A TRIBUTE TO MAX SCHMELING
By Melanie Lloyd

One of my favourite fighters of the past is Max Schmeling.  His story has always fascinated me.  Max died at the age of 99, and was the oldest surviving World Heavyweight Champion - a title befitting the man.

Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling was born on 28^th September 1905 in Klein-Luckow, near Berlin.  Because of his nationality, the timing of his birth and world politics, Max was destined to become one of the misunderstood sportsmen of all time.  Not only did he face some of the finest heavyweights in history, but the scornful reaction of a world taken in by the Nazi propaganda machine.

When the boy became a man, Max stood over six foot tall and, as a heavyweight, weighed in at around 195 pounds (nearly 14 stone).  His dark hair, dusky looks and haunting deep-set eyes, together with his rather shy smile, projected a distinctive kind of charm.  He bore a striking resemblance to Jack Dempsey, and these two would become good friends, occasionally known to play practical jokes on an unsuspecting public.  Their favourite prank was to appear together, dressed identically.

It was perhaps no great surprise then that Max’s love affair with boxing began when, as a young boy, he saw Dempsey’s fight with Georges Carpentier at the cinema.  Max was so enchanted that he returned every night that week, eventually persuading his father to accompany him.  Seeing his son’s heartfelt enthusiasm, Max’s father agreed that he take boxing lessons, and Max wasted no time in procuring a pair of second-hand gloves, which he hung over his bed.  But little was Max or his father to know that he would eventually become World Heavyweight Champion during a professional career that comprised 70 fights, 56 wins (38 by stoppage).

As an amateur, Max reached the finals of the West German Light-Heavyweight division in 1924.  Arthur Bűlow, editor of the Boxsport magazine, was present at ringside and was so impressed by the 19 year old that he became Max’s advisor.  Max soon signed with manager, Hugo Abels.  His first professional fight was in August 1924 at light-heavyweight and he stopped heavily favoured Jean Czapp in six rounds in Dusseldorf.  By the end of the year, Max had taken ten fights, his only loss being to heavy hitting Max Dieckmann, a score that Max would go on to settle.  In 1925 he had ten more fights, his big right hand rapidly becoming his trademark punch.

As a sideline from the boxing, Max and Hugo Abels went into the ice-cream business.  However, their partnership was destined to be a brief one.  Shortly after they began trading, Max became acquainted with Kate Sandwina of the Busch Circus, who was billed as ‘The World’s Strongest Woman’.  He started teaching Kate’s son to box and went off with the circus for a month.  When Max returned to Cologne, Abels had sold the business behind his back, so Max left him and Arthur Bűlow became his manager. 

Max spent the summer of 1926 in Berlin, where he met his new trainer, Max Machon, a relationship that was to stand the test of time.  In July 1926, Max scored a first round knockout over August Vengehr.  Two months later, he stopped Max Dieckmann in 30 seconds for the German Light-Heavyweight Title.  That week, Boxsport opened with glowing accolades of the victory.  A star was born.

Max Schmeling

Max had ten fights during the next ten months, winning them all, eight by knockout.  In June 1927 he became the first German to win the European Light-Heavyweight Title, stopping Belgian, Fernand Delarge, in the fourteenth round.  After the Delarge victory, Max sailed to London to see Mickey Walker fight Tommy Milligan.  As he passed through the turnstile, an usher tipped his hat and said, “Pass through, Mr. Dempsey.”  This was the first time that Max had genuinely been mistaken for Jack Dempsey and he loved it.

Max’s career continued to flourish and, in January 1928, he stopped Michele Bonaglia of Italy in one round.  As the count finished, the ecstatic crowd at the Berlin Sports Palace leapt to its feet and sang the German National Anthem.  Max stood to attention and glowed with pride.  But along with his newfound fame and popularity came many invitations from the German ‘in crowd’.  Max was initially quite shy of his new, exotic friends.  He knew so little of their glamorous world.  But gradually, he formed close friendships with a colourful bunch of artists, sculptors, writers, racing drivers and actors.  They were a happy go lucky crowd and Max began to succumb to hedonistic alternatives to early nights and rigorous training.  He paid the price in February 1928, when he was knocked out in one round by the British fighter and previous points victim, Gypsy Daniels. 

