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EVENING STANDARD THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1938 JOE LOUIS vs MAX SCHMELING

SCHMELING Knocked Nails Through Planks With His Strong Right Hand

THREE TIMES at least in a professional boxing career spread over the last fourteen years, Max Schmeling was written down as finished: each time he fought his way out again.  Schmeling was born in a peasant's cottage at Prevzlau on September 24, 1905. He became a paid fighter in 1924, and it has been hi rare defeats- nearly all sensational and spectacular- rather than his numerous victories which have shown what manner of man is this boxing machine the Americans call the "Black Uhlan of the Rhine."  In 1926 Schmeling came to Berlin a poor man, his hands smashed. He had moved from Cologne, from his manager, his com- rades, his mother, his sister. He was afraid of being finished before he had the properly set out on his career.  He found in Arthur Buelow, a German journalist, the man to guide him to heights beyond his dreams. He became German cruiser weight champion within two months and earned £75 for the fight. He became European cruiser weight cham- pion in 1927 and, undisturbed by a first- round knock-out defeat by the British "Gypsy" Daniels in 1928 he was German heavyweight champion a few weeks later, declared winner on points against Franz Diener by the grace of the judges. This earned him £1500. He Climbed Suddenly  Schmeling marched on. He went to America. Again he fell into the depths, was near poverty, troubled by a frac- tured hand, nearly stranded. Again he climbed suddenly.  He dropped Arthur Buelow. Through all the years they had addressed each other as Herr Schmeling and Herr Buelow. The very air round Schmeling was strangely charged. Mystery seemed always to be with him...  He was the first man, in 1929, to force the cast-iron Johnny Risco to admit defeat by a technical knockout to escape a real one. He became the first "horizontal" heavyweight champion of the world when Jack Sharkey was disqualified in their 1930 fight in the fourth round with Schmeling on the floor.  In 1931 he defended his title against "Young" Stribling. He systematically undermined his opponent. A less methodical man, with less than Schmeling's punching power, would have finished this fight far earlier. Schmeling took no chance. Stribling fell a few seconds before the final gong was due after almost 15 rounds of cruel battering. The following year the ambitious Sharkey agreed to Schmeling's terms, and gained the title. Joe Jacobs, Schmeling's Jew-American manager, shouted into the microphone: "We have been robbed," and 50 million Americans listened sympathetically. Such a Hiding!  Schmeling, undaunted, again patiently started to "come back," but trying to qualify for a title match, collided with Max Baer in 1933 and was crushingly knocked out. He himself told me that he never had experienced or thought possible such a hiding and never wished for another. He was smashed into pieces to such an extent that even the mediocre Steve Hamas managed to defeat him.  Again, in 1934, he began to climb back. After subjugating Walter Neusel at Hamburg and annihilating Steve Hamas at the same place in 1935, he marched on, never looking back.  He smashed the 20-1 favourite, Joe Louis on June 19, 1936. It was the beaten Louis, however, who got the chance and took the championship from James Braddock. Schmeling waited... Harry Thomas ... Ben Foord... Steve Dudas... Louis again last night. Friend of Hitler  Schmeling is wealthy, famous, a German hero. He still employs the Jew Jacobs as his American representative, but has become a personal friend of Herr Hitler, Dr. Goebbels and Field-marshal Goering.  He never made the same mistake twice. He spares nobody, not even himself. He leads a clean, healthy life. He keeps fit whether there is a fight in the offing or not. He remains an enigma even to those who might claim to be his friends.  Before he proved to be a born boxer it became clear that he was a born business man. At thirteen he manufactured so-called cigarettes - there was a great tabacco famine in Germany at the time - and peddled them in the streets. The business was flourishing, when it met with sudden disaster in a badly lite street when he offered his products to his own father.  In a small weightlifting and wrestling club he met an old music-hall artist who taught him how to drive a big nail through a plank with his bare hand. Schmeling him- self is convinced this nail-driving developed his smashing right-hand punch. He pressed the head of the nail against his palm and held the point between his fingers and so drove it through a plank hanging on the wall. Romance  When he called on his mother, who lived at the Sachsenplatz in the West End of Berlin he used to see a beautiful girl. He became interested in her and found she was the Czech film star, Anny Ondra. He was too shy to approach her.  He confessed his lack of courage to the promoter, Paul Damski. Being also a manager, Damski managed the affair. Anny agreed to meet Max. Max and Anny are happily married. Schmeling and Damski do not speak.  Schmeling's inseparable companion, Max Machon, tells of how Tom O'Rourke, manager and trainer, died in Schmeling's dressing-room on the evening of the previous fight against Louis. O'Rourke said, "Max, you can beat him" fell forward, and was carried out of the room. Schmeling remarked, "Poor Tom. They tell me he has fainted, but I know he is dead." Machon asked him if he considered the incident a bad omen. Schmeling replied, "I am sorry for Tom, but I have to defeat this negro now, and must concentrate on that."  This is the many-sided man of mystery who fought Joseph Louis for the world championship in New York last night.