Karl Mildenberger
Boxer who became European champion and went 12 rounds with Muhammad Ali for the world title
KARL MILDENBERGER, who has died aged 80, was a boxer who fought Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1966 and was the European champion at the top weight from 1964 until 1968, when he lost his crown to Henry Cooper in his final fight.
Many observers believe that in 1966 Ali had reached a peak of speed, athleticism and punching precision that was never surpassed. He embarked on a European “tour” designed to provide him with a hat-trick of easy victories. First up was Cooper, who floored Ali but suffered horrendous cuts en route to a sixth-round stoppage at Highbury, and a few weeks later Ali hammered Brian London to defeat inside three rounds at Earls Court.
Ali then met Mildenberger in Frankfurt on September 10. Ursula Andress and Jean-paul Belmondo were in the crowd, holding hands, while old foes Joe Louis and Max Schmeling were also there. The often-overlooked Mildenberger, a clever southpaw whose amiable disposition seemed somewhat at odds with his profession, turned in a valiant performance against a vastly superior foe.
The German’s left-handed stance posed the champion a few problems in the early stages of the first sports event to be telecast in colour via satellite. Mildenberger boldly took the fight to the champion, scoring to the American’s body in their opening exchanges.
But Ali swiftly established his dominance, going on to dish out the type of one-sided beating that was becoming familiar. Scolded by the British referee, Teddy Waltham, for not closing his glove when punching, Ali replied: “Like this?” before promptly knocking Mildenberger to the canvas.
Roared on by a crowd of 45,000, Mildenberger – the first German to challenge for the world crown since Schmeling had lost to Louis 30 years earlier – battled on, hampered by a severe cut over his right eye, only to be floored twice more.
Despite a defiant rally in the ninth, the increasingly helpless German was being picked apart when rescued by Waltham midway through the 12th of 15 scheduled rounds. But, the TV commentator declared, “Mildenberger has kept his promise. He has delivered the biggest fight of his life.” Ali went to Mildenberger’s corner and tapped him on the shoulder in recognition of his effort, later remarking: “It was my toughest fight since winning the title.”
Born in Kaiserslautern on November 23 1937, Karl Mildenberger learned to fight as a boy growing up in occupied Germany. A cousin of his father’s, a former boxing champion in the Third Reich, set Karl on the boxing trail, and he was enlisted in a programme run by FC Kaiserslautern.
He eventually displayed enough promise to be sent to Mannheim for training: he lived in the French Sector, where boxing was banned, while Mannheim, in the US Sector, had no such restriction.
He made his professional debut in 1958, and like many German fighters before and since, often enjoyed home advantage. Notable victories came against the Swede, Thorner Ahsman, in Berlin in 1961 and in January 1962 over Pete Rademacher, the US 1956 Olympic champion, in Dortmund.
However, his limitations were brutally exposed at the same venue a month later when the rugged Welshman, Dick Richardson, knocked him out inside a round – “I was too young, I was unprepared,” he recalled. But workmanlike victories over two other Britons, Joe Bygraves and Joe Erskine, brought Mildenberger back into title contention, and in October 1964 he knocked out the Italian, Santo Amonti, in Charlottenburg to capture the European title, which he would retain six times.
By the time he met Ali, Mildenberger was undefeated in four years, and he remained a force at European level. He stopped Billy Walker – Britain’s “Golden Boy” – in eight rounds in March 1967, his last successful defence coming against his compatriot, Gerhard Zech, at the end of the year.
Three months before that, Mildenberger took part in the World Boxing Association’s elimination tournament to decide a new champion after Ali had been stripped of the title for refusing to fight in Vietnam.
Despite being favourite, Mildenberger lost on points against Oscar Bonavena in Frankfurt, having been floored four times. He suffered three knock-downs in a seventh-round defeat against the American, Leotis Martin, and his last stand came when he defended his European title against Cooper at Wembley in September 1968.
The Londoner twice downed the champion, but in the eighth round a clash of heads left him with a severe gash on his right eyebrow. A dismayed Mildenberger was thrown out for butting and never fought again, finishing with 53 victories, six losses and three draws. “Win, lose or draw, I would have retired anyway,” he recalled. “This was the end. I was unharmed. No terrible things had happened to me.”
Karl Mildenberger later worked as a lifeguard, retiring in 2002. He married, firstly, Astrid. They divorced, and in 1974 he married Miriam, who survives him.
Karl Mildenberger, born November 23 1937, died October 4 2018