Max decided to move up to heavyweight and, in April 1928, he fought Franz Diener in Berlin for the German Heavyweight Title.  This time, he stepped through the ropes in immaculate physical and mental condition to score a clear 15 round points win.  But victory came at great cost.  Max’s left thumb had been fractured during the first round and the bone had splintered.  The doctors forbade him to defend his titles.  The German media turned on their champion viciously, claiming he was unwilling to fight, calling him arrogant.  In May 1928, the boxing authorities stripped Max of his title for failure to defend.  The following day, Max headed for New York.

First impressions of America would remain with Max always.  As the massive liner, New York, reached the harbour, swarms of reporters enveloped the decks, eager to discover any celebrities onboard.  Passing ships blasted their sirens in welcome.  Crowds waved and shouted greetings from the shore.  Max and Arthur Bűlow took a room at the Hotel Ransby, which Max was delighted to discover had previously been occupied by both Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney.  Bűlow was convinced that Max would be in great demand in America and decided they should play the waiting game.  But New York was flooded with European fighters, none of whom had impressed against the tough American opposition.  The phone remained ominously silent.  Meanwhile, back in Germany, the media sustained their attack on Max, demanding that he have a rematch with Franz Diener.  Max’s hand was still causing him a lot of pain and Bűlow remained adamant that they should sit and wait.  Finances began to dwindle and the pair were forced to vacate their room at the Ransby, moving into a cheap waterside bungalow.

These were hard times for the two Germans abroad.  At his darkest hour, Max met a wonderful lady called Madame Bey, who ran a famous training camp in New Jersey.  She immediately realised that Max’s damaged hand urgently needed treatment and arranged for him to have an operation.  It was through Madame Bey that Max met Joe Jacobs, a short, vivacious American-Jewish gentleman with a penchant for huge cigars.  Max was getting frustrated with Arthur Bűlow’s inactivity and, when Jacobs expressed an interest in becoming his manager, he readily agreed.  Jacobs, convinced that his new find was something truly special, worked for no fee until Arthur Bűlow’s contract ended.  Despite coming from different worlds, their fighter/manager relationship always remained solid and their friendship lasted until the day Joe died.

Joe Jacobs

When Max knocked out Joe Monte at Madison Square Garden in November 1928, fight promoter, Tex Rickard, was sitting at ringside and leapt to his feet as Monte went down, yelling “What a right hand!”  The next morning, Rickard’s phrase was splashed across every newspaper in America.  Joe Jacobs wasted no time in capitalising with a relentless publicity campaign, naming his new fighter ‘The Black Ulan’, Max’s raven hair and brooding looks carrying it off to perfection.  Jacobs arranged endless visits to schools and hospitals, and exploited Max’s startling resemblance to Jack Dempsey at every opportunity.

In January 1929 Max fought Joe Sykra.  At one point during the fight, Sykra went down and did not look as if he was going to make the count.  Max instinctively rushed over to help him to his feet.  Max eventually won the fight on points, but his earlier compassion won him the heart of the Madison Square Garden crowd.  18 days later, he knocked out Italian-American, Pietro Corri, in 59 seconds.  Next came his biggest fight yet.  He stopped Johnny Risko, who had never been down and had just beaten Max Baer. 

After beating Risko, Max returned to Germany where he was welcomed home with open arms.  Cheering crowds and reception committees greeted him everywhere he went.  The German Boxing Commission could not reinstate his titles fast enough.  But Max had not forgotten his homeland’s earlier rejection, accepting her renewed warmth cautiously.  While he enjoyed a short break from the ring, Max was persuaded, much against his better judgment, to appear in the film Love in the Ring which was originally planned to be a silent movie.  To Max’s utter horror, plans changed and he even had to sing a song!

On a much darker note, Adolf Hitler’s influence had begun to impact upon Germany.  But the rest of the world still believed he was nothing more than a madman, no real threat to anybody.  Only the ethnic minorities who remained trapped in Germany were becoming horribly aware of the catastrophic truth.

