Three years ago lanky Max Adelbert Baer of Livermore, Calif., starting his career as a professional fisticuffer, killed an opponent named Frankie Campbell with his punches. That for a long time remained his most notable achievement. But a string of eleven victories over competent fighters in the last two years and the fact that Promoter Jack Dempsey thought Baer's Jewish ancestry (on his father's side) might make him popular in New York, qualified him last week as an opponent for Max Schmeling of Germany—intent on earning another chance at the world's heavyweight championship which Jack Sharkey took away from him a year ago.
In the first round Schmeling, a 2-to-1 favorite, although he was outweighed 189 to 203 lb., was surprised when Baer, instead of sparring cautiously, planted a thumping left hook to the head, followed it with looping dangerous rights. Confused, Schmeling backed up against the ropes, managed to get in one crashing right to the chin before the round ended. In the second round, grinning whenever Schmeling reached his face with short jolting punches, Baer was still forcing the fight, but in the third he was less aggressive. Referee Arthur Donovan warned him for hitting low, awarded the round to Schmeling. Then followed round after round of the kind of boxing which Schmeling—who usually plans to wear his opponents down slowly—likes best. But Baer's demeanor —his confident grins whenever Schmeling hit him, his backhand punches that made Schmeling frown and look at the referee— caused the crowd of 60,000 to wonder whether Baer was waiting rather than wearing down. In the tenth round, the crowd found out.
Baer ran out of his corner and sent three of his powerful, clublike right hand punches to Schmeling's head. Schmeling backed away to the ropes, dizzy. Baer, who talks constantly while fighting, said to the referee between pants, "This looks like the end," and followed Schmeling with a rain of blows which made Schmeling's knees buckle. It took one more solid punch, this one a carefully measured right while Schmeling stood forlornly near the ropes, trying to hold up his hands, to send the German down. Schmeling went over backwards, sat on the canvas till the referee's count reached eight, then began dragging himself slowly to his feet. At nine, he was standing again. Baer rushed at him, pounded his head with both hands. Schmeling, dazed and utterly beaten, turned his back and held onto the ropes. Baer stopped punching. Referee Donovan motioned to Schmeling's seconds, patted Baer's back, awarded him the fight on a technical knockout.