- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMaximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling
- Nickname
- The Black Uhlan
- Height6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
- Schmeling was seriously wounded in WW2 when he took part in the attack against Crete in 1941 as a parachutist and spent the rest of the war in a hospital. After the war he became the head of the Coca Cola company in Germany.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpouseAnny Ondra(July 6, 1933 - February 28, 1987) (her death)
- Although Schmeling was the German heavyweight champ during the height of the Nazi regime, he never joined the Nazi party. In fact, he risked his own life hiding Jews in his own apartment from the Nazis.
- Despite being used as a political tool by the German regime in the 1930s he fought hard against the Nazi party, and managed to save several Jewish friends from the Nazis during World War II. Over the years, Schmeling greatly treasured his friendship with his most famous rival in the ring - Joe Louis - and quietly gave the down-and-out American gifts of money in later years. He also paid for Louis' funeral in 1981.
- World heavyweight boxing champion, 1930-1932. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991.
- On June 19, 1936, after rain postponed the fight a day, the undefeated Joe Louis was knocked out by Schmeling. In a 1938 rematch, Louis defeated Schmeling in one round (knockout).
- Maintained a lifelong friendship with his old ring rival Joe Louis.
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