Meanwhile, in America the reining World Heavyweight Champion, Gene Tunney, had decided to retire.  Boxing needed a new Heavyweight Champion and the search began in earnest.  Max, for his part in the elimination process, was to fight Paolino Uzcudun of Spain.  Once again, Max set sail for America.  In June 1929 he beat Uzcudun on points before a Yankee Stadium crowd of 40,000.  By the end of 1929 Ring Magazine ranked Max next in line to Jack Sharkey, the leading heavyweight contender and one tough customer.  Max’s camp were led to believe that the Uzcudun victory automatically entitled him to a fight with Sharkey for the World Title, but the New York Boxing Commission had other ideas.  Max was informed that, before he got his chance with Sharkey, he must first fight Phil Scott of England.  Max refused and the Commission tried to force the issue by suspending his licence.  Max decided to return to Germany, telling the Commission  “If I stay and give in, I’ll become your puppet.”  Joe Jacobs immediately flew into action with an extremely vocal publicity campaign, which he labelled ‘Bring Max over’, leaving little clouds of cigar smoke behind him like calling cards everywhere he went.  The Commission rapidly relented, declaring that Max should fight Sharkey straightaway.  Together, Max and Joe had won this battle.  Now, Max must win his fight with Sharkey to become World Heavyweight Champion.  It was scheduled for 12^th June 1930 at the Yankee Stadium.

Sharkey was known for flying into a rage during a fight, which drew the crowds.  As the date approached, both boxers had a lot of fun with the publicity machine, each striving to come up with the worst insults and greatest boasts.  Then, the night that Max had been working for finally arrived.  Thousands of fans queued up all night outside the stadium for tickets.  Many were turned away.  Private aeroplanes were chartered to carry the rich and famous to ringside seats.  When the fighters entered the ring, a crowd of almost 80,000 erupted into a thunderous greeting, many of them waving lit matches and lighters.  Battle commenced.  Sharkey won the first three rounds, and in the forth Max came out on the attack.  Then Sharkey’s famous temper got the better of him and he landed a desperate low blow.  Max crumpled to the canvas in agony.  Screams of “Foul!” from the German corner pierced the air as their man lay shattered.  The count reached six and the bell went.  As Joe Jacobs stood in the centre of the ring, arguing furiously with Sharkey’s manager, the massive crowd suddenly became silent.  Then referee, Jim Crowley, announced that Sharkey had been disqualified.  Max Schmeling had become the first fighter to win the World Heavyweight Championship on a foul.  Max had to be held up by his corner-men for Crowley to raise his hand. 

Despite achieving his dream, Max was devastated at the way it came to him, firmly believing that he could have won the fight fair and square.  The nature of his victory, coupled with his nationality (the first non-American to become king of the heavyweights since Tommy Burns, 20 years earlier), made him an unpopular champion.  He returned to Germany, only to find cold comfort.  The German media had turned on him once again, ridiculing the fact that he won the title on a foul.  At a time when Max should have been as high as a kite, he became deeply depressed and locked himself away in a flat in Berlin, agreeing to see only his closest friends.

One night, a good pal persuaded the dejected champion out of his reclusive shell.  They took a trip to the cinema to see the new big film in Germany, The Girl from Rummelplatz.  The film’s leading lady, Anny Ondra, just happened to be Max’s next door neighbour and, by the time the film was over, our hero had fallen deeply in love with the girl next door.  Max was far too shy to approach Anny himself, so he persuaded his friend, boxing promoter, Paul Damski, to call on her on his behalf.  Damski explained “Herr Schmeling may be the World Champion, but he’s too scared to approach you himself.”  Anny laughingly agreed to meet Max the next day for afternoon tea, which happened to be his birthday.  Every day after that, Max left a bouquet of flowers on the bonnet of Anny’s Blue Cadillac before embarking on his morning run.  For the record, Paul Damski would later be forced to flee Germany because he was Jewish.  The German papers continued to berate Max’s World Title win.  The first time he attended a boxing evening with Anny, he suffered the acute humiliation of being booed by the crowd, right before the eyes of his new love.

In 1931 the New York Boxing Commission ordered that Max fight ‘The Georgia Peach’, William ‘Young’ Stribling, a man who began his remarkable boxing career at bantamweight and fought his way to heavyweight through every division.  Stribling had notched up over 270 fights, knocking out 126 of his opponents, the highest stoppage record next to that of Archie Moore.  The fight was scheduled for 3^rd July 1931.  Max set up training camp in Cleveland and every evening, at exactly the same time, a light aircraft would appear, circle the camp a few times and perform an array of daring airborne antics, before disappearing into the distance.  The pilot was one ‘Young’ Stribling.  From the first bell it was a tremendously tough fight and, in the very last minute, Max scored a sensational knockout.  When the count was over, Max gently lifted Stribling from the canvas to carry him to his corner.  Tragically, William ‘Young’ Stribling died a few months later in a motorcycle accident.  His wife was giving birth, and he was on his way to her when he crashed the bike.  He was 28 years old.

