Max Schmeling

That's right, right.

And beat Max Schmeling.

Correct.

Hitler's boy.

There were some rumblings from Europe about a young German with a lethal right hand and a facial resemblance to Jack Dempsey.

His name was Max Schmeling.

He came to New York in 1929, and promptly won two important fights, KO'ing Johnny Risko and outpointing Paulino Uzcudun, the leading contender from Spain.

In 1930, the all-powerful New York State Athletic Commission pronounced that Sharkey and Schmeling should meet to decide the next world's heavyweight champion.

The date was June 12th of that year in New York.

Sharkey was a nine to five favorite, and he was more than holding his own as they went into the fourth round.

Sharkey threw a powerful left hook to the body.

Schmeling went down in apparent pain, clutching his groin.

I met him in, um, it was funny, in Kazakhstan.

In Russia, I made a movie about Max Schmeling fighting against Joe Louis, and that movie was running there.

And Tyson was there with his documentary about himself.

And, uh, so I saw him at the table at the, uh, so I walked straight to him and I said, "Look, [laughs] you're, uh, you're like, you were the most dangerous man ever in the ring." Uh, what, I think p- Tyson on the peak was the best ever.

Like, like there was like this three, four years of his life he would pulverize everybody.

But then, of course, everything went sideways, and so we talked for two days about boxing.

He watched Max Schmeling, he watched, uh, I watched East Joker with him and we chatted, and, uh, Mike Tyson is a great guy.

I mean, and he knows everything about boxing, right? Everything.

Mm.

So I learned names like Bruce Woodcock and Freddie Mills, Max Schmeling.

He knew all about boxing.

He had a bit of a temper.

a track taken from our Mechanical Music Radio archives.

It was originally released on vinyl, and that was the Golden Ruth, the lovely Model 3678 keyless Ruth organ that has been owned for many years by the Preston family, and the tune was the Max Schmeling March.

And that is all I have time for on the Continental Carousel this Monday.

I do thank you for your company over the last couple of hours and do hope you've enjoyed listening to the German fairground and concert organs that I've been playing for you.

Hello again.

This is Jack Benny, the Earth Galloper, coming to you with all the late news events, and tonight we have a big surprise for you, where I'm going to give you a full description of the Schmeling-Behr fight which was not broadcast last night.

We have here our own film of the famous fight held at the Yankee Stadium, where the New York Yankees play baseball while at home.

Run the film, Hank.

And he kind of got a little germ of an idea when he read about yet another huge fight that inspired him.

And that is one of two boxers by the name of Joe Lewis and Max Schmeling.

Who are these guys? Well, they fought in 1936 and 1938.

In the first fight, now Max Schmeling is a German.

In the first fight, Joe Lewis is undefeated.

Schmeling knocks him out in 12 rounds.

Back when we used to play Trivial Pursuit when I was a kid, my dad used to do that for every q- every sports question.

He'd be like, "Max Schmeling,"-

[laughs]

...

his music.

And Max Schmeling, heavyweight champ, best known as Hitler's Boy, who got put on his ass by the brown bomber Joe Louis.

He was born on this date as well.

Hitler's Boy.