http://www.boxing-memorabilia.com/bioblin.htm If you're ever in Hamburg it's well worth visiting Juergen Blin's small pub underground at the main railway station. Situated near the entrance to the U3 metro line, at the Kirchenalle/Steindam end of the station. He was European heavyweight boxing champion, and in 1971 fought against Mohammed Ali, losing by KO in the 7th round. There's a portraight sized photo of the fight in his pub. In his late 60s now, he's still fit, runs regularly and trains underprivileged children in Hamburg. I asked him if he had been frightened when fighting Ali - I thought he was going to punch me (I meant nervous, but we were talking in German, and I accidentally said frightened - oops!). He eventually replied, "Why should I have been? I was European champion, and very experienced." He's had a difficult life. Formerly a slaughterman and butcher, his son Knut committed suicide after getting envolved with a religious sect, and Juergen went bankrupt shortly after. Thankfully he's OK now. I asked him about British fighters, and he said Joe Bugner was one of the toughest guys he ever fought. They fought twice, Bugner winning on points the first time, and KO the second, shortly before Blin retired. http://www.mopo.de/nachrichten/juer...e-aus-der-bahnhofskneipe,5067140,8393646.html
I thought Blin put his punches together quite nicely in the Ali fight. Just wasn't big or powerful enough to really make a dent.
That's what Jürgen said to me in his pub. He'd be a cruiserweight today, and fight people his own size.
