised in the movie Cinderella Man.

Baer additionally worked as a disc jockey for a Sacramento radio station, and for a while he was a wrestler. He served as public relations director for a Sacramento automobile dealership and referee for boxing and wrestling matches.

Family

Baer married twice, to actress Dorothy Dunbar (married July 8, 1931-divorced October 6, 1933), and to Mary Ellen Sullivan (married June 29, 1935-his death 1959). With Sullivan, he had three children, actor Max Baer, Jr. (born 1937), James Manny Baer (born 1942) and Maudie Marian Baer (born 1944).

Baer never enjoyed the TV onscreen reward of his son, Max Baer Jr. (who played Jethro Bodine in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies). At the time of his death on November 21, 1959, Baer was scheduled to appear in some TV commercials, which he had planned to do in Los Angeles before returning to his home in Sacramento.

Death

On Wednesday, November 18, 1959, Baer refereed a nationally televised 10-round boxing match in Phoenix. At the end of the match, to the applause of the crowd "Baer grasped the ropes and vaulted out of the ring." and "joined fight fans in a cocktail bar." The next day he was scheduled to appear in several television commercials in Hollywood, California. On his way, he stopped in Garden Grove, California, to keep a promise he had made thirteen years earlier to the then five-year old son of his ex-sparring partner, Curly Owens. Baer presented the now 18-year-old with a foreign sports car on his birthday, as he had said he would.^[15]

Baer checked into the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel upon his arrival on the 19th of November. "Hotel employees said he looked fit but complained of a cold." As he was shaving, the morning of November 21, he experienced chest pains. He called the front desk and asked for a doctor. The desk clerk said "a house doctor would be right up." "A house doctor?" he replied jokingly, "No, dummy, I need a people doctor".

A doctor gave Baer medicine, and a fire department rescue squad administered oxygen. His chest pains subsided and he was showing signs of recovery when the mere 50-year old fighter was stricken with a second attack. Just a moment before, he was joking with the doctor, declaring he had come through two similar but lighter attacks earlier in Sacramento, California. Then he slumped on his left side, turned blue and died within a matter of minutes. His last words reportedly were, "Oh God, here I go."^[15]

Funeral

Baer's funeral was one of the largest ever attended in Sacramento, where he had made his home for almost 30 years. "A crowd of more than 1,500 - many with scarred eyebrows and smashed noses bade farewell. Among his mourners were four former world champions, politicians, people in wheelchairs and Cub Scouts. There were 'men of wealth and distinction' - and bums shuffling off skid row. There were women in mink stoles and diamonds - and women in cotton house dresses, and in slacks. There were babies in the arms of their young mothers - and elderly couples, helping each other's halting steps. Hundreds of others, unable to get into the funeral home, crowded around the outside. Some chose vantage points on car roofs and nearby scaffolding. Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey were among his pallbearers. There were tears in the eyes of 'Curly' Owens, his one-time sparring partner, as he took down Max's gloves from a big white floral arrangement". The cemetery service was concluded by an American Legion firing squad, recognizing Baer's service in World War II. Baer's obituary made the front page of the New York Times. He was laid to rest in a garden crypt in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Sacramento.^[15]

Legacy

There is a park named for Max Baer in Livermore, California, which he considered his hometown, even though he was born in Omaha. There is also a park in Sacramento named after him. He was honored by the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

Baer was an active member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. When Max died of a heart attack in 1959, the Eagles created a charity fund as a tribute to his memory and as a means of combating the disease that killed him. The Max Baer Heart Fund is primarily to aid in heart research and education. Since the fund started in 1959, millions of dollars have been donated to universities, medical centers and hospitals across the United States and Canada for heart research and education.

