Eastern European Heavyweight Pioneers Pre-Klitschko Era: Schulz, Vaulin, Zolkin, Golota, Maskaev?

Vaulin? I don’t recall him. But yes these guys were the first wave, an interesting documentary or magazine article should be done featuring these fighters. Schulz was robbed of the lineal title which was unfortunate considering he used an impeccable game plan and stuck to it to achieve a huge upset.
Golota was the most talented. Maskaev was technically sound but badly managed and rushed and had iffy chin.

 

There was a Romanian super-heavyweight in the thirties who was over seven feet tall and 300 pounds and had just three or four fights (all wins by KO) before (I think) he died somehow.

Another guy I can think of but whose name I can't recall was a Russian who had something of a close amateur rivalry with Tiofelo Stevens in the '70's.

 

The "mohawk" fighter was from New York city. His name was Travis Bickle. He went bat**** and shot up a whorehouse.

 

Jack Root and Johnny Risko were Eastern Europeans if I remember correctly.

 

Risko was Austrian by way of Cleveland not sure if that applies

 

Golota was the best. He wasnt much good at the top level, though you'd bracket him as world class for sure.

 

Risko was born Mesto Bohunico, Aug 18, 1902 in Slovakia which happened to be under Austrian rule at the time, he was no more Austrian than Sharkey or Maher were English or the Klitschos were Russian.

 

So he was Czechoslovakian. And with a surname like Bohunico - similar to Bohemia the ancient name for what is now the Czech Republic he may have had Germanic blood in him rather than Slovak. But it’s hard to trace all the border changes and overlapping peoples of mainland Europe. Thanks for the clarification though.

 

Well, there was no Communist rule when Root and Risko were born. Always loved Mavrovik and a tragedy how his health went. I truth Communism was over by around 1990 so maybe Mate Parlov was the real precursor of what came after. Schulz, Zolkin and Golota were excellent fighters though.