Vintage boxing artwork
THE RING ALMANAC
THE RING ALMANAC
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Heavyweight · Golden Age (1920–1959)

Max Schmeling

"The Black Uhlan of the Rhine"

Top 100 · #83 · 54.7 points
56
Wins
10
Losses
4
Draws
39
KOs
70%
KO %
Born
1905
Died
2005
Nationality
Germany
Career
1924–1948

The only German heavyweight champion of the era, famous for his rivalry with Joe Louis.

Titles & Honours

Career Timeline

1924–1948
  1. Milestone

    First recorded professional bout

    vs Hans Czapp · W KO

    View fight record
  2. Milestone

    25th recorded win

    vs Stanley Glen · KO. Newspaper decisions excluded.

    View fight record
  3. Title history

    Title reign begins

    World Heavyweight Champion (1930–1932). Year from profile title history; exact title-winning bout not identified.

    View title / honour details
  4. Signature fight

    vs Jack Sharkey

    W DQ · Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

    View fight record
  5. Signature fight

    vs Mickey Walker

    W TKO · Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

    View fight record
  6. Signature fight

    vs Joe Louis

    W KO · Yankee Stadium, Bronx, U.S.. Archive selection: one of the first three wins over distinct fighters profiled here, not an expert-selected signature fight.

    View fight record
  7. Milestone

    50th recorded win

    vs Harry Thomas · TKO. Newspaper decisions excluded.

    View fight record
  8. Milestone

    Latest recorded bout

    vs Richard Vogt · L PTS. Not necessarily the retirement date.

    View fight record

Derived from the current archive and profile honours. Title-reign years are not exact bout dates; title claims are not independently verified. Signature fights use existing profile selections, or clearly labelled wins over other archived fighters when no selections exist. Year-only dates retain their original precision.

Photo Archive

Max Schmeling June 24, 1929 TIME Magazine
Max Schmeling June 24, 1929 TIME Magazine
Max Schmeling monument with sculptor Carsten Eggers and box-champions Henry Maske (l.)and Wladimir Klitschko (r.)after unveiling of the artwork in Germany
Max Schmeling monument with sculptor Carsten Eggers and box-champions Henry Maske (l.)and Wladimir Klitschko (r.)after unveiling of the artwork in Germany
LAS VEGAS, Nev. May 12--THAT'S THE ONE--Joe is, left, grabs the right fist of Max/Schmeling after the two former heavywieght boxing champions met Tuesday night in Las Vegas. It was Scheeling's right h
LAS VEGAS, Nev. May 12--THAT'S THE ONE--Joe is, left, grabs the right fist of Max/Schmeling after the two former heavywieght boxing champions met Tuesday night in Las Vegas. It was Scheeling's right h
Joe Louis looks for an opening during boxing match with Max Schmeling
Joe Louis looks for an opening during boxing match with Max Schmeling
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Die kirchliche Trauung des deutschen Ex
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Die kirchliche Trauung des deutschen Ex
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Triumpfsieg des deutschen Boxweltmeiste
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Triumpfsieg des deutschen Boxweltmeiste
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Der deutsche Europa-Schwergewichtsmeist
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Der deutsche Europa-Schwergewichtsmeist

7 archival photographs under their original licences.

