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.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Max
• Baer
• Pat
• Comiskey

[7juan23]

I watchd the movie the cinderella man at school and ma teacher told me dat max seriouly had problems, that he was like insane and didnt care about killing people and stuff. It was a great movie by the way

[MaxiesGal]

@7juan23 - your teacher has his/her head up his/her ass, not one word of what you wrote is even remotely true, and I'm sorry you were schooled by a complete idiot ...

[7juan23]

@MaxiesGal did he really kill smeoe=ne boxing tho?

[MaxiesGal]

@7juan23 - you can check out my own responses on this page or visit my website maxbaer dot org where I cover it all ....

[i10v3paintba11]

max baer definately killed frankie campbell in the ring, lets not get confused about that.

[MaxiesGal]

@i10v3paintba11 - Campbell died as a result of Baer's punches, but Baer didn't deliberately set out to kill him, he never bragged about killing him, as alluded to in 'Cinderella Man,' Baer did NOT know Campbell was 'out on his feet' when he had him in the corner, and most importantly, if you read the bio on Campbell at my website, you'll discover Campbell had no business, in terms of expertise, experience and physical condition, being in the ring with Baer that night.

[dapoetmaster]

Truly brutal punch from Max. The guy could hit seriously hard.

[EXORCIS7187]

@MaxiesGal Max even went to the hospital after the fight to see if things were alright. He was very caring.

[edgrrrr20]

@HHossenfepher I have to agree, its BASED on a true story, not a biography, hollywood spices things up for money to get people to watch it, its called entertainment. I just realized that i should have said this to the juan guy, sorry no offense to you lol just agree with your statement

[larryt7001]

Jack Dempsey was one of the greatest boxers that ever lived... As far as blaming Dempsey or anyone else for someone dying in the ring is ridiculous! We have high school kids dying of heart attacks in football practice, yet we lay blame to a boxer who boxes???? Give me a break! It is a brutal but tame sport if you compare it to NASCAR, downhill skiing or just about any other intense sport. I am certain that more people in the NFL would be brain dead if they had brains... Just kidding..

[ehalofan]

Wow. Your teacher is an idiot. 

[djk28161]

@MaxiesGal Max Baer was never the same fighter after that....He was a damn good man with no evil intent as the movie Cinderella man made him to be

[xKESTELx]

he also never bragged or intended to kill him like the movie said, the movie is trying to put him out as a bad guy just because it was trying to make james braddock look like some hero

[xKESTELx]

@7juan23 ya im related to max baer my grand father said he regreted that and had nightmares about killing people in the ring, he was fighting how he was taught if anything it was the officials fault for not stoping it!! so im sorry you had to hear that from your dumbass teacher, maybe you should tell her to get her facts straight

[sevina123]

Dempsey was the refree?

[HHossenfepher]

@7juan23 Teachers often try to pass their own opinion off as fact. I would recommend you ask your teacher for documentation or directions to where you can find documentation of these facts. It sounds to me like your teacher took the movie Cinderella man to seriously. They create rivalries in film so it's more exciting to watch.