BAER REGAINS PRESTIGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 22

BAER REGAINS PRESTIGE

DECISIVELY TROUNCES FARR

CONTENDER FOR WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

Max Baer came back to.town last night and jumped right into the front ranks of contenders for the world heavyweight championship, stated the "New York Times" on March 21, following Baer's win over Tommy Farr. The California battler decisively trounced Tommy Farr, the Welshman who holds the British Empire title, in a gruelling fifteen-round struggle at Madison Square Garden and in so doing won back much of the prestige he lost when he was so ingloriously beaten by Joe Louis more than two years ago.

Baer, so often described —and not without justification—as the Livermore Larruper, Madcap Max, and by other appellations, surprised a near-capacity gathering of 19,000 fans by waging an aggressive, courageous battle against a foeman who at ring time was the 2-to-l choice to win. And in establishing his victory Baer demonstrated he still is both the Livermore Larruper and Madcap Max.

For he sent the iron-jawed Farr to the canvas twice, a feat that the destructive punching Louis was unable to perform in a fifteen-round bout last September. And his madcap proclivities made themselves apparent by the manner in which he joshed the perplexed Farr time and again as the latter sought obstinately but futilely to bring down the strong Californian.

The crowd took kindly to Baer and his performance and cheered him to the echo at the finish. Farr, too, was hailed for his courage in the face of inexorable defeat.

The exact paid attendance was 18,222, and the gross receipts, surprisingly, were 74,409 dollars.

In scoring his upset victory Baer won the unanimous award of Referee Arthur Donovan and Judges George Lecron and Bill Healy. Donovan scored thirteen rounds for Baer and two for Farr; Healy gave' Baer eleven, Farr three, and called one even, while Lecron voted nine for Baer, five for Farr, and one even. This observer's score sheet showed eleven rounds for Baer and four for Farr.

Both fighters were in superb condition and threw punches without stint throughout the fifteen rounds. Baer weighed 212 pounds, Farr 208 i. BAER RECEIVES PUNISHMENT. . Although he won the first four rounds by comfortable margins, Baer at the same time absorbed considerable punishment about the head from Farr's cutting, straight-lefts. His left eye was a special target for the Welshman's southpaw, and when the seventh round

rolled around the eye was completely closed. He fought the last half of the bout seeing with only his right eye. It was in the second and third rounds that Farr was floored. He was first dropped for a count of three by a left hook that came from nowhere to land square on his jaw. ■ In the third frame Max let fly with a long right that found its mark on Farr's temple and Farr tumbled to the floor to take a count of 6.

What seemed to perturb Fair more than the beating he was taking was Baer's manoeuvring him into the Californianrs corner at the end of every round, forcing the Welshman to expend much-needed energy in walking across the ring to his own stool. , Baer started with a wild attack and smothered his foe in the first session with free-swinging rights to head and

body. In the second round Baer shot his left hook to the jaw and spilled his foe. The Welshman arose and fought like a tiger. At the start of the third Baer brought his long right across to Farr's temple, and Farr collapsed. lie recovered quickly, winked to his corner to signify he was all right, and got up confidently, carrying the action to the Californian. The Welshman carried his attack over to the next round, only to lose it because of a low punch. In the fifth, too, Tommy piled up a large margin, although thirty seconds before the end he was almost spilled again. The oxchampion enjoyed a wide margin in the sixth, seventh, and eighth. RALLY BY WELSHMAN. Ffli'r cam? into iii* ■ \vn in I'" 'and UnUi, ~!■> ■. :•■

the Californian to the punch. Th« Welshman avoided trouble in the eleventh and twelfth. They traded wildly in the last three rounds, Farr slipping to one knee but arising immediately in the fourteenth. Both warriors were badly bruised about the fact at the end. MANAGERS' FRACAS. A flare-up that threatened to involve Tommy Farr's manager, Joe Gould, and Max Baer's trainer, Izzy Klein, in a fight, occurred as the boxers weighed in at Madison Square Garden prior to their bout. ' ' Seeking to break down Baer's morale, Gould persistently heckled the exchampion with remarks that reflected on Baer's courage. The boxer answered Gould word for word. Klein sprang at Gould, trying to punch him, but attendants held him.

Neither boxer took part in the short melee. Farr sat in a corner through it all while Baer remained on the fringe of the crowd laughing- at the proceedings.