A rematch with Jack Sharkey was scheduled for 21^st June 1932.  A new stadium was built for the fight in New York, and all 70,000 seats were sold.  The fight went the distance and almost everybody present believed that Max had won.  But, to the disbelief of the crowd and media present, Max lost his World Title almost as controversially as he had won it.  As Sharkey was announced the new World Heavyweight Champion, Joe Jacobs jumped into the ring and indignantly declared “We wuz robbed!”  Max sportingly congratulated Sharkey, even managing to crack a smile.  Years later, ‘Gunboat’ Smith, who refereed the fight, admitted “I knew the best man lost.”

Max Schmeling and Joe Louis weigh in for their rematch

Max next fought in September 1932.  He traded punches with Mickey Walker, the top heavyweight contender.  Max was taller, heavier and younger than the American, and knocked him down in the first minute of the first round, and several times after that.  His repeated appeals to the referee to stop the fight were ignored, until Walker was unable to come out for the ninth round.  Max returned to his homeland to propose to Anny, who happily accepted.

Max soon saw that Germany was a rapidly changing place where another fight was breaking out, and the big money was on the Brown Shirts.  There was no referee to monitor the intimidation, the bloody street battles and the lynchings.  On 30^th January 1933, Reich President von Hindenburg named Adolf Hitler to the office of Reich Chancellor.  A few months later, Max was dining out with friends.  An SA Officer entered the restaurant and declared that Adolf Hitler had ordered Max Schmeling’s presence for dinner.  Max explained that he had already eaten, but would gladly meet with the Fűhrer and left with the Officer.  They arrived at the Chancellery and Hitler, surrounded by many of his cabinet ministers, deftly steered the conversation to America, telling Max “If anyone over there asks how it’s going in Germany, you can reassure the doomsayers that everything is moving along quite peacefully.”

Max had just one fight in 1933.  He returned to America to take on ‘The Clown Prince’, Max Baer, in June.  The notorious American playboy was in a seriously dangerous mood that night.  Max had no chance, referee Arthur Donovan stopping the fight in the tenth round.  A month later, Max and Anny got married.  At their wedding ceremony, it suddenly became painfully clear how many of their Jewish friends were no longer around.  Hitler made his presence strongly felt by presenting the happy couple with a Japanese Maple as a wedding gift.  At the same time, Anny’s film producing company was being forced into liquidation because she had Jewish and Czech business partners.

In February 1934 Max suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Steve ‘Hurricane’ Hamas in Philadelphia.  Hamas was considered to be mediocre opposition and, on the back of the Baer defeat, things were looking bleak.  Four months later, he was awarded a draw against Paolino Uzcudun in Barcelona.  Many of Paolino’s staunch supporters believed that Max had done enough to win and the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia declared “There can be no more decisions like this one, which hurts the prestige of Paolino, Spain, and the sport of boxing.

Back in America, Jack Sharkey had lost his title to Primo Carnera.  Max Baer had taken it off Carnera and a strong young contender named Walter Neusel was baying at the door.  Neusel was managed by Paul Damski (Max and Anny’s matchmaker), and had won a serious of hard fought victories in America.  The scene was set for ‘The Black Ulan’ and ‘The German Tiger’ to do battle.  The fight took place in Hamburg in August 1934, before a crowd of 90,000.  Damski could not be in Germany with Neusel for the fight for fear of being arrested by the Gestapo.  It was a ferocious fight and Max stopped Neusel in the ninth round.  Back in the USA, Max Baer lost his title in a surprise defeat to James Braddock.  However, the latest big boxing name was a young black man called Joe Louis.

