Wilhelm Von Homburg - Boxing

Boxing

He became interested in boxing after Emile Griffith's fateful third bout with Benny Paret. Homburg made his professional boxing debut on July 20, 1962, drawing (tying) over four rounds with Sam Wyatt in Los Angeles. Over the span of eight years, he had 46 bouts with 29 wins in the light heavyweight and heavy weight classes. Homburg adopted the nickname "Prinz" ("Prince"), in order to create an aura of royalty around himself in a similar manner later adopted by British boxer Prince Naseem Hamed.

Homburg's first boxing victory came on September 16, 1962, when he knocked out Bob Brown in the third round at San Diego. On October 25, he lost for the first time, being knocked out in round three by Freeman Harding in the third round at Los Angeles. Eight victories followed, including two over Clifford Gray, before he drew against Tommy Merrill, June 1, 1963, in Las Vegas. Homburg won three of his next five fights, then returned home with a record of 17-3-2. He settled in the city of Hamburg and was managed by Willi Zeller in Germany. Homburg held his German professional boxing debut on May 8, 1964, when he was held to a ten round draw by Ulli Ritter. However, he went on to win seven of his next ten bouts, being described by German press at the time as a "promising newcomer" and using his fight earnings to move to the Hamburg neighborhood of St. Pauli. During this period he and his lifelong friend, Texas heavyweight fighter, Buddy Turman shared billing on several occasions in Germany and Austria, until Turman's retirement in 1967.

Homburg got his first championship try on November 19, 1966, when he contested Piero del Papa for the EBU regional Light Heavyweight title in Berlin. Homburg was defeated by an eleventh round disqualification against Del Papa, who later lost by a first round knockout to Vicente Rondon in a challenge for the WBA World Light Heavyweight title.

For his part, Homburg returned to winning on December 9, only three weeks after his defeat against Del Papa, knocking out Archie McBride in nine rounds at Frankfurt. After winning three more fights, losing one and drawing one, he faced the well respected Gerard Zech, who sported a 33-8-3 record, in an eliminator for the German Light Heavyweight championship. That fight was held on November 8, 1968. Initially declared a loser by a ten round decision, Homburg nevertheless had his hands raised as winner of the contest when it was discovered that the referee, who also acted as official judge, had made a mathematical mistake when he tabulated his scorecard after the bout had finished, and he actually had Homburg, not Zech, as the fight's winner.

Homburg next faced Guido Rinaldi, who lost a fifteen round decision to Archie Moore for the world Light Heavyweight title, three times in 1969, beating him in their first fight by a fifth round knockout, losing a ten round decision and winning their third clash, by an eighth round knockout. The latter would turn to be his last victory.

Homburg went on boxing, but he lost his next four fights, including defeats at the hands of Oscar Bonavena and Jürgen Blin. On December 11, 1970, he held his last fight, losing by a ten round decision to Rudiger Schmidtke in Cologne. Homburg retired from boxing with a record of 29 wins, 11 losses and 6 draws in 46 bouts, with 24 wins coming by knockout.