Max Baer vs Tony Galento - Rounds 3-5-8

"The Battle of the Bums" between Max Baer and Tony Galento occurred on July 2, 1940 at Roosevelt Stadium in New Jersey.

The events leading up to the bout are as follows:

In July of 1939, "Two Ton" Tony Galento made a surprise showing in his bout with Joe Louis at Yankee Stadium. Galento, who fought from a very low crouch managed to feint his way into a position that allowed him to launch left hooks and right crosses at Louis.

Word from Louis' training camp prior to the bout was that his trainers were "trying to change his style to meet Galento's barroom tactics" which was deemed a mistake.

Louis was staggered in round one and Galento was dropped in the 2nd round (for the first time in his career). Louis was knocked down in the 3rd round, but in the 4th round managed to club Tony "to a bloody pulp, his face so badly mangled that 23 stitches were required to sew it together again, his body beaten to helpless submission, his brain fogged and his legs paralyzed."

When Louis declared he needed a rest from defending his title, the heavyweight deck of cards was again shuffled to produce match ups that would entice the public's attendance.

Galento met with Lou Nova on September 15, 1939 in "one of the most disgraceful fights staged since the days of the barroom brawls." Perhaps because of Tony's questionable tactics in winning the bout, it was decided he needed one more tune-up fight before again being afforded a rematch with Joe Louis. Galento agreed to a match with Max Baer.

The two vocal foes gleefully hurled insults at each other through the press for weeks prior to the bout. On July 2nd, 1940, at Roosevelt Stadium in New Jersey, they touched gloves in what came to be called "The Battle of the Bums".

The press was not enthused, and reported that "two tired, fat old fighting men slugged each other into a state of utter exhaustion out on the Jersey marshes last night, and finally one of them, Tony Galento, was unable to go on any longer."

The two fighters and the referee apparently tossed out the Marquis of Queensbury rules altogether. Backhanding, elbows, thumbs and head butts were common.

Ray Arcel, ringman for Max Baer, said that while Max was a good-natured clown who never disliked anyone, "he hated Galento with a vengeance. He really wanted to kill him. In the ring, the two of them were cursing so much, people in the cheap seats could hear the most vile obscenities."

Max later said "I'm sorry they stopped the fight. Every time I hit him and the blood squooshed out it was music to my ears. That's one guy I hate and I'd like to have flattened him."

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Max
• Baer
• Tony
• Galento

[futuermarine]

Yeah Ron Howard did portray Baer as a monster. For his Hollywood movie. Hmmmmmmm let's see what makes a better story. Wow that's a real conundrum. And I mean cmon the guy killed multiple people!

[MaxiesGal]

@futuermarine - first off he didn't kill 'multiple people' and second you obviously don't know dick about Baer, and can't be bothered to educate yourself, or you wouldn't make the 'wow, duhhhh" statement ! Stop being like the rest of the sheep future jarhead (what an apt monikor), throwing out the same ignorant bullshit lies about him over and over ...

[sailin1934]

i read in jackie gleason's biography that while having a drink in a new york bar, tony galento was also at the bar but gleason didn't know who he was, he was mouthing off, making a jerk of himself and gleason told him to shut up, not knowing who he was. an arguement started and gleaso challenged him to step out in the alley. gleason said he came too about 10 minutes later, a friend said didn't you know who that was. jackie found out the hard way.

[MaxiesGal]

@sailin1934 - HAHAHA, good one !!

[gianca60]

Tony Galento Vs. Chris Arreola for the hot dog eating championship. Who wins?

[teymani]

baer was such a fun guy to watch , a clown champ ,and a gentelman. ron howard go to hell .

[metalhead492]

@teymani Lol, you say "was such a fun guy to watch." Are you like 90 something years old? I agree though, Howard really did not portray the man well in the film.

[ClaudeMagicbox]

@djk28161

yep, he also trained after eating.

From his bio: "A typical meal for Galento consisted of six chickens, a side of spaghetti, all washed down with a half gallon of red wine, or beer, or both at one sitting"

[djk28161]

@gianca60 fatboy galento 1st round that fat fuck coul eat a side of beef in one siiting what a fat fuck

[LA8PVCallingTheWorld]

Apparently commisioner Bill Brown was here... :)

[trajan75]

@MrRoyalFatness I agree. That is how Foreman treated Ken Norton.

[MrRoyalFatness]

@trajan75

George is stronger in the sense that you can't dominate him in the clinch. In some of George's fights, you'll see him toying with grown men. He's a trained athlete, but not a strength athlete. As far as boxers go, George remains one of the naturally strongest men to ever step in a ring.

[trajan75]

@MrRoyalFatness Given your name you must that fat guys can be very strong. Look at the Russian weight lifters as to George vs Two Ton Tony no contest George easily, but in an arm wrestling contest Sumo wresting, dead weight lift or bench press? I'm not sure George would win those. Better fighter,of course. Stronger ? I'm not so sure.

[MrRoyalFatness]

@trajan75

Nobody is stronger than George. I am fond of Tony Galento, but George Foreman is the strongest of heavyweight champions, hands down.

[Freddie1980]

For all of Galento's provado when it came to the crunch he didn't have the heart to answer the bell such was the beating he was taking for the Jewish Baer.

[Pihasanddunes1]

Galento had the most unique defensive stance in history, like he was walking on a tightrope. And they say Thomas Hearns carried a low left hand.