Puncher from the Past Erich Schoppner

Name: Erich Schoppner

Born: 25 June 1932

Died: 12 September 2005 at age of 73

Career: 1956 to 1966

Record: 40 fights, 34 wins (16 by KO/TKO), 1 loss on points, 5 draws

Division: Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles:  European and German light heavyweight champion and German heavyweight champion

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Uwe Janssen, Albert Finch, Arthur Howard, Willi Hoepner (twice) Chick Speiser, Henry Cooper*, Rocco Mazzola, Santo Amonti, Frankie Daniels, Clarence Hinnant, Paul Roux, Peter Mueller, Albert Westphal, Hans Kalbfell, Von Clay*

Lost against: Giulio Rinaldi*,

Drew with: Uwe Janssen, Germinal Ballarin, Mike Holt, Doug Jones *, Wilhelm von Homburg.

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

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

Erich Schoppner’s Story

Schoppner started boxing at the Wettenburg Boxsport gym in his teens. He showed great promise and won local titles before moving up to Senior level. He was German champion at 71 kgs in 1952 qualifying him to compete for the FRG (Federal German Republic) at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. He won his first bout then lost to the eventual silver medallist South African Theunis van Schalwyk. He moved up to 81 kg finishing runner-up in the German Championships in 1954 and then champion in 1955. He again represented the FRG at the European Championships in 1955 winning the gold medal beating experienced East German Ulli Nitzschke in the final in a battle of the two Germany’s. It was reported as fight No 279 for Schoppner and his last as an amateur.

He had his first professional fight on 22 January 1956 and won 10 of his 11 fights that year beating and drawing with Uwe Janssen. He won all 8 of his fights in 1957. He faced England’s Alberti Finch in February in a situation where Schoppner was having fight No 13 and Finch his No 94 and it was a real test. Schoppner got the decision but it was loudly booed by the crowd in Dortmund. Schoppner restored his reputation in October by outpointed the reigning European light heavyweight champion Artenio Calzavara in a non-title fight that drew a crowd of over 10,000.

Schoppner picked up his first title in February 1958 as he knocked out German light heavyweight champion Willi Hoepner in the first round. In April Schoppner got a win over Henry Cooper when Cooper was disqualified for a low punch and in November he stopped American Chuck Spieser who in 1957 had lost to Tony Anthony in a world title eliminator. He ended the year with a fifth round kayo of Hoepner to retain the German title and win the European title. Hoepner, Calzavara and Spieser were all rated in the top 10 by Ring Magazine.

Schoppner fought only three times in 1959 but in important European title defences he outpointed 21-2-2 Italian Rocco Mazzola in April and 30-0-1 Santo Amonti in November. His record now stood at 25-0-1 and he had risen to No 2 in the Ring ratings.

There were attempts to interest Archie Moore in defending his title in Germany but nothing came of them and an indifferent spell at the start of 1960, draws with Germinal Ballarin and Mike Holt, lowered his standing and he settled for beating Helmut Ball in a European title defence and victories over Americans  Frankie Daniels and Clarence Hinnant.

With the chance of a title shot receding he kept busy in 1961 stopping dangerous 27-2-2 Frenchman Paul Roux in a European title defence to confirm his position as the best at his weight in Europe and beating fellow-Germans Peter Mueller, Albert Westphal and Hans Kalbfell. The Westphal win made him German heavyweight champion and the Kalbfell fight was a defence of that title.

He was already disillusioned with boxing and had only one fight in 1962 drawing with heavyweight Doug Jones who would go on to beat Bob Foster and Zora Folley and lose a controversial decision to  Muhammad Ali before challenging Ernie Terrell for the WBA heavyweight title.

In his first fight in 1963 he just avoided disaster by climbing off the canvas three times to outpoint dangerous Von Clay in January but lost his European title in a points defeat against Italian Giulio Rinaldi in May snapping Schoppner’s unbeaten run at 38 fights and ending his five year reign as European champion. He was talked into attempting a comeback three years later but after drawing with Wilhelm von Homburg he retired for good.

He was an excellent technician but not a heavy puncher. The Rinaldi loss was his only fight outside Germany which meant that ,although rated No 2 in the world at one time, he did not have much in the way of an international profile hurting his chance of landing a title shot.

After retirement he had a good job with the Dortmund City Council and ran a family owned hotel in the city. After his death from natural causes his home town  of Witten launched an Erich Schoppner Memorial Tournament.