Fight-by-Fight Record

DateResultOpponentMethodRoundVenue
1924-08-02WHans CzappKO6Tonhalle Düsseldorf , Düsseldorf , Germany
1924-09-19WHenri van der VyverKO3Bickendorfer Festhalle, Cologne , Germany
1924-09-20WWilly LouisKO1Duisburg , Germany
1924-10-04WRocky KnightPTS8Bickendorfer Festhalle, Cologne, Germany
1924-10-10LMax DiekmannRTD4Berlin Sportpalast , Berlin , Germany
1924-10-31WFred HammerKO3Bickendorfer Festhalle, Cologne, Germany
1924-12-04WHans BreuerKO2Colonia-Haus, Cologne, Germany
1924-12-07WBattling MatharKO3Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
1924-12-17WRichard HartigKO1Saalbau Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
1924-12-26WJimmy Lyggett SrDQ4Bickendorfer Festhalle, Cologne, Germany
1925-01-18WJohnny CludtsKO2Schauburgring, Cologne, Germany
1925-01-20WJoe MehlingPTS6Kriegervereinshaus, Berlin, Germany
1925-03-01WLeon RandolKO4Schauburgring, Cologne, Germany
1925-03-15WAlfred BakerKO8Schauburgring, Cologne, Germany
1925-04-03DJimmy Lyggett SrPTS8Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1925-04-28WFred HammerPTS10Beethovenhalle , Bonn , Germany
1925-05-09DLeon RandolPTS10Brussels , Belgium
1925-05-09LJack TaylorPTS10Messehalle, Cologne, Germany
1925-08-28LLarry GainsTKO2Kristallpalast, Cologne, Germany
1925-11-08WRené CompèrePTS8Bickendorfer Festhalle, Cologne, Germany
1926-02-12DMax DiekmannPTS8Kaiserdamm Arena, Berlin, Germany
1926-03-19WWilly LouisKO1Hochhaus-Sportschule, Cologne, Germany
1926-07-13WAug VongehrTKO1Luna Park , Berlin, Germany
1926-08-24WMax DiekmannKO1Luna Park, Berlin, Germany
1926-10-01WHerman van 't HofDQ8Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1927-01-07WJack StanleyKO8Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1927-01-23WLouis WilmsTKO8Jahrhunderthalle , Breslau, Germany
1927-02-04WJoe MehlingTKO3Zirkus Sarassani, Dresden , Germany
1927-03-12WLeon SebiloKO2Westfalenhallen , Dortmund , Germany
1927-04-08WFrancois CharlesTKO8Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1927-04-26WStanley GlenKO1Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1927-05-08WRobert LarsenPTS10Stadion Radrennbah, Frankfurt , Germany
1927-05-17WRaoul PaillauxKO3Sagebiel, Hamburg, Germany
1927-06-19WFernand DelargeKO14Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
1927-08-01WJack TaylorPTS10Sagebiel, Hamburg, Germany
1927-08-07WWillem WestbroekKO3Radrennbahn, Essen , Germany
1927-09-02WRobert LarsenTKO3Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1927-10-02WLouis ClementTKO6Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
1927-11-06WHein DomgoergenKO7Achilleion, Leipzig , Germany
1927-12-02WGipsy DanielsPTS10Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1928-01-06WMichele BonagliaKO1Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1928-02-25LGipsy DanielsKO1Festhalle Frankfurt , Frankfurt, Germany
1928-03-11WTed MoorePTS10Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
1928-04-04WFranz DienerPTS15Berlin Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany
1928-11-23WJoe MonteKO8Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York , U.S.
1929-01-04WJoe SekyraPTS10Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
1929-01-21WPietro CorriKO1Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey , U.S.
1929-02-01WJohnny RiskoTKO9Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
1929-06-27WPaulino UzcudunPTS15Yankee Stadium , Bronx , New York, U.S.
1930-06-12WJack SharkeyDQ4Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S.
1931-07-03WYoung StriblingTKO15Municipal Stadium , Cleveland, Ohio , U.S.
1932-06-21LJack SharkeySD15Madison Square Garden Bowl , Queens , New York, U.S.
1932-09-26WMickey WalkerTKO8Madison Square Garden Bowl, Queens, New York, U.S.
1933-06-08LMax BaerTKO10Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, U.S.
1934-02-13LSteve HamasUD12Philadelphia Convention Hall , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , U.S.
1934-05-13DPaulino UzcudunMD12Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc , Barcelona , Spain
1934-08-26WWalter NeuselTKO9Sandbahn Lokstedt, Hamburg, Germany
1935-03-10WSteve HamasKO9Hanseatenhalle, Hamburg, Germany
1935-07-07WPaulino UzcudunPTS12Poststadion , Berlin, Germany
1936-06-19WJoe LouisKO12Yankee Stadium, Bronx, U.S.
1937-12-13WHarry ThomasTKO8Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
1938-01-30WBen FoordPTS12Hanseatenhalle, Hamburg, Germany
1938-04-16WSteve DudasKO5Hanseatenhalle, Hamburg, Germany
1938-06-22LJoe LouisTKO1Yankee Stadium, Bronx, U.S.
1939-07-02WAdolf HeuserKO1Adolf-Hitler-Kampfbahn , Stuttgart , Germany
1947-09-28WWerner VollmerKO7Waldstadion , Frankfurt, Germany
1947-12-07WHans Joachim DraegesteinPTS10Omnibushalle, Hamburg, Germany
1948-05-23LWalter NeuselPTS10Platz in Hamburg-Altona, Hamburg, Germany
1948-10-02WHans Joachim DraegesteinTKO9VFB Platz, Kiel , Germany
1948-10-31LRichard VogtPTS10VFB Platz, Kiel , Germany

Showing 70 of 70 recorded fights · last updated 2026-10-11. Imported record tables are not independently verified and may be incomplete. Early-era logs include newspaper decisions (NWS), which are not counted in the official totals above.

Record notes

Fight record last retrieved: 2026-10-11. Title histories remain subject to archival review.

Historical-era totals differ between record-keeping conventions (newspaper decisions, exhibitions).

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