Schmeling answered those doubts with the finest performance of his championship run, stopping durable American challenger Young Stribling in the 15th and final round before more than 35,000 fans at Cleveland’s newly opened Municipal Stadium. The bout was the first major sporting event held at the venue and later earned The Ring magazine’s Fight of the Year honors.
The stakes were significant for both men. Schmeling was making the first defense of his NBA and The Ring heavyweight titles while trying to strengthen his claim as champion ahead of a possible rematch with Sharkey. Stribling, who entered with one of the busiest records in boxing history, had never been stopped despite hundreds of professional bouts and earned his opportunity after defeating several leading European contenders.
Schmeling started aggressively in the opening round, landing the cleaner punches while establishing his jab. Stribling responded well over the next three rounds, using his speed and left hand to keep the fight competitive. In the fourth, the American landed a left-right combination that caused swelling around Schmeling’s eye and gave the crowd hope that an upset was possible.
The fight gradually shifted after the opening rounds.
From the fifth round on, Schmeling began winning the exchanges with his jab and right hand. Stribling remained competitive, but the champion gradually took control of the fight.
By the ninth round, a crushing right hand staggered Stribling, marking the first clear sign that the fight was turning decisively in the champion’s favor.
Schmeling continued applying pressure in the championship rounds. Stribling absorbed heavy punishment in the 10th before a right hand above his left eye badly hurt him in the 11th. The American later admitted that was the punch that convinced him he was beaten.
Although exhausted, Stribling refused to go down. He survived rounds 12 through 14 by fighting back whenever possible and clinching to buy time, displaying the toughness that had carried him through an extraordinary career.
With only seconds remaining in the 15th round, Schmeling finally broke through. A crushing right hand dropped Stribling for the only knockdown of the fight. The challenger climbed to his feet at the count of nine, but referee George Blake stopped the contest at 2:46 of the final round, awarding Schmeling a technical knockout with just 14 seconds remaining.
Stribling later argued the stoppage came too quickly since he had only been down once, but he praised Schmeling for fighting fairly throughout the contest.
The victory gave Schmeling the convincing title defense he needed after the controversy surrounding the Sharkey fight and remains one of the strongest performances of his Hall of Fame career. He later became one of boxing’s most important heavyweight champions through his memorable rivalry with Joe Louis.
For Stribling, it was the only stoppage defeat of his remarkable career. He continued boxing before his life was cut tragically short in October 1933, when injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident claimed his life at just 28 years old.
The victory gave Schmeling the title defense he needed after the controversy surrounding his win over Jack Sharkey and remains one of the finest performances of his championship career.
