Looking Back at Max Schmeling

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

He made his debut in 1924. From then until his retiral he fought 70 times as a professional, became an icon of his own country and an honorary member of the Boxing Association of the country next door. In his second last fight, he broke the jaw of his opponent in a 5 fight sequence that ended his career after being out the ring for no fewer than 8 years. He became an iconic figure for an oppressive regime who had a stadium named after him which still stands long after the legacy of that regime. The winner of the 1936 fight of the year when he fought and beat another icon of boxing at Madison Square Garden – his 6th such contest at the venue – he also fought 5 times at Yankee Stadium – the return fight with that man he beat at MSG was named fight of the decade – and once appeared in front of a crowd of 102,000. He was a World Champion, European Champion at 2 weights and participant 3 times in fights of the year. One of his fights inspired the finale in Rocky IV between Rocky and Ivan Drago.

His record: 56-10-4, 40 KO’s, stands the test of time though his legacy could have so easily have been tarnished. Between 1930 and 1932 he was the heavyweight champion of the world, Maximilian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling stands tall as a sportsman but his association with the German government of the 1930’s tests that legacy to the full.

Schmeling went over to the USA in 1928 but was not an immediate hit with the American public. He fought 3 times before facing Johnny Risko in 1929 and he sent Risko to the canvas 4 times before it was called off in the 8th round. The Ring Magazine made it fight of the year. Then in 1930, following a low blow from Jack Sharkey, Schmeling was the very first to be awarded the championship by disqualification since 1876. Schmeling did not hold onto that title for very long, losing it in 1932 to Sharkey who got the belt back with a split decision over 15 rounds – it was not universally applauded. Schmeling managed to do that unusual thing of losing the fight but winning the crowd and now the public saw him as the wronged man rather than the “low blow” champion as he had become after winning the title.

The political clouds over his own country – Germany – now became part of his story. The new government of Adolf Hitler took an interest. Schmeling was the symbol of purity they liked and he was talked up. In New York which had a very prominent Jewish population the German symbol of the Nazi Party was put in against Max Baer who had a Jewish father. Baer pummelled Schmeling with the fight being stopped in the 10th. Schmeling, without having any allegiance to the Nazi Party had become the bad guy and they applauded his downfall.

In 1936 he came back over to New York and knocked out a young Joe Louis – this was the symbol and result that the Nazi Party lauded with pride and aplomb – white might was right. Schmeling had studiously done his homework and after sending the young Louis to the canvas in the 4th, he made the young American pay time and again before he knocked him out in the 12th.

That win put him in as the contender for Jim Braddock’s title but boxing being boxing, Louis skipped in, in front of him, fought Braddock and won the championship. The fight between the number 1 contender, Schmeling and the champion, Braddock had been slated but postponed due to an apparent injury to Braddock. Of course rumors abounded as to the political sensitivities that would be ignited should Schmeling get his hands back on the champion’s belt. Due to his previous victory over Louis the German government wasted no time in using that win as a propaganda coup. It was uncomfortable for Schmeling though he knew Hitler and had parades in his honor.

In 1938 he got his shot at regaining the championship as Louis announced he would face Schmeling and defend the title. The first fight between Schmeling and Louis had been a global event. It had pitched the pure white Aryan Prince against the black pretender. This was always going to be one of the biggest events of the late decade as it again pitched that white guy against the symbol of all that the Nazi’s claimed was inferior. People were afraid that Hitler and his cronies would hijack this event as they had already hijacked the Olympics in 1936 as some form of symbol of their superiority – and come up short. This time they were to come up short even more spectacularly at the Yankee Stadium. Joe Louis won – in the very first round!

It was devastating to the regime but in 1975, Schmeling had a very interesting view of it all, “Looking back, I’m almost happy I lost that fight. Just imagine if I would have come back to Germany with a victory. I had nothing to do with the Nazis, but they would have given me a medal. After the war, I might have been considered a war criminal.”

Within the year the storm clouds over Europe were turning into thunder on the ground as countries went to war with each other and the world was engulfed in a battle for the next 6 years that was to devastate entire nations. Schmeling did his patriotic duty and served his country as an elite paratrooper in the Luftwaffe though was invalided out of active service due to being wounded.

He fought 5 more times – from 1947 till his retirement one year later. He was to become a friend of Joe Louis in later years which helped his reputation. The friendship ended in 1981 when Louis passed. Later on, it was revealed that Schmeling had helped save the lives of 2 Jewish children in 1938, at great risk to himself.

Schmeling died in 2005 aged 99 years old. His legacy is as bound up with prejudice as it is with ignorance. Schmeling was a hero to the wrong people until he became human. Then he simply became a boxer. It is as the boxer who fought so bravely and so well that his legacy should be bound and not as the piggy backed symbol of an authoritarian pipe dream that should always be doomed to failure.

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