Heavyweight legend Schmeling dies

[Bombardier]

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 ****s 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 ****sm, 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.

[Bombardier]

Schmeling had a ***ish manager and hid ***ish children in his apartment. He stayed loyal to Germany only because he grew up there, but he hated the **** 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 ****sm, 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 ****sm didn't last long.

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

[Rcar]

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

[AintGottaClue]

i think he kinda summed up that he wasnt a **** with that one lien he said to a reporter i think it was " if i had dinner with rosevelt that doesnt make me a ********" 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.

[Bombardier]

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.

[Slipx]

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


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

[riz]

The Late Max Schmeling

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 **** regime and rejected their demand to divorce from his Czech wife and to split from his ***ish 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."

[TysonForeman]

Max Schmeling Died

99 years old...

[Nautilus]

Do you think he went to heaven or hell?

What do you think?

[phallus]

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 ****s' 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