Max Schmeling - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling (September 28, 1905 – February 2, 2005) was a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis

Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...

in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations. He was ranked 55 on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

While Schmeling cooperated with the German government's

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

efforts to play down the increasingly negative international world view of its domestic policies during the 1930s, he was not a member of the Nazi party. In fact, it became known long after the Second World War that Schmeling had risked his own life to save the lives of two Jewish children in 1938.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Schmeling served with the German Air Force as an elite paratrooper .

Biography

In the USA, he was routinely cast by promoters as the cold-hearted, villainous invader, a puppet of Hitler and a hater of Jews. In Germany, Nazi propagandists portrayed him as a heroic symbol of German destiny and Aryan supremacy

Nazism and race

Nazism developed several theories concerning races. The Nazis claimed to scientifically measure a strict hierarchy of human race; at the top was the master race, the "Aryan race", narrowly defined by the Nazis as being identical with the Nordic race, followed by lesser races.At the bottom of this...

. Max Schmeling was none of these things. He was a quality prizefighter with respectable boxing technique, a solid right hand punch, and a keen intellect. The clash of politics, ideals, and countries that often symbolically accompanied his biggest fights only took place within the minds of the audience; they had nothing to do with what happened in the ring. Instead of being respected for his many accomplishments in the ring, he spent much of his life derided in the USA as a Nazi and dismissed in Germany as a disappointment. It was only in his later life that his status as a fighter, divorced from his cultural symbolism, could be clearly analyzed.

Early years

Schmeling first became acquainted with boxing as a teenager, when his father took him to watch film of the heavyweight championship match between Jack Dempsey

Jack Dempsey

William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...

and Georges Carpentier

Georges Carpentier

Georges Carpentier was a French boxer. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908-26. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and his fighting weight ranged from...

. Impressed with Dempsey's performance in that fight, young Schmeling became determined to imitate his new hero. He began boxing in amateur competitions and, by 1924, won Germany's national amateur title in the light heavyweight division. Shortly thereafter, he turned professional. Ironically, though he idolized the raging, brawling Dempsey, Schmeling developed a careful, scientific style of fighting that lent itself more to counterpunching. Using this style, he got off to an impressive - though hardly sensational - start by winning seventeen of his first twenty-three bouts, thirteen by knockout. In 1925, he had the thrill of getting into the ring with Dempsey himself, who was then still heavyweight champion of the world, and was touring Europe. Dempsey boxed for two rounds with the then unknown German and, according to a story later told by Schmeling, was greatly impressed. He proved Dempsey's praises correct on August 24, 1926, when picking up the German light heavyweight championship with a first round knockout of rival Max Diekmann, who had previously beaten Schmeling. The next year, Schmeling won the European championship by stopping Fernand Delarge in the first boxing match broadcast live in Germany. After defending both titles against Hein Domgoergen the same year and, in 1928, the European Title with a first round knockout of Michele Bonaglia, he secured the German heavyweight championship with a point victory against Franz Diener, and decided to chase bigger fights and bigger purses in the United States.

Arriving in New York City for the first time in 1928, Schmeling was hardly noticed by the American fight circles. Considered a stiff European fighter who had padded his record against German and European unknowns, he was given few opportunities to prove himself until he hooked up with American manager Joe Jacobs, a man with the proper talents and connections to move Schmeling's career along a positive path. Schmeling's debut in America took place at Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden (1925)

Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...

with an eighth round knockout of Joe Monte, who was not a top flight heavyweight but nonetheless a young American who had been in with some tough competition. Two more victories led to a fight with Johnny Risko, one of the biggest names in the division, though somewhat beyond his prime. On February 1, 1929, Schmeling floored Risko four times with his right hand before the referee halted the contest in the ninth round to save Risko from further punishment. The surprised crowd in attendance roared with appreciation and The Ring

The Ring (magazine)

The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...

magazine subsequently recognized the win as its 'Fight of the Year.'

The "Low Blow Champion"

Boxing pundits were quickly changing their opinions of the German. When he defeated the highly-regarded Spaniard Paulino Uzcudun

Paulino Uzcudun

Paulino Uzcudun Eizmendi was a Basque heavyweight boxer, who is considered to be the greatest heavyweight from Spain. Uzkudun is another variation on the spelling of his last name. He was the youngest of 9 siblings. In his youth, he became an Aizkolari or traditional competitive Basque wood chopper...

via a fifteen-round decision at Yankee Stadium later that year, Schmeling was suddenly regarded as the foremost young contender in the division. With the Heavyweight World Champion Gene Tunney

Gene Tunney

James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight...

having recently retired, promoters arranged a matchup between the German and veteran contender Jack Sharkey

