Former world heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling has died at the age of 99, German sport news agency SID reported on Friday.
The German won the world championship over Jack Sharkey in 1930.

And his stunning knockout of Joe Louis in 1936 solidified his position as one of the greatest fighters of his era.

Schmeling was born on 28 September, 1905 in Klein Luckow, near Prenzlau, in what is now the Brandenburg state around Berlin.

Source: BBC

How sad :(

Im sorry to hear that.

i just found out like last year that he was still alive.

vaya con Dios.

That's a shame, but at least he lived a great full life with lots of great moments in it.

He left his mark in boxing and lived a long life.

Do you think he went to heaven or hell?

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling has died at the age of 99, German sport news agency SID reported on Friday.
The German won the world championship over Jack Sharkey in 1930.

And his stunning knockout of Joe Louis in 1936 solidified his position as one of the greatest fighters of his era.

Schmeling was born on 28 September, 1905 in Klein Luckow, near Prenzlau, in what is now the Brandenburg state around Berlin.

Source: BBC

indeed he was a great fighter
and his loss is a shame, but
come on guys he live until he was almost 100 years
old, tell me how many pro boxers do that?
dont you consider him very lucky to have lived this long?

Rest In Peace

Do you think he went to heaven or hell?

LOL - u stupid dude, no one here knows how or can assume how he lived his life in front of Gods eyes.

To bad.

He had a long life and a great career.

I guess he goes to heaven.

Boxing heaven i would suppose

indeed he was a great fighter
and his loss is a shame, but
come on guys he live until he was almost 100 years
old, tell me how many pro boxers do that?
dont you consider him very lucky to have lived this long?

Rest In Peace

And he was able to keep his mental faculties. He also built a fortune after he retired and helped out Joe, who struggled in that respect, with money from time to time. Seems like he was a great guy.

Max was a tremendous boxer who in his later years was an ambassador for the sport and helped out Louis quite abit.

I have a serious question for you(not trying to be funny) Did he not support the Nazi party and stood silent during the holocuast? Stood proud with Hitler? I don't remember exactly the history and would have to research..but that is what my memory tells me. I need Jabs or dempseyfire to clarify...or another historian.

That really sucks but 99 is a long life. I heard he was a racist, but I don't want to bad mouth a guy on a day of mourning.

I don't think he was a Nazi supporter. I think Hitler wanted his victory over Louis to be portrayed as a Nazi victory though. I can't say I blame him for not going against Hitler in that regard though.

I heard he was a racist

nah, Schmeling was a good guy

I don't think he was a Nazi supporter. I think Hitler wanted his victory over Louis to be portrayed as a Nazi victory though. I can't say I blame him for not going against Hitler in that regard though.

I agree. Think about what would have happened. And once he lost they were like "Who is Max Schmeling?" I am also not sure whether or not he was a Nazi supporter but I watched a couple of documentaries over the years and they didn't seem to prtray him as a proponent but more like a pawn. They also used Joe as America's champion, a title Joe wasn't comfortable with. Especially considering that he couldn't even vote.

The whole issue with Schmeling and Nazism is contentious. After Schmeling defeated Louis in their first bout Hitler declared him a hero and made him one of Germany's elite citizens. He even had dinner with him. Schmeling claimed all along that he did not support Hitler or Nazism, and that he acted as a hero of the Third Reich because bascially he did not have any choice.

Whether you accept this or not is up to you. There's no doubting that he did a lot of good after he retired and after the Reich had fallen. The fact that he was such good friends with Louis seems to indicate that he did not support the Nazis' theories on racial segregation and superiority...Louis certainly would not have been friends with him if he had.

Thing is you still might crticize him for "standing silent" while the Nazis committed their horrors...again, this is a difficult issue. How much could one man say or do, especially while living under a fascist regime that could do away with him qutie easily if he spoke out? Maybe he was just worried about surviving. Hard to say.

The whole issue with Schmeling and Nazism is contentious. After Schmeling defeated Louis in their first bout Hitler declared him a hero and made him one of Germany's elite citizens. He even had dinner with him. Schmeling claimed all along that he did not support Hitler or Nazism, and that he acted as a hero of the Third Reich because bascially he did not have any choice.

Whether you accept this or not is up to you. There's no doubting that he did a lot of good after he retired and after the Reich had fallen. The fact that he was such good friends with Louis seems to indicate that he did not support the Nazis' theories on racial segregation and superiority...Louis certainly would not have been friends with him if he had.

