Karl Mildenberger: First southpaw boxer to fight for heavyweight crown – only against Muhammad Ali

The German showed immense perseverance in an amazing 62 fights within a 10-year career in the face of a number of particularly brutal bouts

Mildenberger arrives at London’s Heathrow airport in September 1968 before his fight with Henry Cooper (Getty)

As a European champion and world heavyweight contender, Karl Mildenberger, who has died aged 80, carved his own place of privilege in boxing history.

In fighting Muhammad Ali for the world title in 1966, he forced The Greatest into an unexpected battle against the odds and earned international acclaim in defeat.

Despite coming into the fight as the clear underdog, with an early knockout expected, Mildenberger proved a fierce opponent in Frankfurt – amazingly, as the first-ever southpaw to compete for the world heavyweight crown.

He was also the first German to challenge for a world title since Max Schmeling lost to Joe Louis 30 years prior, although he was ultimately unable to overcome the 10/1 odds.

After a lopsided second half of the fight, British referee, Teddy Waltham, decided that Mildenberger’s resistance was no longer enough and stopped it three rounds from the final bell.

It may seem a discredit to describe a worthy career with a loss, however, Mildenberger’s valiant performance caused considerable problems for Ali, whose 24-year-old skills were then at their very best.

Despite dizzying hand speed and punches of precision, Ali was made to scrap against the tricky left-hander, who was roared on by the 45,000 fans in attendance.

The opening six rounds saw Ali fail to fully impose himself, while also receiving some thumping punches on the inside. However, as was so often the case, Ali’s first-rate talent soon prevailed and he began to control what should have been a comfortable fight.

A precise right hand to the head was what first dropped the German before continued flurries of punches then bloodied his face further.

However, despite significant swelling and a nasty cut over his right eye, Mildenberger continued to chase the visitor around the ring and enjoyed a seven-round resurgence that ignited the crowd.

The eighth round saw Mildenberger fall to the canvas once again, caught short by a left hook that left him stunned. Ali soon began to assert an increased level of dominance, knocking the German down once more, and the referee called things to a halt in the 12th round.

Mildenberger’s body was battered but his pride intact.

Upon the fighter’s return to his hometown of Kaiserslautern, fans turned out in their thousands to greet German’s biggest boxing hero since Schmeling.

Born on 23 November 1937, he was first introduced to the sport by one of his father’s cousins – previously a boxing champion in the Third Reich.

Growing up in occupied Germany, he was soon welcomed onto a boxing programme by his local sports club, FC Kaiserslautern, before then moving to Mannheim for further training.

A successful amateur career was to follow before he turned professional in 1958. Following a succession of fights on home soil, during which he enjoyed a solid streak of wins, he then made his first real mark during a points victory over Franco Cavicchi in the latter’s native Bologna, Italy.

Mildenberger continued his charge up the punching pecking order, and was duly granted his first title opportunity in 1962, with the rugged and reigning European Champion Dick Richardson his opponent.

In what was an unexpected result for both critics, and more importantly, Mildenberger, the Welshman secured a shock-first round knockout thanks to a piercing right hand.

A seven-month absence from the ring was to follow for the German, before a chance to redeem himself emerged just two years later.

In returning to contender status, the fighter picked up a crucial win against Britain’s former Commonwealth champion Joe Erskine, while Santo Amonti was then his final hurdle in obtaining the European crown.

The Charlottenburg crowd saw Mildenberger successfully pull off an impressive first-round stoppage to obtain the belt – one that he would defend six times during a four-year spell.

His career-defining fight against Ali came after a two-year unbeaten run, however, defeat only enhanced Mildenberger’s reputation on the international stage.

This ensured his spot among the eight men fighting for the vacant heavyweight title in 1967, after Ali was stripped for refusing induction into the Army.

Despite initial optimism, Mildenberger was defeated during the tournament’s first round following a convincing victory from Argentina’s Oscar Bonavena.

This loss lit the spark to the end of an honourable career, with a final fight against Britain’s Henry Cooper ending in defeat.

“Win, lose or draw, I would have retired anyway,” he later said. “This was the end. I was unharmed. No terrible things had happened to me.”

He had an amazing 62 fights within a 10-year career, which is an incredibly short period of time considering the brutality of many bouts.

By way of comparison, former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko fought in 69 contests overall, stretching them out across a 21-year professional career – more than double that of Mildenberger’s decade of quickfire activity.

Retirement saw Mildenberger return to his native Kaiserslautern, where he became a local lifeguard until 2002. His second wife Miriam survives him.

Regardless of his own success on the European stage, challenging Muhammad Ali was his everlasting point of pride.

“Muhammad Ali was and still is the great boxer of all time,” he said to Boxing 247. “A complete athlete. I’m glad I had the chance to square off with him in the ring and give him a hard time.”

Karl Mildenberger, German boxer, born 23 November 1937, died 5 October 2018