Selected filmography

• "The Prizefighter and the Lady" (1933)
• Over She Goes (1938)
• "Africa Screams" (1949) - with his brother, Buddy
• "The Harder They Fall" (1956)

Alluded to in:

• "The Tortoise and the Hare" (1934) Disney. In this cartoon short, a tortoise is pitted against a hare in a famous race. The first time the hare appears on screen, he exits his home with much bravado and is wearing a robe similar to a boxer's robe. On the back of the robe his name is emblazoned, "Max Hare". While there is no specific mention of the connection in the cartoon, since this cartoon came out the year that Max first won his Heavyweight title, it is possible that this character's name is a pun for "Max Baer".

Portrayed In:

• "Cinderella Man" (2005) - portrayed by Craig Bierko
• "Carnera: The Walking Mountain" (2008) by Antonio Cupo

TV guest appearances

• Playhouse 90 (1957) (Screen Gems TV, CBS) ... Mike ... episode: Requiem for a Heavyweight
• Abbott and Costello Show (1953) ... Killer ... episode: Killer's Wife

Professional boxing record

68 Wins (52 knockouts, 16 decisions), 13 Losses (3 knockouts, 10 decisions), 0 Draws [1]
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	68-13	Lou Nova	TKO	8 (10)	04/04/1941	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States	Nova was knocked down in the 4th round. Baer was knocked down twice in the 8th. Referee Donovan stopped the bout as the count was at two.
Win	68-12	Pat Comiskey	TKO	1 (10)	26/09/1940	Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Win	67-12	Tony Galento	TKO	8 (15)	02/07/1940	Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, New Jersey, United States	Galento was unable to answer the bell for the 8th round.
Win	66-12	Babe Ritchie	KO	2 (10)	18/09/1939	Fair Park Stadium, Lubbock, Texas, United States	Ritchie was knocked down twice.
Win	65-12	Big Ed Murphy	KO	1 (4)	04/09/1939	Silver Peak, Nevada, United States
Loss	64-12	Lou Nova	TKO	11 (12)	01/06/1939	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	Attendance: 16,778. Fight stopped by the referee because of severe laceration of Baer's lower lip.
Win	64-11	Hank Hankinson	KO	1 (10)	26/10/1938	Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win	63-11	Tommy Farr	UD	12	11/03/1938	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States	Farr was knocked down in the 2nd and 3rd.
Win	62-11	Ben Foord	KO	9 (10)	27/05/1937	Harringay Arena, Harringay, London, England, United Kingdom
Loss	61-11	Tommy Farr	PTS	12	15/04/1937	Harringay Arena, Harringay, London, England, United Kingdom
Win	61-10	Dutch Weimer	KO	2 (10)	19/10/1936	Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	A light slap to Weimer's ribs ended the bout, causing the crowd to roar its disgust. Someone threw an empty whiskey bottle at Baer. Leaving the ring, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Well, you paid to get in - suckers."
Loss	60-10	Willie Davies	PTS	6	08/10/1936	Platteville, Wisconsin, United States	The fight was billed as an exhibition, yet Referee Ted Jamieson gave an official decision. Baer floored Davies in the 2nd round.
Win	60–9	Tim Charles	KO	4 (6)	06/10/1936	Evansville, Illinois, United States	Charles downed eight times.
Win	59–9	Bearcat Wright	NWS	6	14/09/1936	Des Moines, Iowa, United States	Newspaper decision from the Oelwein Daily Register (U.P. wire).
Win	58–9	Cowboy Sammy Evans	KO	4 (6)	07/09/1936	Casper, Wyoming, United States
Win	57–9	Cyclone Lynch	KO	3 (6)	04/09/1936	Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States
Win	56–9	Al Gaynor	KO	1 (6)	02/09/1936	Lincoln Field, Twin Falls, Idaho, United States
Win	55–9	Don Baxter	KO	1 (6)	31/08/1936	Memorial Ball Park, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, United States
Win	54–9	Al Frankco	KO	2 (6)	29/08/1936	Recreation Park, Lewiston, Idaho, United States
Win	53–9	Nails Gorman	TKO	2 (?)	26/08/1936	Marshfield, Oregon, United States
Win	52–9	Cecil Myart	PTS	6	25/08/1936	Multnomah Stadium, Portland, Oregon, United States
Win	51–9	Bob Williams	KO	1 (6)	24/07/1936	Ogden Stadium, Ogden, Utah, United States
Win	50–9	Cecil Smith	PTS	4	17/07/1936	Convention Hall, Ada, Oklahoma, United States