In March 1935 Max fought a rematch with Steve Hamas in Hamburg.  A few days before the fight, Joe Jacobs arrived in Germany.  When Jacobs reached the hotel, the desk clerk refused him admission, explaining that Jews could not be accommodated.  Max was called to the scene and, at first, thought his booking had been overlooked.  Slowly the real reason for the clerk’s attitude dawned on him, and fury set in.  “You mean you can’t give him a room because he is a Jew?  You don’t know who Herr Jacobs is!  When this shows up in the New York papers, then you have seen your last American guest, and you can be sure that my guests will never stay here again.”  The terrified clerk decided that Jacobs should have his room after all.  A few days later Max knocked Hamas out in the ninth round. 

When the fight was over, 25,000 fans stood and sang the German National Anthem, raising their arms in the Nazi salute.  Then Joe Jacobs did something that insulted the Third Reich deeply and for all time.  He leapt into the ring and, bemused by the sea of raised arms all around him, he got carried away with the moment and raised his own arm, with the ever-present cigar between his two fingers.  Photographs of the image were published all over the world.  Max was immediately summoned to the office of the Reich Minister of Sports, Hans Tschammer, who angrily demanded that Jacobs be dismissed.  Max remained calm while Tschammer repeatedly questioned his loyalty to the Third Reich.  A few days after the interview, Max received an official letter from the Reich Ministry, demanding that he sever all contact with Jacobs.  Max never replied.  He sought and was granted a meeting with Adolf Hitler to request official permission to continue his association with Jacobs.  He reasoned, “I really need Joe Jacobs.  I owe all my success in America to him.”  Hitler was furious that Max had dared to mention a Jew in a favourable light in his presence.  From that moment, Max began to make some dangerous enemies at the Reich offices.  In April 1935 it was reported in the New York Times:  “The refusal of Max Schmeling and Walter Neusel, after years of warning, to discharge their Jewish managers ‘in the interests of Germanhood’, has angered the Nazi newspaper, the Fraenkische Tageszeitung.   The paper particularly scores Joe Jacobs, Schmeling’s American manager, for recently giving the Nazi salute with a smoking cigar between the fingers of the saluting hand.”

Max Schmeling [right] with wife Anny

Max’s next fight was the performance that many people remember him for.  It was the first of two with Joe Louis, which angered Hitler even more.  The dictator did not believe that Max had a chance against Louis, and felt it unthinkable that a prominent German citizen should lose to a Negro.  As Max returned to America to prepare for the fight, few gave him a hope of winning.  One young reporter named Bill Farnsworth spoke in Max’s favour, maintaining that Louis was over trained.  Another person who amused everybody with her prediction that Max would win by knockout was Marlene Dietrich.  The odds crept up in Louis’ favour, but Max was not listening.  He studied Louis’ fight films over and over again.  His diligence was rewarded with the discovery of a vital flaw in Louis’ style.  When ‘The Brown Bomber’ threw his short, devastatingly powerful left hook, he would drop his glove for a fraction of a second, leaving him open to a right cross over the top, which just happened to be Max’s best punch.  Max appeared enigmatic and somewhat amused as he declared at the pre-fight press conference “I saw something.”  When he was quizzed by the reporters about what it was he had seen, he smilingly refused to elaborate.

On 19^th June 1936 at the Yankee Stadium, before a crowd of 45,000, Max Schmeling did the unbelievable.  He stopped Joe Louis in the twelfth round.  There have been many great upsets in boxing over the years, but this was one of the biggest ever.  Max’s plan worked to perfection, his right hand finding its target over and over again.  Louis, the younger man by 11 years, gave the German plenty of trouble along the way.  Max got the shock of his life when he felt Louis’ power for the first time, but he kept catching Lewis with that right hand and the younger man seemed out on his feet several times. 

However, Louis defiantly refused to cave in.  Max floored him for the second and last time in the twelfth round.  When Louis fell to the canvas, his face was a picture of bewilderment.  As referee, Arthur Donovan, counted the fallen Louis out, Max raced over to help carry him to his stool.  Max Schmeling had become the first man to beat Joe Louis.  The Daily Telegraph reported that the blow by blow of the fight on the radio was so exciting that “12 people died while listening to it.”

Max returned home to find himself, not unsurprisingly, back in favour with the German public.  Hitler declared to the world that he always knew Max Schmeling would beat the Negro, Joe Louis.  With those words, the Fűhrer made Max as much a victim of the Nazi regime as anybody.  All over the world his name became tarnished.  He was branded a Nazi and a fascist.  Max, however, was always prepared to speak his mind.  He gave post-fight interviews praising Louis, calling him a great boxer and declaring the fight the hardest of his career.

