Walter Neusel

Here is the newsreel from first fight. Looks the same as all the photos. It had one of the largest gates in European history (to that point).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfp-mutIhGQ

 

Neusel was pretty highly regarded in his day.

He was widely expected to defeat Max Schmeling, and put him out to pasture, but Schmeling had other ideas.

 

Well, if the picture is stamped from their first fight, and all the pictures that look like it are identified as being from the first fight, and the video is from the first fight, why are you confused?

 

I read a Schmeling biography long long time ago I was pretty certain that this was the second fight. Schmeling wore those trunks in many fights so it is conceivable he had them for both fights. Logically speaking does that look like a 28 year old man vs a 26 year old man to you? Look at Neusal's 1938 boxing card and his hairline in it, this fight is alleged to be four years before that card was printed, and look at his receding hairline. Also the trees are fairly close to the ring doesn't look like the sort of venue to break an attendance record. Finally I have this link- look at the image- that looks more in tune with first fight - http://www.4680wanne-eickel.de/151.html

I may be wrong but for now I just can't believe that is from 1934.

Then again it could just be a horrible photo that doesn't due either man any justice.

 

I agree. They both look way too old for this to be first fight. Crazy receding hairline. Schmelling was one of my Dad's favorite fighters. I think I saw that bio too.

 

I have two minuts of the second fight and I am sure that the picture is from the same fight

 

That would account for his marked physical deterioration which you challenged.:yep

 

Actually, Neusel did wear a wrap around his knee in most fights.

I think if the photo is stamped from their first meeting, it was stamped at the time it was used. So it's probably accurate.

If the reason people are being thrown off is because of his hairline, in the photo, Neusel's hair is soaked. If you look at this video of him training in 1937, his hairline is back pretty far even when his hair is dry. And he wasn't "young looking" even then. He had a classic fighter's "mug."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG2oBc4cX3g

Here's his bandaged knee in 1937.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TzLPghiwsg

 

He wore a bandage on his knee when he fought Tommy Farr in 1937.