Win	49–9	Junior Munsell	KO	5 (6)	16/07/1936	Coliseum, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States	Munsell down in the 1st round. Munsell reportedly 22-0 entering contest. Source: Tulsa World.
Win	48–9	James Merriott	KO	2 (6)	13/07/1936	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Win	47–9	Buck Rogers	KO	3 (6)	02/07/1936	Sportatorium, Dallas, Texas, United States
Win	46–9	Wilson Dunn	TKO	3 (6)	24/06/1936	Tech Field, San Antonio, Texas, United States	Dunn announced at 183, was weighed after the fight and was actually 168. San Antonio Light.
Win	45–9	George Brown	TKO	4 (6)	23/06/1936	Tyler, Texas, United States	Brown was floored 3 times in the 4th round before his manager tossed in the towel.
Win	44–9	Harold Murphy	PTS	6	19/06/1936	Armory, Pocatello, Idaho, United States	Murphy was floored in the 3rd, 4th & 5th rounds.
Win	43–9	Bob Fraser	TKO	2 (6)	17/06/1936	Ada Co. Fairgrounds, Boise, Idaho, United States
Win	42–9	Tony Souza	PTS	6	15/06/1936	McCullough's Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States	Souza was floored 4 times in the bout.
Loss	41–9	Joe Louis	KO	4 (15)	24/09/1935	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	Attendance: 88,150. Jack Dempsey was in Baer's corner. Baer was knocked down twice in the 3rd round. 1935 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Loss	41–8	James Braddock	UD	15	13/06/1935	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, United States	Lost NYSAC & NBA World Heavyweight titles. Baer feinted a knockdown in the 8th round.
Win	41–7	King Levinsky	KO	2 (4)	28/12/1934	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States	This was scheduled as an exhibition, no decision to be given at the end of four rounds. But Levinsky came out swinging and Baer become extremely angry. In round 2 Baer rushed to meet Levinsky and in less than a minute had pounded him to the canvas dead to the world.
Win	40–7	Primo Carnera	TKO	11 (15)	14/06/1934	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, United States	Won NYSAC & NBA World Heavyweight titles. Baer floored Carnera 11 times, and had him wobbly on his legs, before Referee Donovan stopped the bout to protect Carnera from further punishment.
Win	39–7	Max Schmeling	TKO	10 (15)	08/06/1933	Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, United States	1933 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	38–7	Tuffy Griffiths	TKO	7 (10)	26/09/1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win	37–7	Ernie Schaaf	MD	10	31/08/1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States	"The bell deprived Baer of a knock-out victory. Two seconds before the fight ended Schaaf was knocked flat on his face, completely knocked out. He was dragged to his corner and his seconds worked on him for three minutes restoring him to his senses." (Associated Press).
Win	36–7	King Levinsky	PTS	20	04/07/1932	Dempsey's Bowl, Reno, Nevada, United States	Attendance: 8,000 "Baer piled up a big lead throughout the fight." (AP).
Win	35–7	Walter Cobb	TKO	4 (10)	11/05/1932	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	34–7	Paul Swiderski	TKO	6 (10)	26/04/1932	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	33–7	Tom Heeney	PTS	10	22/02/1932	Seals Stadium, San Francisco, California, United States
Win	32–7	King Levinsky	PTS	10	29/01/1932	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States
Win	31–7	Arthur De Kuh	PTS	10	30/12/1931	Olympic Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	30–7	Les Kennedy	KO	3 (10)	23/11/1931	Olympic Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	29–7	Johnny Risko	PTS	10	09/11/1931	Seals Stadium, San Francisco, California, United States
Win	28–7	Jose Santa	KO	10 (10)	21/10/1931	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Win	27–7	Jack Van Noy	TKO	8 (10)	23/09/1931	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Loss	26–7	Paulino Uzcudun	PTS	20	04/07/1931	Race Track Arena, Reno, Nevada, United States
Loss	26–6	Johnny Risko	PTS	10	05/05/1931	Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Win	26–5	Ernie Owens	KO	2 (10)	07/04/1931	Auditorium, Portland, Oregon, United States	Owens was down at the end of the 1st round from a right hand. After two more knockdowns in the 2nd, referee Tom Louttit raised Baer’s hand.
