Who takes it? I think Schmeling has no chance. Wlad is bigger, stronger, has had much better training methods (boxing in Germany was still in it's baby shoes at Schmeling's time). I think Schmeling is more on Axel Schulz' level and we all know what Wlad did to Schulz...
Schmeling, imo, is still the greatest HW to come out of Europe. As for a head to head scenario, I think Schmeling could last the distance, pulling off a decision. If he could take the ever dangerous Max Baer's best blows for ten rounds, could defeat Joe Louis in his prime, I think its a safe bet that the mechanical Klitschko, though bigger, has more than a solid chance at getting beat on points here. Btw, anyone else notice Schmeling looked an awful lot like Dempsey?
I hate to be one of these people who sounds like he believes that size is everything ( which it clearly isn't. ) But, I do feel that Wladimir Klitschko's physical advantages would be too overwhelming here. We're talking about roughly 6 inches in height and some 45 lbs in weight. It also isn't as though Klit is just plain BIG. No, he's very well conditioned and has a fair amount of mobility and boxing ability for a larger man. I like Max Schmeling, but this not the right match for him.
Both fighters can be described as tentative and a little too patient. They have similar dispositions that some Americans equate with a European syndrome -they are sportsmen trying to compete and win rather than warriors with a Darwinian mentality. Wlad particularly is far more concerned with not getting hurt than he is with inflicting hurt and that is the crux of his lack of popularity. And he deserves every bit of his criticism. I see this bout enfolding uneventfully. Schmeling would be probing and waiting for mistakes, Wlad would be doing the same. Eventually, there would be a moment of truth and that would be when Schmeling, who is totally physically outgunned, would eat a steely right (probably while throwing his own), and that would be the end. Or the beginning of the end. A word on Wlad. Unlike most fighters, Wlad doesn't have to necessarily even be in position to throw a finishing shot. He's got telephone poles for arms. Schmeling needs to be not only in position, but in the danger zone, to throw a hurtful shot.
Nobody ever came close to outpointing Klitschko and now a 6'1 fighter without much footwork is going to do it? I am German and admire Schmeling for everything he was as a fighter and as a person, but boxing, like any sport has evolved. Jesse Owens won four Olympic golds the year that Schmeling beat Louis. Today, Owens would most likely fail to make the Olympic team. Schmeling would be mince meat in that fight, just imagine Wlad fighting with the 6 OZ gloves, his punches would be absolutely deadly.
I would give Wladimir the edge in this match-up. I think he would win a decision, but it wouldn't be easy...in my opinion.
