He is one of the greatest German boxers of all time. But the end of his professional career goes differently than planned. Afterwards, Henry Maske voices a nasty suspicion
It was supposed to be his big farewell show. After more than 25 years in boxing, Henry Maske was planning to retire for good and go into well-deserved retirement.
He wanted to say goodbye with a big bang. In his last fight, the eleven-time IBF champion was also aiming for the WBA belt. To do so, he “only” had to defeat the US American Virgil Hill
However, November 23, 1996 turned out differently than planned for Maske. Instead of his 31st victory in his 31st professional fight, the boxer celebrated as a “gentleman” suffered a bitter evening in front of his German home crowd.
Over 17 million fans watch the last Maske fight
The tension was palpable in the packed Olympic Hall in Munich. People wanted to give the man who made boxing popular again in Germany with his modest manner a fitting farewell.
The German TV sets were also buzzing with excitement. Over 17 million people watched the mega spectacle live on RTL to see their German hero win one last time
Among them will probably have been the then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. After all, the politician wished Maske every success by telegram – an honor that was only bestowed on very few German boxers.
“It was great to see so many, so many people filling the halls in a sport that had previously been regarded as unworthy by the general public. All of a sudden, people were talking about our sport again without the fear of someone else listening and turning up their nose – on the contrary,” Maske looked back a few years ago in the Donau-Kurier.
Star line-up at Maske’s farewell
The evening got off to a great start. Pop star Heino did the honors and sang the German national anthem with his unmistakable baritone voice. Opera star Andrea Bocelli was also on hand and performed his version of the song “Time To Say Goodbye” together with Sarah Brightmann before the start of the fight
Mask seemed unimpressed at first, however. The Brandenburg native’s focus was much more on his opponent, who was only twelve days younger than the then 32-year-old. He wanted to wear down the man from Missouri just like all his opponents before him.
He always had his opponent under control with his right jab. For his height of 1.90 meters, he also had good footwork, which was very beneficial for his presence in the ring. He controlled his fights at will.
But on the day of his farewell, of all days, things didn’t quite go his way. The 1988 Olympic champion was unable to keep his opponent at bay and was repeatedly forced into the unpopular in-fight
Mask defends himself against criticism
As a result, a very messy fight developed in front of millions of boxing fans. Maske and his successful trainer Manfred Wolke, with whom he had dared to take the controversial step into professional boxing in 1990, could think of no means of putting the agile American under pressure.
Some critics may have felt confirmed that Maske lacked the necessary brutality for the sport. After all, the light heavyweight only had eleven knockouts in 32 fights. Especially in his home country of Hills, the motherland of boxing, he was not well received with his considered fighting style.
“Some people didn’t like this style. But one thing has to be made clear: when 18 million viewers are watching, I’d say I produced more enthusiasm,” Maske countered the criticism.
Bad suspicion after Hill defeat
However, the crowd now had to watch as their star struggled to hit clear shots. Masche’s trainer said afterwards that it was his protégé’s weakest fight
A close duel therefore developed between the two world champions, at the end of which not even the referees could agree on who was the winner. Two of the three referees had the American ahead, plunging Maske, who grew up in the GDR, into a valley of tears.
“Unfortunately it happened, I’m really sorry. In the coming days, weeks and months I will really realize that this last fight was a defeat,” he said into the microphone in a fragile voice.
But when he regained his wits, he voiced a nasty suspicion. “They put us where we belong from America – in the second tier,” he claimed and insinuated that he had lost because of his announced departure, as he did not fit into “the commercial concept”.
Despite the defeat, the many fans in the wide circle of the hall celebrated him as he left the competition venue to another performance of “Time To Say Goodbye” by Bocelli and Brightmann.
At the time, the three-time European amateur champion had no idea that ten years later he would take revenge on Hill for the most painful defeat of his long career. But that’s another story