Loss	25–5	Tommy Loughran	UD	10	06/02/1931	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States
Win	25–4	Tom Heeney	KO	3 (10)	16/01/1931	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States	Referee Jack Dempsey picked up the count incorrectly. Knockdown time-keeper Arthur Donovan signaled Heeney out at Dempsey's count of 8. Heeney was waiting to hear "9" before arising. When he learned he had been counted out, he "protested strenuously," and the crowd "broke into a deafening roar of disapproval." New York Times.
Loss	24–4	Ernie Schaaf	UD	10	19/12/1930	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States	Schaaf "battered the Coast invader as thoroughly as ever a boxer has been pounded, to win a decision in as exciting a heavyweight encounter as has been seen here for some time". (James P. Douglas, New York Times).
Win	24–3	Frankie Campbell	TKO	5 (10)	25/08/1930	Recreation Park, San Francisco, California, United States	Onlookers claimed that Baer slugged Campbell after he was already unconscious but had held onto his feet by the ropes. Doctors worked over Campbell for half an hour and, failing to revive him, took him to a local hospital where other physicians and nurses worked over him for several hours. Campbell died from a severe concussion of the brain. CSAC soon suspended Referee for his failure to stop the fight.
Win	23–3	K O Christner	KO	2 (10)	11/08/1930	Oaks Ballpark, Emeryville, California, United States	Baer sent Christner to the floor three times in the 2nd stanza.
Loss	22–3	Les Kennedy	PTS	10	15/07/1930	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	22–2	Ernie Owens	KO	5 (10)	25/06/1930	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	21–2	Buck Weaver	KO	1 (10)	11/06/1930	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	20–2	Jack Linkhorn	KO	1 (10)	28/05/1930	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States	Linkhorn down 3 times.
Win	19–2	Tom Toner	KO	6 (10)	07/05/1930	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	18–2	Ernie Owens	PTS	10	22/04/1930	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States	Owens knocked down for first time in career.
Win	17–2	Jack Stewart	KO	2 (10)	09/04/1930	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	16–2	Tiny Abbott	KO	6 (10)	29/01/1930	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Loss	15–2	Tiny Abbott	DQ	3 (10)	15/01/1930	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States	Baer was disqualified for hitting Abbott while he was being given a count; fined $100 for fouls.
Win	15–1	Tony Fuente	KO	1 (10)	30/12/1929	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Win	14–1	Chet Shandel	KO	2 (6)	30/12/1929	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Win	13–1	Tillie Taverna	KO	2 (20)	20/11/1929	East Bay A.C., Oakland, California, United States
Win	12–1	Natie Brown	PTS	6	06/11/1929	East Bay A.C., Oakland, California, United States
Win	11–1	Alex Rowe	KO	1 (6)	30/10/1929	East Bay A.C., Oakland, California, United States
Win	10–1	Chief Caribou	KO	1 (6)	16/10/1929	East Bay A.C., Oakland, California, United States
Win	9–1	George Carroll	KO	1 (6)	02/10/1929	Auditorium, Oakland, California, United States
Win	8–1	Frank Rudzenski	KO	3 (6)	25/09/1929	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States	"Frank succumbed to a vicious left hook after being knocked half out of the ring with a right." (Hayward Review).
Loss	7–1	Jack McCarthy	DQ	3 (6)	04/09/1929	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Win	7–0	Al Red Ledford	KO	2 (6)	28/08/1929	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Win	6–0	Benny Hill	PTS	4	31/07/1929	Arcadia Pavilion, Oakland, California, United States
Win	5–0	Benny Hill	PTS	4	24/07/1929	East Bay A.C., Oakland, California, United States
Win	4–0	Al Red Ledford	KO	1 (4)	18/07/1929	Oak Park Arena, Stockton, California, United States
Win	3–0	Tillie Taverna	KO	1 (4)	04/07/1929	Stockton, California, United States
Win	2–0	Sailor Leeds	KO	1 (4)	06/06/1929	Stockton, California, United States
Win	1–0	Chief Caribou	KO	2 (4)	16/05/1929	Oak Park Arena, Stockton, California, United States

