Max Baer vs Pat Comiskey

On September 25th, 1940 at Roosevelt Stadium in New Jersey, 30 year old Max Baer received $30,000 and 50% of radio broadcast receipts to take on 20 year old Pat Comiskey, "a classy looking prospect" for eventual title status, who had 25 knockouts of 29 battles under his belt. Reports were that Max's manager, Ancil Hoffman had bet $10,000 for Baer to win, though Baer went into the bout with Pat the 7-to-5 favorite. Interest in the bout became high when Jack "Doc" Kearns made an attempt at a successful 'comeback' as the fight's promoter and Jack Dempsey was slated to act as referee. This was Kearn's "first effort to invade Madison Square Garden Czar 'Uncle' Mike Jacob's fistic realm." Pat was introduced to the crowd of 20,000 as "the next number 1 challenger for Joe Louis' title." But Max stunned the audience by disposing of Comiskey in 2:39 of the 1st round, earning a whopping $188 a second, and giving Pat the first knockout of his career. After Dempsey held Baer's arm aloft in victory, Max "put his arms around the drooling Irish kid and hugged and kissed him like a repentant motorist picking up a battered jaywalker. "But once he had attended to that errand of mercy, Baer went berserk, bounding happily around the ring to the popping of flashbulbs." Veteran sportswriter Henry McLemore was his usual ebullient self when describing the match. "Hell hath no fury like a Max Baer unafraid. Give the California Butcher Boy a chunk of undressed beef and he'll cut you a mess of tenderloin, T-bones, and porterhouse inside of a minute."Baer's last punch knocked Comiskey completely senseless and into the ropes. He would have fallen onto the apron, but as he sagged, his lantern jaw caught the top strand and there he hung, neither up nor down and a bull's-eye for Baer's next blow. "Baer got set as if to punch but then, as if remembering that he had killed an opponent under similar circumstances in California years ago, looked inquiringly at Referee Jack Dempsey. Jack was a man without mercy when he was fighting, but this was too much even for him. He ordered Max to cease firing and together they hoisted the New Jersey boy off the ropes." Baer took his victory modestly. He stayed in the ring only 30 minutes after the fight, took only 365 bows, and posed for only 125 pictures. In addition to $30,000, Baer was given a belt emblematic of the 'World's White Heavyweight Championship of New Jersey' by Promoter Jack Kearns. It was of solid imitation aluminum, stippled with genuine imitation rhinestones."Max Baer was once again the number 1 contender for Joe Louis' title.

Channel: Sports
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: MaxiesGal

Length: 03:00
Rating: 5.00
Views: 3630

Tags: Baer  Comiskey  Max  Pat  

Video Comments