Thing is you still might crticize him for "standing silent" while the Nazis committed their horrors...again, this is a difficult issue. How much could one man say or do, especially while living under a fascist regime that could do away with him qutie easily if he spoke out? Maybe he was just worried about surviving. Hard to say.

well said, I'm not judging him at all, I'm more curious as to the facts.

Schmeling had a Jewish manager and hid Jewish children in his apartment. He stayed loyal to Germany only because he grew up there, but he hated the Nazi ideology. I mean if Hitler asked you to dinner or to march in a parade of course you are going to do it. People who criticize Max for that haven't a clue as to how powerful Hitler really was. He didn't need a reason; the only law was the will of the Fuhrer. He would have you and your family executed for simply embarassing him, regardless of your celebrity status.

Schmeling was one hell of a guy based on everything I've read about him, and I've never heard that he was a racist. You may be thinking of Max Baer, who definitely said some racist stuff. I think many would be surprised at the amount of racism that passed as acceptable in those days.

I wish he could have made it to 100. As it stands, he survived longer than any other boxing champion.

well said, I'm not judging him at all, I'm more curious as to the facts.

Thanks. Unfortunately some of the crucial facts are hard to come by in this case. Thing is that if this wasn't about the Nazis most likely we wouldn't even be talking about this. A lot of athletes and other celebrities have had questionable opinions about troubling regimes...many Cuban celebrities say good things about Castro, or at least about the communist regime. Thing is that Nazism, along with Stalinism and the slave trade, are the most evil acts committed by humans in modern history (and arguably in history, period) and can't be taken at all lightly.

Schmeling had a Jewish manager and hid Jewish children in his apartment. He stayed loyal to Germany only because he grew up there, but he hated the Nazi ideology. I mean if Hitler asked you to dinner or to march in a parade of course you are going to do it. People who criticize Max for that haven't a clue as to how powerful Hitler really was. He didn't need a reason; the only law was the will of the Fuhrer. He would have you and your family executed for simply embarassing him, regardless of your celebrity status.

Schmeling was one hell of a guy based on everything I've read about him, and I've never heard that he was a racist. You may be thinking of Max Baer, who definitely said some racist stuff. I think many would be surprised at the amount of racism that passed as acceptable in those days.

I wish he could have made it to 100. As it stands, he survived longer than any other boxing champion.

Have you read Schmeling's book? I have it but haven't read it yet (a lot on my list right now).

I don't think people are questioning that, in the end, Schmleing rejected Nazism, but I think people question whether or not he at least considered it for a brief period in his life. Like I said in my previous post, it's not something that can be taken lightly, even if his acceptance of Nazism didn't last long.

What kind of stuff did Max Baer day, out of curiosity?

He was 99 at least you know he took care of himself, how many boxers lived to be 99?

i think he kinda summed up that he wasnt a nazi with that one lien he said to a reporter i think it was " if i had dinner with rosevelt that doesnt make me a democrat" probally not totaly right but close of enough. basically if i have dinner with hitler that doesnt make me a nzi is what he was trying to say ;). RIP to the only man who beat joe louis in his prime.

Interestingly, if Schmeling had better handlers he might have been heavyweight champion and Joe Louis might have been forgotten. After Schmleing beat Louis he was definitely deserving to fight champion James Braddock next, but Louis' managers were clever enough to secure a fight with Braddock for their man first. Braddock was a shaky champion, and Louis beat him easily. After that Louis had his confidence back and could knock down any challenger. If Schmleing had taken the crown first it might have been tough for Louis to beat him in a rematch, if one ever even took place.

damnit just two days ago I was going to get him to sign a picture of himself when he was like 25..guess I waited too long :mad:


may he rest in peace. he lived a great life...

boxing lost a true great, Max Schemeling
from www.*********.com

Max Schmeling dies at 99

February 4, 2005

By Florian Kalle

Two days ago, Max Schmeling lost the last fight of his life and died in his hometown Hollenstedt near Hamburg at the age of 99 years, after he caught a bad cold during the Christmas holidays and never recovered. He fell into coma 5 days ago and never woke up again.