Jack Sharkey

Jack Sharkey was an American heavyweight boxing champion. He was born Joseph Paul Zukauskas , the son of Lithuanian immigrants, in Binghamton, New York but moved to Boston, Massachusetts as a young man...

to fill the vacancy. On June 12, 1930, at Yankee Stadium, in a fight billed as the 'Battle of the Continents,' Schmeling, known as a slow starter, fell slightly behind on points going into the fourth round. Schmeling was trying to corner his opponent when Sharkey let loose with a blow to the body which strayed below the belt line. He immediately clutched his groin and fell to the canvas, claiming to have been fouled. When manager Jacobs ran into the ring, prompting all kinds of chaos, the confused referee disqualified Sharkey and declared Schmeling the victor and the first (and only) man to win the heavyweight championship on a foul. The New York State Athletic Commission

New York State Athletic Commission

The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...

(NYSAC), reviewing the call, agreed.

The first European-born boxer to win the heavyweight championship in thirty-three years, Schmeling was also the first from Germany to hold the distinction. Still, the way in which he won the title proved an embarrassment. Called the 'low blow champion,' he was disparaged in both America and Europe as an unproven titleholder. When he initially refused to face Sharkey in a rematch, the NYSAC officially stripped him of their recognition as world champion, but he remained recognized by both the National Boxing Association (NBA) and The Ring magazine. Most of the criticism faded after Schmeling's first defense, an impressive fifteen round TKO over Young Stribling

Young Stribling

Young Stribling was a professional boxer in the Heavyweight division.He was the elder brother of fellow boxer Herbert Stribling.- Background :...

, a future hall-of-famer with 239 wins to his credit by 1931. In order to solidify his title as undisputed, Schmeling signed a contract to face the "Boston Gob" once more. On June 21, 1932, the championship picture became even more muddled when Sharkey won a highly controversial split decision, taking the championship. Many in attendance, including Gene Tunney

Gene Tunney

and the mayor of New York, felt that Schmeling had proven himself the better man and was robbed. In losing the championship, the German had managed to elevate his reputation in the minds of boxing fans.

Walker and Baer

When Schmeling faced Mickey Walker, the future hall-of-famer who had recently held Sharkey to a draw that many felt Walker deserved, it was thought that this fight was for the real heavyweight championship. Walker, a former welterweight

Welterweight

Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...

, was a popular slugger who had won championships in two divisions but was at a considerable size disadvantage against the European. Though Walker fought bravely and took the lead on points early in the fight, Schmeling showed both boxing ability and punching power in dealing out a terrific beating as the fight progressed. After eight exciting rounds, Walker's corner threw in the towel, confirming Schmeling's status as the leading heavyweight in the world.

With the coming of 1933, however, Schmeling's image in America began to take a decided turn. In 1932, the Nazi Party became the most powerful political force in Germany, and its ideologies, voiced by party leader Adolf Hitler, overflowed with anti-Semitic tendencies. Major American cities such as New York had large Jewish populations, who worried over what the party could mean for people of their religion in the future. Schmeling, because he was German, was viewed as an extension of Hitler's plans for world domination. When Schmeling was slated to fight heavy-hitting contender Max Baer on June 8, 1933, he immediately became the 'bad guy' in the eyes of fans. Baer, who did not practice the Jewish religion but had a Jewish father, came into the ring wearing the Star of David on his shorts. Promoter Jack Dempsey played up this angle and suddenly the fight was viewed as Baer defending his faith against the prejudice of the Nazis, represented reluctantly by Schmeling. Thrown off of his game in part by the bad publicity, but also because of Baer's wild, brawling style and frequent fouls (including backhand punches and rabbit punch

Rabbit punch

A rabbit punch is a blow to the neck or to the base of the skull. It is considered especially dangerous because it can damage the cervical vertebrae and subsequently the spinal cord, which may lead to serious spinal cord injury or even death.-Boxing:...

es), Schmeling was positively thrashed after ten rounds before nearly 60,000 onlookers at Yankee Stadium. While the German took a vicious battering against the ropes in the tenth, the referee leapt in to stop the fight. The embarrassing fight, combined with a follow-up loss to contender Steve Hamas early the next year, left many wondering if Schmeling was still a world top-class fighter.

