Evening star., 1941-05-20
Sock Harder Than ANY
ChaIIenger's Since
Early Sohme|ing
Outlook Dark for Buddy,
However, if He Tries
To Box Champion
By GRANTLAND RICE.

Buddy Baer. the Kodiak of the
Livermore Bruins, Is just one punch
away from the heavyweight cham
pionship. But that punch had better
land on a vital spot. Otherwise
Buddy will require the services of
an interior and exterior decorator
before the night is over.
Meeting Joe Louis here Friday
night, Buddy is the lone challenger
since the earlier Schmeling who can
hit hard enough to disarrange a
cobweb design.
The great majority of those who
have gone against Louis were almost
entirely defensive fighters, hoping to
keep aloft few extra rounds. Their
sole ambition was to postpone the
coming purge as they ducked,
crawled, scrambled and clinched,
interpolating now and then a
soothing jab,
They packed no poison in their
parades to the ring. They counted
on keeping away or else indulging
In enough contortions to keep Louis
baff1ed as he put the iigsaW puzzle
together again.
In this respect, at least, Buddy
Baer is different He can punch.
From a foundation of some 240
pounds and high trajectory. he can
hurt any one he happens to hit. But
there is wide difference between
having a punch and parking the
same on some vulnerable spot.
Buddy Can't Wait His Time.
If Buddy Baer will flip the pages
of his Shakespeare he might look
over two lines.
One is-"What care these roarers
for the name of king?" The other
Isl do begin to have bloody
thoughts"
If he doesn't read these lines,
Buddy may be forced to recall an
other Shakespearean contribution to
this effect-"A very ancient and
fish-like smell"
If Buddy decides to take no big
chances and remain upright as long
as possible. he will be nothing to
look at after few cantos. For
Buddy is a target no marksrnan
can miss and his features begin to
dissolve rather rapidly.
He isn't good enough to turn this
show into a boxing match and wait
his time He must find an earlier
spot before he has absorbed too
much nitroglycerin. His main ment-
al approach must be along the
line of assault, not defense.
Could Use Fighting Heart.
I first saw Buddy when he came
along with Max. He then was an
18-year -old giant who outweighed
his older brother by 40 pounds. And
Max was no lightweight. They
started sparring together, and then
quit.
Buddy gets sore when I tag
him" Max said, land wants to knock
my head off. I'd rather have that
happen than to hurt him"
That was seven years ago. II
Buddy could carry the same idea
into action against Louis he might
provide one of the major upsets of
all time.
In those days, Buddy was unde-
cided between a singing or a ring
career. He has had seven years in
which to get ready for this next
test and that's long enough. In
the process of getting ready he had
to shed around 20 pounds. He still
could lose 20 pounds from his vast
frame and not be taken for wrath
or sylph.
Buddy, unlike Max, has followed
no primrose trail His path has been
the straight and fairly narrow-Wide
enough to accommodate his massive
makeup
Not Like Brother Max.
He is as nice young fellow as you
might want to meet, which has little
or no connection with ring success.
Niceness is no protection against a
Louis left hook or a Louis right
hand.
There Is no telling how good a
heavyweight Max might have been
If he had only stuck to his trade
and given out Is per cent of his
possibilities. Whether good or bad,
Buddy at least has given most of
what he has in a physical way at
least
Max Baer promised his supporters
to move in against Joe Louis swing
ing with both hands. In place OF
being a human tornado or tidal
wave, Max turned the entire offenSe
over to Louisa cross between
zephyr and the ripple of pond.
Knowing he had q PSSnch that
might shatter hyGcant, Max made
about two passes in the shAmbies
and one of these came after the bell
Can't Depend on Defense.
There now is a widespread opinion
that Buddy may follow the same
road to demolition. Buddy also
knows that he can hit any one hard
enough to wreck frontispiece. But
If he follows the same system that
Max used he also should know that
he will be stepping into the middle
of the same explosion. He will be
In the quicksands up to his neck
without any great delay.
Buddy Baer on defense alone is
dead sure to have his features badly
scattered, here and there. He won't
carry an outside chance. He may
not have any gold-tinted outlook
even If ne opens an attack, but he
Wiz have q much better shot along
this road
His entire mental attitude should
Be attack-offen -assault-where
the main idea is to win or lose
swinging. Any other method will
b q short cut to suicide.
eReieased by the North American