Puncher from Past: Karl Mildenberger

Name: Karl Mildenberger

Born: 23 November 1937

Died: 5 October 2018 aged 80

Career: 1958-1968

Record: 62 fights, 53 wins (19 by KO/TKO) 6 losses (4 by KO/TKO) 3 draws

Division: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

Stance: Southpaw

Titles: European Champion

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Franco Cavicchi, Wayne Bethea (twice), Pete Rademacher*, Alonzo Johnson, Joe Bygraves, Von Clay, Joe Erskine, Billy Daniels, Archie McBride, Santo Amonti, Jefferson Davis, Kirk Barrow, Piero Tomasoni (twice), Gerhard Zech (twice), Eddie Machen*, Billy Walker, Amos Lincoln ,

Lost to: Helmut Ball, Dick Richardson, Muhammad Ali ** Oscar Bonavena*, Leotis Martin, Henry Cooper*.

**Past/ future holder of a version of a world title

Drew with: Archie McBride, Zora Folley*, Amos Johnson,

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

Karl Mildenberger’s Story

Karl Mildenberger was born on Nov. 23, 1937, in Kaiserslautern, Germany. A cousin of his father had been a boxing champion during the days of the Third Reich and he introduced Mildenberger to boxing. He joined a boxing club in Kaiserslautern but when boxing was banned in Kaiserslautern he moved to Mannheim in the US Sector where boxing was allowed. He had considerable success as an amateur winning a silver medal at the Federal German (FRG) championships in 1957 and a gold medal at the 1958 championships both in the 81kg division.

He turned professional on 15 October 1958 and won his first eleven contests before losing on a seventh round kayo against Helmut Ball in an eliminator for the German light heavyweight title.

He then put together a run of 19 victories, including a win over Olympic gold medal winner Pete Rademacher. That winning run earned him a shot at European champion Dick Richardson in February 1962 in Germany in front of a crowd of 16,000. It turned into a disaster for Mildenberger. As he spun off the ropes a right from the hard-punching Richardson put Mildenberger down and out cold after just 2:35 of the first round.

He rebounded with four wins later in 1962 including victories over experienced opposition in Alonzo Johnson and Joe Bygraves. He had a disappointing start to 1963 being held to a draw by American McBride but in five victories in the year he scored win over Von Clay, Wayne Bethea and Joe Erskine helping him to rise to No 8 in the Ring Ratings. He went 4-0-2 in 1964 drawing with rated Zora Folley and with Amos Johnson  but knocking out Italian Pietro Tomasoni in 92 seconds to win the vacant European title. He won all five of his fights in 1965 beating Americans Jefferson Davis and Kirk Barrow and also Dave Bailey who had Mildenberger down twice. He also made two defences of the European title with victories over Tomasoni again and Gerhard Zech. In February 1966 he outpointed Eddie Machen, who had lost on points against Ernie Terrell in 1965 for the vacant WBA title. A successful European title defence in June against Ivan Prebeg took Mildenberger’s record to 49-2-3 and a 22-bout unbeaten run. Great timing as Muhammad Ali was embarking on a “European Tour”. In May 1966 he had beaten Henry Cooper on a cut-eye stoppage and in August knocked out Brian London. Mildenberger’s record made him a logical fighter for a title defense. The Ali vs. Mildenberger fight would be the first time a German boxer had challenged for the heavyweight title in Germany and Mildenberger would be the first southpaw to fight for the title. It was the biggest fight in German boxing history. Former rivals Joe Louis and Max Schmelling were there and Mildenberger was the first German to challenge for the world title since Louis beat Schmeling in June 1938. Stars such as Ursula Andress and Jean Paul Belmondo were in the stadium, and it attracted a crowd of 45,000. –it was the first sports event to be telecast in color via satellite. Mildenberger became the first German to challenge for the world crown since Schmeling had lost to Louis 30 years earlier .

Mildenberger tried to put Ali under pressure from the start and had some success scoring with some good body punches in the fourth but Ali was always in control. He opened a cut over Mildenberger’s right eye with a punch and dropped him at the end of the fifth round. Ali scored further knockdowns in the eighth and tenth rounds and with Mildenberger bleeding from the cut over his eye and from his cheeks the referee stopped the fight. Despite the loss the residents of Mildenberger’s hometown honoured his achievement the day after the fight with a very special gesture as 30,000 fans cheered Mildenberger as he drove across Kaiserslautern in a convertible.

Mildenberger returned to business in 1967 again beating Tomasoni and Britain’s Billy Walker in European title defenses and stopping Amos Lincoln. Ali had been stripped off the heavyweight title by the WBA after refusing to be inducted into the US Army and the WBA set up an eight-man elimination tournament to find a new champion. Mildenberger, Oscar Bonavena, Leotis Martin, Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson, Thad Spencer and Ernie Terrell were the participants. Mildenberger faced Bonavena in September 1967 and the fight effectively ended Mildenberger’s hopes of a world title as he was floored in rounds 1,4, 7 and 10 and lost a wide unanimous decision. Mildenberger ended the year with his sixth defense of the European title once again outpointing Gerhard Zech.

Although only thirty after 60 fights Mildenberger was thinking retirement. In April 1968 he was floored three  times and knocked out in seven rounds by Leotis Martin which hastened his decision. He  agreed to defend the European title for the seventh time in London in September 1968 against Henry Cooper and resolved that win or lose he would retire. As it was Mildenberger was floored twice and disqualified for illegal use of his head in the eighth round ending his four years reign as European champion.

He announced his retirement from boxing in 1969 and said he was going to work for a brewery. According to news media reports, he also lost money on investments in real estate and a fashion label. In 1980 he became a lifeguard in Kaiserslautern, a job he held for about 20 years.