As a result of the Louis victory, Max was lined up to fight World Champion, Jim Braddock.  The contract was signed and the date set for June 1937.  During his training Max received a visit from Gene Tunney, who warned him “Be ready for anything, Max.  You don’t know what’s possible in this country.”  The former World Heavyweight Champion turned out to be right.  Joe Louis’ managers offered Braddock a staggering deal to renege on his contract with Max and fight Louis instead.  The money making machine had its way, and Max was blatantly sidestepped.  In protest, Max turned up alone to weigh in for the fight that would never happen, but nobody cared.  They had what they wanted. 

A day later, Max was scheduled to make a coast to coast radio broadcast, but it was blocked by the Boxing Commission, afraid that Max’s opinion of them might be too brutally close to the truth.  They offered him a substitute speech, which he adamantly refused.  As a concessionary gesture, they fined Braddock $1,000; small change, when one considers that the contract he had signed to fight Louis was worth almost $300,000, plus ten percent of the profits from Joe Louis’ future fights.  Max had lost $25,000 in travelling and training expenses.  To add insult to injury, Louis’ managers capitalised on the fact the Max was from Nazi Germany, stating that public opinion would not tolerate the fight.  Louis knocked Braddock out in the eighth round to become the next Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Max knew that his boxing days could not last forever and he and Anny found distraction from a world that raged around them by planning their future, investing in a farm.  Their new neighbours were the Thoraks, a sculptor named Josef and his Jewish wife.  Under the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 that prohibited a German citizen from collaborating with a Jew, Frau Thorak had been ordered to leave her home.  One night, the Gestapo surrounded the house.  The next day Max paid a visit to the Reich Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Geobbels, urging him to show leniency to Frau Thorak.  Geobbels was initially reluctant to listen, but Max persisted with his appeal and Frau Thorak was allowed to remain free and live in her hometown, in return for her assurance that she would, in future, obey the law and have no further contact with her husband.  Josef Thorak later separated from his wife permanently and became an official sculptor for the Third Reich.

Max had one more fight in mind, a rematch with Joe Louis, and he would happily retire from boxing forever.  It happened on 22^nd June 1938.  The reception Max received as he sailed into New York Harbour aboard The Bremen broke his heart.  Crowds of demonstrators waved signs and shouted anti-Nazi slogans.  Throughout his stay, he was taunted, insulted, and received mountains of hate mail.  He could not believe that America, the country he had come to consider his second home, could treat him in this way.  Louis, on the other hand, was put across as a symbol of the American way.  A syndicated statement was released on Louis’ behalf the day before the fight, which read “Tonight, I not only fight the battle of my life to revenge the lone blot on my record, but I fight for America against the challenge of a foreign invader, Max Schmeling.  This isn’t just one man against another or Joe Louis boxing Max Schmeling:  it’s the good old USA versus Germany.”  They were ironic words to put into Joe’s mouth when you consider that, in ‘the good old USA’, Louis was a second-class citizen.  The night before the fight a telegram arrived from Hitler to Max, addressing him as “The New Heavyweight Champion of the World.”

When fight night arrived, Joe Jacobs was forbidden to see his charge.  Max sat and waited in his dressing room to be called to the ring, completely alone.  On his way through the arena, many of the crowd of 75,000 hurled abuse and pelted him with missiles.  Louis paced the ring like a caged panther, shrugging off his robe angrily as if he truly had a personal score to settle here tonight.  The fight lasted just 124 seconds, during which time Max’s vertebrae was broken in two places.  As the carnage was taking place, Max Machon jumped into the ring, screaming “I’m not letting my man get beaten to death.”  The fight was stopped.  Max dragged himself across to Louis’ corner, smiling bravely as he shook the Champion’s hand.  Then he collapsed.  Max was taken directly to hospital, where he stayed for some time.  He received few visitors.  Joe Louis tried, but he was turned away.  Anny was desperate to be at her husband’s side but, afraid of the reception that she might receive from the American people, Max forbade her to come to him, insisting that she remain in Germany.  He returned to her three months later on a stretcher.

