Why Schmeling is rarely mentioned with guys like Walcott/Charles/Patterson?

I've thought that Max was underrated historically and after reading your post I agree, I'd certainly put him above Walcott , Charles? that's a tough one , but I think Max's best performance was better than Charles best.

 

As an earlier poster stated, the fact that Schmeling came from Germany at that time in history worked against him. Despite his putting his own life at risk to help save people from the holocaust, and personally standing up to Hitler in an effort to retain his Jewish manager, it was a long time before people began to separate him from the Nazi regime.

Also, on film Schmeling is not the most exciting fighter to watch. He was a methodical, efficient boxer that purists and students of scientific boxing could appreciate, but a showman in the ring he was not. One of his opponents, Steve Dudas, told me that Schmeling was a very smart fighter.

Something else to consider - suppose the decision in the 1932 title fight had gone to Schmeling instead of Sharkey. He probably would have outpointed Carnera and those Primo successfully defended against - Uzcudun and Loughran. Max Baer, I believe, would always be problematic for Schmeling, but if the German had been the defending champion, perhaps some variables would be sufficiently different to give him the advantage. If I recall correctly, Schmeling was favored over Baer in their 1933 fight. If he successfully got past Baer, Braddock would not be challenging an overconfident, undertrained Baer for the title. And if Joe Louis had then come along as he did in real time and faced Max as he did in 1936 but this time with Schmeling as defending champion. If that fight played out as it did in real time, Max Schmeling would be remembered today as the dominant heavyweight champion of the 1930s and an all-time great without any question. An iffy situation, granted, but my point is that had a couple situations broke in Max's favor, he could have been remembered in a different and more favorable way than he is today.