European fighters

[Rocco Del Sesto]

The decision over Franklin Arrindel was Ackers 5th career win against 31 defeats and 3 draws. In Feb. 1968 he lost number 32 in a decision to Paul Roux. Next up late Febuary he fought Burghard Lembke.

Burghard Lembke - Germany
1967-71,76-78 Heavyweight Rating 1
4 wins / 20 losses / 0 draws / 3 KO

Hometown: Boizenburg, Germany

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Burghard fought quite a few Europeans that we've seen, but mostly to no avail. After defeating an Otto Braune(in his one and only career fight) and Karl-Heinz Troche, Lembke then lost fights to Manfred Ackers, Albert Duscha, Hans Jorgen Jacobsen, Piermario Baruzzi and Rudiger Schmidtke. He Ko'd Horst Dreyer(6-3-0) then lost 13 straight fights including to Giuseppe Ros, Paul Roux, Jan Lubbers, Dave Bailey, Christian Poncelet twice, Peter Schulze, Albert Westphal and Charly Graf.

In December 1976 after being out of the ring without a fight since Sept 1971, Lembke KO'd in the 1st round a Gerg Frings(0-2-0) then lost fights to Lisimo Obutobe and Harry Friedel to finish his career for good.

Ackers handed Burghard his 1st of 20 defeats while Manfred picked up win number 6.

[CONN CHRIS]

It's good to see more on old Manfred. Thanks Rocco.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Thanks Chris!

Rocco

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Following his win over Lembke, Ackers takes on Alfredo Vogrig, a pretty good, but wild Italian LHW. Vogrig stops Ackers in the 10th round to send Ackers back onto his loosing ways. In fact it will be 4 years before Ackers tastes victory again.

Alfredo Vogrig -Italy
Light Heavyweight 1958-75 Rating 1
33 wins / 17 losses / 4 draws / 13 KO's

Alias: Wogrig
Hometown: Udine

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Of Vogrig's 17 career losses, none were by decision. He was stopped in 12 of them and the other 5 were disqualifications.Though moderately successful in the ring, he as apparently quite undisiplined.

Career started out 10-3-1 topped off with 2 consecutive wins over Mike Holt in May and June 1961. The second win, Holt was DQ'd in the 5th round. Holt and Vogrig fought a 3rd straight fight in July 1961, this time with Holt stopping Vogrig in the 5th. That was the start of 5 straight losses. AFter 4 wins in early/mid 1964, Vogrig fought Piero Del Papa for the Italian Light Heavyweight Title. The fight was stopped in the 11th round and declared a no contest. Nothing in BoxRec to offer why it was stopped.

It was Vogrig's only shot at any kind of title. Over the next 10 years he won fights over Helmut Ball, Bernard Thebault, Harry Kneipp, Moussa Sangaree, Julien Van Mechelen, Raimo Nisula, Lion Ven, Manfred Ackers, Conny Velensek, Jean Tshikuna, Jose Manuel Urtain(when Urtain was DQ for an alleged low blow), Ireno Werleman and Arno Prick.

He lost fights to Chic Calderwood, Pekka Kokkonen, Cosimo Bruno, Bob Dunlop, Gregorio Peralta, and after having defeated Prick in July 1972 and then not fighting for almost 3 years, Vogrig came back in Jan 1975 and was Ko'd in the 2nd round by Jose Urtain. Urtain was suspended after the fight by authorities who questioned the force of the KO blow.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

After loosing by 10th round TKO to Vogrig, Ackers then was decisioned in 4 rounds by Rudiger Schmidtke in June 1968 and then in 6 rounds by Kurt Stroer in August.

That brings up a pretty decent Italian Heavyweight opponent in Armando Zanini who is 4-0 in October 1969 after a year layoff by Ackers. Zanini outpoints Ackers in 6 rounds.

Armando Zanini - Italy
Heavyweight 1969-76 Rating 2
15 wins / 8 losses / 2 draws / 4 KO

Alias: Ernando Ermanno

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Zanini won his firs 7 bouts including victories over Emil Svaricek, Burghard Lembke, Manfred Ackers and Peter Schulze. In 1970 he fought 4 times only somewhat successfuly, going 2-1-1. He then lost 2 fights one to Sarel Aucamp to lead up to a December 1971 bout with Dante Cane for the Italian Heavyweight Title. Cane was disqualified in the 5th round handing the title to Zanini.