Dismantling the Bomber

Returning to his native Germany, Schmeling won three of his next four fights, with one draw, including knockout wins over first Walter Neusel, then another redeeming his previous loss to Steve Hamas. His opponents were of an impressive caliber, but many among the American press and fans remained unmoved on the idea of rooting for Schmeling in light of the Nazi Party's behavior. Articles continued to be published declaring the German 'washed up,' a 'has been,' or a 'Nazi puppet.' When he was matched with undefeated African-American sensation Joe Louis

Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...

in 1936 for the German's first fight on American soil in more than two years, he was clearly the betting underdog, considered a name opponent for Louis to roll over on his route to the title. Nevertheless, he was number two contender for the title behind Louis. Prior to the match, Schmeling carefully studied films of Louis's prior fights, dissecting apparent flaws in the Detroit fighter's technique. Among the weaknesses he noticed was the fact that Louis lowered his left hand after throwing a left jab. In the ring, Schmeling exploited this subtle flaw to his own advantage, countering nearly every Louis jab with his best punch, the right cross. The fight proved to be a competitive, hard-hitting affair for the first three rounds, but, in the fourth, a counter right from the German dropped Louis for the first time in his career. Though Louis rose, he was badly dazed for the remainder of the fight and Schmeling subsequently delivered the finest performance of his career. For a further eight rounds he battered Louis, often standing toe-to-toe with the vaunted puncher and landing that same right hand to the jaw repeatedly. In the twelfth he sent the American tumbling to the floor once more, and this time Louis could not recover. He was counted out on the floor and Schmeling had scored the most talked-about sports upset of the year.

Now the unexpected number one contender for the heavyweight crown held by Jim Braddock

James J. Braddock

James Walter "The Cinderella Man" Braddock was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937....

, Schmeling looked forward to his chance to regain the title as first Heavyweight ever, scheduled for that September. The fight was postponed, however, when Braddock injured his hand in training. Rumors existed that the fight's organizers were stalling, afraid of the negative publicity that would be generated over a perceived Nazi getting a shot at the world's title. When it was confirmed that Braddock's managers were in talks with the Louis camp, the New York Commission officially released an order for Braddock to fight Schmeling for the title. Any other fight, with Louis or otherwise, would not be recognized by New York as being for the championship. The Madison Square Garden Corporation, the largest promotional company in the sport at the time, even attempted to get a legal injunction against a Braddock-Louis fight (Louis was not on their roster). Nonetheless, in February in 1937, Schmeling received the bad news that the champion had indeed signed to defend his championship against Louis. A furious Schmeling protested, but to no avail, and he was forced to watch from ringside as Louis knocked Braddock out and gained the championship. Sorely disappointed and convinced that he would never receive his chance at redemption, Schmeling fought just once more in America, an eighth round knockout of future contender Harry Thomas, before returning to Germany. In his native land, Schmeling was regarded as a hero and promoted by the Nazi propaganda machine as a perfect example of German supremacy over the rest of the world by virtue of his stunning defeat of the current champion, Louis. The government ordered parades and rallies in his honor. He became a friend to Hitler and other powerful figures in the government and also a popular subject of newspaper articles and films. He continued to press for a chance at a rematch with Louis and in the meantime padded his record against overmatched fighters Ben Foord and Steve Dudas.

"Battle of the Century"

In 1938, champion Joe Louis announced that he would indeed face Schmeling for the title. The rematch became an instant international sensation. Many clamored impatiently for its happening, but others, afraid of international tensions and the possibility of Hitler taking over the championship, protested. The controversy and ballyhoo led to the event becoming the most anticipated boxing match since the rematch between Dempsey and Gene Tunney, or possibly earlier. Louis, with his poor, African-American roots was adopted by American fans as the symbol of America as a land of opportunity. In contrast, Americans perceived Schmeling and his ties to Hitler as an obvious threat to those opportunities and ideals. When the German walked to the ring at Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1938, he did so under a hail of garbage thrown from the stands. Louis came out blazing in the first round and Schmeling tried to counter-punch as he had in the first bout, but to no avail. Driven into the ropes and battered with a fusillade of short, crisp blows from every angle, Schmeling turned his back to his opponent and clutched onto the ropes, letting out a scream that even years later, many spectators could recall vividly. Schmeling would later say that he screamed because he had been hit with a blow to the kidneys. Schmeling's knees buckled under the punishment and referee Arthur Donovan pushed Louis away, beginning a count on Schmeling. Schmeling reluctantly stepped away from the ropes and Donovan allowed him to continue. A few punches later, Schmeling was knocked down again. From then on, he was helpless. He rose but fell moments later and Donovan stopped the fight.

Schmeling in his later years

When he returned to Germany, Schmeling was now shunned by the Nazis. He managed to win both the German and European heavyweight championships on the same night, with a first round knockout of Adolf Heuser. During the Nazi purge of Jews from Berlin, he personally saved the lives of two Jewish children by hiding them in his apartment. During the war, Schmeling participated in the 1941 Battle of Crete

Battle of Crete

The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...

, where he was wounded and after recovery was dismissed from active service. He later visited American P.O.W. camps and occasionally tried to help conditions for the prisoners. After the war, strapped for money, he embarked upon a moderately successful comeback in boxing, winning three of his five bouts with two point defeats before re-entering retirement in 1948.