Max Schmeling became heavyweight champ of the world after a disqualification win over Jack Sharkey on June, 12th, 1930. After knocking out "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis (06-19-36), Schmeling became famous all over the world. In September, when he celebrated his 99th birthday, he told the press, that he did everything to archieve his goal - to reach the 100.

Schmeling is still the only German ever to win a heavyweight world title. But he will not only be remembered as a great boxer, he was also as a great person who helped others everywhere he could. Although Hitler tried to use him for his propaganda-machine in the 1930s, Schmeling always kept a distance to the Nazi regime and rejected their demand to divorce from his Czech wife and to split from his Jewish manager. After WW2 (where Schmeling had to fight as a soldier and was seriously wounded), Schmeling bought a license to produce Coca Cola products for northern Germany and did very well as a business man too. Financially independent, he could even support his old rival Joe Louis. 20 years after their fights and without all the political propaganda in their counties, they became friends.

Even today, almost 70 years after his fights against Joe Louis, Schmeling is still one of the most famous people in Germany and finished sixth in a ranking of the greatest German sportsmen ever. His death left many people shocked:

Gerhard Schroeder, Chancellor of Germany: "Max Schmeling was an idol for generations of people. During his life, he was among the most famous and most popular sportsmen in our country. Not only because of his incredible success in boxing - being heavyweight champion of the world, the champion of all classes, he was a legend. But especially the person Max Schmeling was respected over the borders of Germany - For his fairness, his modesty and his irreproachability. He was a star, but he never felt like one."

Vitali Klitschko: "My brother Wladimir and I, we have lost a close friend. We are shocked. Max Schmeling was a mentor for us who always helped us with his valuable advice. He was an idol for us, also because of his life outside of the ring, especially his charity work."

Felix Sturm: "Max Schmeling was a great personality, someone who proved that boxing has to do with mind. He was a star over decades, a legend because he had the charisma of a fantastic sportsman and did many good things apart from sports."

Luan Krasniqi, European heavyweight champion: "This is a sad day for me. Max Schmeling was one of the greatest Germans at all. As a boxer, I am holding a title that he also fought for. I will keep Max in good remembrance. When I met him once, we talked about so many things, that the time flew by. He was a very smart and charming person.

Dariusz Michaelczewski: "I can't believe it. Max congratulated me, when I won my first world-title over 10 years ago, and sent me messages after my fights. I visited him a couple of time. His state of health was impressive for someone in his age. He was not only a famous boxer, but also known all over the world as a great person."

Manfred Wolke (former Coach of Axel Schulz and Henry Maske): "With Max Schmeling, one of the really great ones has left the stage of life. He was a man of the people, someone who made from the bottom to the top. In conversations, I learned that it was his goal to make the 100. It's a pity that he didn't make it.

Fritz Sdunek (coach of Vitali Klitschko and Dariusz Michaelczewski): "I am very sad to hear about his death. The German boxing scene and the sports scene all over the world has lost one of its greatest personalities. Schmeling was an idol for those in boxing who work hard, act fair and be a pattern outside of the ring."

99 years old...

Do you think he went to heaven or hell?


What do you think?

Whether you accept this or not is up to you. There's no doubting that he did a lot of good after he retired and after the Reich had fallen. The fact that he was such good friends with Louis seems to indicate that he did not support the Nazis' theories on racial segregation and superiority...Louis certainly would not have been friends with him if he had.


i think this shows great character from Schmeling, that he could be friends with Louis, not because of the racial issue but because Louis ****ed him up bad in the rematch - he broke Max's back vertebrae with his body punches. Max was a very forgiving guy in my eyes...So long Max

Max was a tremendous boxer who in his later years was an ambassador for the sport and helped out Louis quite abit.

I have a serious question for you(not trying to be funny) Did he not support the Nazi party and stood silent during the holocuast? Stood proud with Hitler? I don't remember exactly the history and would have to research..but that is what my memory tells me. I need Jabs or dempseyfire to clarify...or another historian.
I remember seeing a documentary about Schmelling, and in the course of an interview he was asked about his affiliation with Hitler. Apparently he turned down 2 dinner invitations from Hitler before finally deciding that he could no longer avoid it without insulting Hitler and putting his life at risk.
His response to whether or not he was a Nazi was one of the classic lines ever.

"I also ate with Roosevelt. That doesn't make me a Democrat."

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling has died at the age of 99, German sport news agency SID reported on Friday.
The German won the world championship over Jack Sharkey in 1930.

