Where can we rate Max Schmeling?

Somewhere inbetween 10-20 makes sense to me, though I'm not sure where.

 

Answer: as high as possible. :good

 

Don't see how you could have him outside of a top 20 by anything more then the absolute slimmest of margins.

 

I am German and love Schmeling for the class act he was. His win over Louis was on of the great upsets of boxing history and an example of how a gameplan and mental strength can beat a fighter of far superior ability.

That said, Schmeling was champion on a controversial win and never dominated as champ. Of course his career was hindered by politics, after he beat Louis, he would have been favored to beat Braddock. Once he fell out of favor with the Nazis, he couldn't train right, his wife was held hostage during the second bout with Louis, so we don't know how good he could have been under normal circumstances from 1936 - 1940. Still, in terms of his reign as champ and H2H, I don't rate Schmeling in the top 15.

 

11. Harry Wills
12. Jack Dempsey
13. Evander Holyfield
14. James Jeffries
15. Jersey Joe Walcott
16. Sam Langford
17. Wladimir Klitschko
18. Floyd Patterson

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20. Ezzard Charles


Top 20 sounds reasonable. If not for the bad knockout loss to Max Baer, he would probably rate in the top 15 all time.


One thing that I always loved about schmeling was most of his wins over Ring Magazine top 10 contenders were by stoppage. Schmeling knew how to finish an opponent.

 

Where do you have Baer out of curiosity, Suzie.

 

Baer sits comfortably in my top 30. I have yet to decide his exact spot, by I usually see him kept out of most top 30 lists. Baer was a killer. He had exceptional one punch knockout power, a granite chin, and incredible physical strength. He was very aggressive. He was also a big guy at 6'3 210lb. The guy was a monster. I don't think many non great heavyweights in history would be able survive his onslaught when he was at his best. Now, yes, Baer was a clown and could be outboxed by goof troopers at times, but at his very best, he was formidable.

Max Baer-Max Schmeling was a big legacy definer because it's one of the few times in history two great heavyweights met in their primes. Baer won by brutal knockout. This was a big fight for both.

Schmeling's huge dominating win over an undefeated prime joe louis(whom I rate # 1 heavyweight of all time) is obviously the mark which put schmeling clear over baer and sharkey..but prior to 1936 schmeling was on his way to being rated the worst out of the three.

 

Top 20 is fine by me.

 

I want to stress this as well, he was a great fighter, not just on paper.

 

I think people who put him in the top 20 have him pegged about right.

His record has lost a bit of its sheen over the years because people do not know the ranking of his opponents when he fought them. Most of the top fighters he fought, he met at their absolute pinacle.

 

# 18 sits about fair and right to me.........:good:deal

MR.BILL:bbb

 

Think of him as a former top 10 fighter who has been pushed outside the top 10 by the best of subsequent generations.

 

#17.