During the 1950s, Schmeling began working for the Coca-Cola Company's offices in Germany. Before long he owned his own bottling plant and held an executive's position within the company. He became friends with Joe Louis and assisted his former rival financially in his later years, eventually financing his military funeral in 1981.

His wife for 54 years, the Czech-born actress Anny Ondra

Anny Ondra

Anny Ondra was a Czech film actress. She was born Anna Sophie Ondráková in Tarnów, Galicia, Austria–Hungary, now Poland, and died in Hollenstedt near Harburg, Germany.-Life:...

died in 1987. In 1992, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He lived his remaining years as a wealthy man and avid boxing fan, dying on February 2, 2005 at the age of 99.

Honours

German Lightheavyweight Champion 1926 - 1928
European Lightheavyweight Champion 1927 - 1928
German Heavyweight Champion 1928
World Heavyweight Champion 1930 - 1932
European Heavyweight Champion 1939 - 1943

Cultural references

Schmeling lived in Stettin, Germany (now known as Szczecin, Poland); a band from this city, The Analogs

The Analogs

The Analogs is a Polish street punk band. They originated in Szczecin, and are quite successful on the local and international punk rock scene....

, recorded the song "Max Schmeling" on their album Hlaskover rock.

In his movie "Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry is a black comedy film by Woody Allen released in 1997. This film tells the story of a successful writer called Harry Block, played by Allen himself, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real-life, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to...

" [1997] Woody Allen

Woody Allen

Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...

is playing the character of Harry Block who claims to have divorced his first wife since "she looked like Max Schmeling" under a particular lighting setting.

The 2002 film Joe and Max - Rivalen im Ring tell the true story of Joe Louis and Max Schmeling and their enduring friendship.

In the book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Joe Kavalier is beaten up by someone who may or may not have been Max Schmeling. The author hints that it probably wasn't, as Schmeling should have been fighting in Poland at the time.

The basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

arena in Berlin that the basketball team Alba Berlin

ALBA Berlin

-Depth Chart:* Denotes injured player.-Championships:*German Championships: 8 *German Cups: 6 *Korać Cups: 1 -Notable players:- Season by season :-External links:...

used (Max-Schmeling-Halle

Max-Schmeling-Halle

Max-Schmeling-Halle is a multi-purpose arena, in Berlin, Germany, named after the famous German boxer Max Schmeling. Apart from the Velodrom, it's one of Berlin's biggest sport places and holds from 8,861 people, up to 10,050 people....

) is named in honor of the legendary fighter.

The song "Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer

Yeasayer

-History:The band's three core members, Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder, first came to attention after appearing at the SXSW festival in early 2007. Their first single consisted of a double A-side of the tracks "Sunrise" and "2080"...

mentions Max Schmelling as a "formidable foe." The nicknake 'Ambling Alp' does not refer to Schmelling but refers to another contemporary boxer Primo Carnera

Primo Carnera

Primo Carnera was an Italian boxer, nicknamed the Ambling Alp, who became the world heavyweight champion.-Biography:...

. Carnera and Schmeling never faced each other in the ring, but both had high-profile bouts with Joe Louis.

Schmeling also appears as a character in the opera, Shadowboxer

Shadowboxer (opera)

Shadowboxer, is an opera in two acts composed by Frank Proto to a libretto by John Chenault based on the life of Joe Louis, the legendary American boxer...

, based on the life of Joe Louis

Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...

.

Schmeling figures prominently in the 2010 novel by P.F. Kluge A Call From Jersey.http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2010/09/worldly_author_pf_kluge_redisc.html

Residencies

Schmeling lived for many years in a mansion on Schweinfurth Strasse in the leafy green suburb of Dahlem in Berlin. The house currently houses the Libyan embassy.

Honorary Residencies

Honorary Resident of the City of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Honorary Resident of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
Honorary Resident of Klein-Luckow (his hometown)
Honorary Member of the Austrian Boxing Federation

Professional Record

Richard Vogt

Richard Vogt was a German boxer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.In 1936 he won the silver medal in the light heavyweight class after losing the final against Roger Michelot.-Pro career:...

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Waldbuehne

Olympic Stadium (Berlin)

The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...

, Westend

Westend (Berlin)

Westend is a locality of the Berlin borough Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf situated on the Spandauer Berg, the northern peak of the Teltow plateau between the river valleys of Spree and Havel...

, Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

Biography

Early years

The "Low Blow Champion"

Walker and Baer

Dismantling the Bomber

"Battle of the Century"

Schmeling in his later years

Honours

Cultural references

Residencies

Honorary Residencies

Professional Record

See also

External links