And his stunning knockout of Joe Louis in 1936 solidified his position as one of the greatest fighters of his era.

Schmeling was born on 28 September, 1905 in Klein Luckow, near Prenzlau, in what is now the Brandenburg state around Berlin.

Source: BBC
well he had a long life, not too many boxers who last that long...

He was a nazi and helped run auschwitz.

Have you read Schmeling's book? I have it but haven't read it yet (a lot on my list right now).

I don't think people are questioning that, in the end, Schmleing rejected Nazism, but I think people question whether or not he at least considered it for a brief period in his life. Like I said in my previous post, it's not something that can be taken lightly, even if his acceptance of Nazism didn't last long.

What kind of stuff did Max Baer day, out of curiosity?


When Joe Louis knocked him out, he got to one knee, but apparently decided not to get up. In the following press conference, one reporter who had picked up on this stated that he appeared to be able to get up but did not, and asked him why. Max replied "yes, I felt as if I could have gotten up, but before the last knockdown, there were five Joes fighting me, I tried to hit the one in the middle, but the other four just kept beating the hell out of me! When he knocked me down, I looked across the ring, and it looked like all of Harlem was in the ring, and I decied it would be best not to get up lol

He was a nazi and helped run auschwitz.


Are you serious? If you don't mind, where did you find this information? I've never heard that before.

He was a nazi and helped run auschwitz.

You're a bone head, are'nt you? :mad:

The first fighter to deal the brown bomber his first defeat must be a great fighter. I salute Max Schemeling for his greatness and may his soul repose into eternal rest.

Thanks for mentioning this, it would be sad to associate Schmelling with the Nazis. Also hitler wanted him to divorce from his Czech wife:
http://www.*********.com/*********_2/headlines//EEpZVFkFlpgQCZsjxo.html

The nazis tried to use him and he just managed to survive I think. but definitely not a racist

He was a nazi and helped run auschwitz.


VERY VERY BAD JOKE

VERY VERY BAD JOKE

That jerk stylepts2 is sick in the brain...nah, he got his head inside his ass!!!! :mad:

I remember seeing a documentary about Schmelling, and in the course of an interview he was asked about his affiliation with Hitler. Apparently he turned down 2 dinner invitations from Hitler before finally deciding that he could no longer avoid it without insulting Hitler and putting his life at risk.
His response to whether or not he was a Nazi was one of the classic lines ever.

"I also ate with Roosevelt. That doesn't make me a Democrat."

great quote..thanks

to tell you guys the truth he really wasn't that great of a boxer.

the only time he became champ was on a DQ..he's a ruiz style. in fact im pretty sure he went down purposely after realizing he was dealt a low shot, then just stayed down for the win. terry norris knows somethin bout that kinda win.

I have hella respect for the guy , but just because he died, I won't act like he was ali.

I have hella respect for the guy , but just because he died, I won't act like he was ali.

is anybody acting like he was Ali?

to tell you guys the truth he really wasn't that great of a boxer.Max was a boxer of decent skills in an era that had a lot of tough, strong heavyweights. He managed in one night to achieve a moment of greatness in knocking out Joe Louis.
"I see something" was what he said. Exploiting that something was what he did.

Most boxers never even reach that one moment of greatness where their performance excedes their inherint skills. The only one I can think of in recent history was Buster Douglas.

The reason that Max will be remembered as a great fighter was because of the way he carried himself outside the ring and the great things he did after his career was over. A lot of the spoiled, self-centered, egotistical pricks in the sport today could learn a lot from the boxers of Schmelling's era.
If they did, boxing would have a much broader following, rather than the mostly Jerry Springer audience types it has today.

Max was a boxer of decent skills in an era that had a lot of tough, strong heavyweights. He managed in one night to achieve a moment of greatness in knocking out Joe Louis.
"I see something" was what he said. Exploiting that something was what he did.

Most boxers never even reach that one moment of greatness where their performance excedes their inherint skills. The only one I can think of in recent history was Buster Douglas.

The reason that Max will be remembered as a great fighter was because of the way he carried himself outside the ring and the great things he did after his career was over. A lot of the spoiled, self-centered, egotistical pricks in the sport today could learn a lot from the boxers of Schmelling's era.
If they did, boxing would have a much broader following, rather than the mostly Jerry Springer audience types it has today.


Well said, couldn't agree more