See also

Biography portal

• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of select Jewish boxers

References

1. ^ Fellerath, David (2005-06-02). "Fight Snub". Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2120151. Retrieved 2010-01-02. ""My father is Jewish and my mother is Scotch-Irish" said Baer." 
2. ^ "However, because “Jewishness” is traced through the maternal line, Max isn't Jewish at all in the eyes of practicing Jews. Max's grandfather, the 6 foot plus, 200 pound plus Achille or Aschell Baer, was an Alsatian Jew from France. The Baer family home and the synagogue that Achille's mother would have gone to still exist in Alsace-Lorraine. The Jewish section of an area cemetery is full of Baer tombstones. Achille emigrated from France to Wyoming Territory about 1864. According to family history, Achille engaged the services of a marriage broker to find a wife. A photograph of Frances “Fanny” Fischl, a lovely 6 foot plus Jewess from Prague in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) caught his eye. The two met and were married, on August 7, 1869 in nearby Laramie, which was still part of the Dakota Territory. It is suspected by family members that the only way the couple could communicate would be in Yiddish, since both came from different countries with far different native tongues. Max’s father, Jacob was born in 1875 in Michigan. Jacob married Dora Bales, an Iowa girl of Scots-Irish descent on Christmas Eve of 1904 in Nebraska. Jacob and Dora negligently raised their children in the Catholic faith, but allowed the children to practice whatever faith they chose."
3. ^ Livermore Heritage Guild
4. ^ ^{a b c} Brumbelow, Joseph, S. "Buddy Baer - Autobiography" 2003
5. ^ Muscles by Mail, Stewart Robertson, Family Circle Magazine, January 20, 1939, Vol.14, No. 3
6. ^ ^{a b} Welcome to MaxBaer.org
7. ^ Shand, Bob, Oakland Tribune, September 26–31, 1930
8. ^ Oakland Tribune, September 26, 1930
9. ^ Associated Press, September 9, 1932
10. ^ Genealogy, Newspaper Archives, Family History Records
11. ^ Burying The "Demon"
12. ^ "Jethro says Opie distorts Baer facts". New York Daily News. 2005-06-03. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/2005/06/03/2005-06-03_jethro_says_opie_distorts_ba.html. 
13. ^ Max Baer profile at www.pugilistica.com
14. ^ Moehringer, J.R. (January 7, 2007). "Mad Max - Los Angeles Times". http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-baer01jan07,1,2251502.story?coll=la-headlines-west. ^{[dead link]}
15. ^ ^{a b c} Welcome to MaxBaer.org

Other sources

• Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1934, pg. 12, Germany Bans Film of Baer
• Los Angeles Times Magazine, Mad Max, J.R. Moehringer (Times Staff Writer), January 7, 2007

External links

• The True Story About the Life of Max Baer
• Official website
• Professional boxing record for Max Baer (boxer) from BoxRec
• Max Baer at the Internet Movie Database
• Max Baer at Find a Grave
• Max Baer at AllRovi
• Site about Max Baer
• Watch Max Baer in Africa Screams
• International Boxing Hall of Fame biography
• Fraternal Order of Eagles Charity Foundation

Achievements
Preceded by Primo Carnera	World Heavyweight Champion 1934–1935	Succeeded by James J. Braddock

Persondata
Name	Baer, Max
Alternative names	Baer, Maximilian Adelbert
Short description	Boxer
Date of birth	February 11, 1909
Place of birth	Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Date of death	November 21, 1959
Place of death	Hollywood, California, U.S.