In July 1939 Max stepped back into the ring to knock out Adolph Heuser in one round and become European Heavyweight Champion.  Two months later war broke out in Europe.  Max was conscripted into a paratrooper regiment, which was a big shock to him because entertainers, sports personalities and men over 35 were not being called.  His ‘old friends’ at the Reich Ministry of Sport had engineered his calling.  A few days later, Max was told that Joe Jacobs had died of a heart attack.  Jacobs was 41 years old.

Joe Louis [left] and Schmeling [right] years after their epic battles

Germany invaded Greece in 1941.  A few weeks later the German army launched a massive airborne assault on the island of Crete.  Max’s unit took part in the nighttime parachute drop and he landed awkwardly.  In agony and under heavy gunfire, he managed to crawl forward, passing out many times from the pain on the way.  Miraculously, he found his unit the next day.  When he had recovered sufficiently to walk with two canes, he was commanded to escort an injured British prisoner to a different base.  He was ordered not to speak to the Englishman during the journey but, as soon as the pair were out of sight of the command post, they wordlessly linked arms for support.  The English soldier recognised Max, and explained that he came from Brighton and he was a friend of the Welsh Heavyweight, Tommy Farr.

A few months later, Max attracted the further wrath of the Reich.  He gave an interview to journalist, Bill Flannery, telling the Americans that he had no problems with the way the British soldiers had conducted themselves during the war.  Goebbels was furious and ordered a military court summons be issued.  Max was arrested and interrogated for hours.  The case against him was never progressed, but Goebbels issued the order that the German press must never again print the name Max Schmeling.   The Reich Ministry of Sports banned him from having a rematch with Walter Neusel, and Max decided to relinquish his European Title, announcing that he boxing career was over.

Three and a half years after he had been drafted into the paratroopers, Max was discharged.  He returned to his farm to be with Anny.  Their estate was situated far from most of the bombing and the couple took in many of their friends’ children to keep them safe.  For a while, their home was full of the sounds of laughter and children playing.

In 1945 the Nazi regime collapsed totally as Russian troops marched through Germany.  Max and Anny were forced to flee, virtually in the clothes they stood up in, knowing their home was gone forever.  They made their way to Hamburg where Max set up a publishing company with two old friends, John Jahr and Axel Springer.  While they awaited a licence, Max gave an interview to the Daily Express, stating that he fully expected to receive a publishing licence from the Military Government.  He was arrested immediately for ‘making a false statement regarding a member of the Ministry Government’.  He spent the next few weeks in jail until the case was heard and he was freed.  Soon afterwards, he was arrested again, this time because he had acquired a property without applying for a building permit.  He was heavily fined and sentenced to three months in prison, every day of which he served.  Stripped of their property and most of their money, Max took on some referring work to keep the wolf from the door, but he soon realised that the only way he was going to make any serious money was as a fighter.  He travelled to Berlin and persuaded Max Machon, who was initially strongly against the idea, to train him.

Max in his nineties

On 28^th September 1947, his 42^nd birthday, Max Schmeling stepped through the ropes for the first time in eight years to stop Werner Vollmer in seven rounds.  He had four more fights, including a points defeat at the hands of old foe, Walter Neusel.  Max’s last fight took place in Berlin against Richard Vogt on 31^st October 1948.  He lost a points decision and announced his retirement from boxing while he waited for the verdict.  This time, there would be no going back.  The money from those comeback fights was enough to buy a piece of land in Hollenstedt, where Max lived until the day he died.  Also, in a perfectly timed business move, he got in on the ground floor of the European launch of a new soft drink called Coca-Cola.  He went on to become president of the company.

In 1954 Max returned to America.  His first stop was a Jewish cemetery in New York to pay his quiet respects at the graveside of his old mentor and friend, Joe Jacobs.  Then he travelled to Chicago to visit another old friend, Joe Louis.  The moment these two wonderful warriors came face to face, they warmly embraced.  Max had never forgotten Joe Louis.  Years after their fights, when Joe had become very down on his luck, Max regularly and privately gave him gifts of money.  Indeed, when the Brown Bomber passed away in 1981, Max footed the bill for his funeral.

Max Schmeling passed away at his home in Hollenstedt on Wednesday, 2^nd February 2005, seven months short of his hundredth birthday.