Zanini didn't hold the title long. After beating Benito Penna in January 1972, Zanini lost the Italian HW Title to Giuseppe Ros in March of that year by 7th round TKO. Zanini then stayed out of the ring for the remainder of 1972 before coming back in 1973 winning 4 bouts including 8 round decisions over Jose Antonio Galvez and Manuel Ramos. He fought an 8 round draw with Ngozika Ekwelum in November 1973 then in February 1974 he took on Dante Cane for the then vacant Italian HW Title. This time, Cane come out the victor with a 10th round TKO over Zanini. Zanini then vanished from the ring until April 1975 when in April and then again in December of that year he lost decisions to Benito Penna. A March 1976 5th round TKO loss to Alfio Righetti ended Zanini's career.

[SAL]

Glad to see you back in action Rocco.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by SAL

Glad to see you back in action Rocco.

Thanks SAL! I work on something for awhile and then I got to switch to something else just to mix thngs up.

Rocco

[Rocco Del Sesto]

After Zanini, Ackers then lost a 6 round decision to Peter Schulze and in January 1970 was disqualified in the 3rd round against Christian Poncelet. Three weeks after the Poncelet fight in Sedan, France, Ackers traveled back to Germany to take on Mecki Friedrich, a pretty much untried heavyweight.

Mecki Friedrich - Germany
Heavyweight 1969-70 Rating 4
3 wins / 0 losses / 0 draws / 2 KO

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Knocked out Freddy Hubert in the first round and sent Hubert out of the ring for good for his first career fight. Mecki then KO'd Fernando Ramos from Argentina who was 1-0 at the time, but this would be the first of 13 consecutive losses for Ramos to finish his career.

In January 1970, Mecki then faced Manfred Ackers and won a 6 round decision, but not being able to knockout a guy like Ackers, maybe Mecki decided he really wasn't meant for success in this world of boxing, so it ended his brief career undefeated as it was, 3-0.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

AFter his loss to FRiedrich, Ackers then lost 8 round decisoin to Jan Lubbers and a 6 round decision to Christian Poncelet in Mach and April 1970. Ackers then went on to Essen, Germany to fight Kurt Luedecke who would later briefly hold the Germany Heavyweight title.

Kurt Luedecke - Germany
Heavyweight 1968-78 Rating 1
12 wins / 11 losses / 0 draws / 4 KO

Birthplace: Bevensen, Germany

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Luedecke's fights did not last long either winning or loosing. He was stopped 9 times in his 11 losses. He lost 2, 10 round decisions, one to Christian Poncelet, the other to Jean-Pierre Coopman. The rest of his fights last 6 rounds or less.

From 1968 through 1976 with about a 3-1/2 year break from 1972 to 75, he won fights against Manfred Ackers three times, Peter Schulze twice, Herbert Willems, Gregory Downes and Hartmut Sasse. He lost fights to Gregori Peralta, Ramon Peralta, Jan Lubbers, Miguel Angel Cuello.

In January 1977 he KO'd Bernd August in the 2nd round to win the German Heavyweight Title. AFter that Luedecke was KO'd in the 2nd by Kilani Ramdani and lost a 10 round decision to Coopman. In September 1978 in what was his last fight Luedecke was stopped in the 2nd round by Bernd August loosing the Germany HW Title to August.

BTW...The fighters that I'm not posting whom Ackers fought, they have all been rated by myself or others and posted at the OOTP forum or at Cornerwork and just assume you have them. If there's someone I mention that anyone would like posted just let me know.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

After Ackers defeat to Kurt Luedecke he then lost two straight fights to Jan Lubbers in Sept and October 1970. Seven days after the 2nd defeat to Lubbers he met Ferenc Kristofcsak and managed a 6 round draw.

Ferenc Kristofcsak - Hungary
Heavyweight 1969-74 Rating 1
3 wins / 19 losses / 1 draw / 3 KO

Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Stopped 9 times and DQ'd 3 times in his 19 losses. Managed a win against Emil Svaricek and Pietro Disaro(3-3-0) whom he also lost 3 times to. Lost fights to Armando Zanini, Giuseppe Ros, Alfredo Vogrig, Jan Lubbers twice, Benito Penna, Kurt Luedecke, Christian Poncelet, Horst Lang, Bernd August, Jean-Pierre Coopman and Hennie Thoonen. He also lost to a hard puncher named James Helwig(22-1-0,15KO's). He fought a 6 round draw with Manfred Ackers.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

On Oct 31, 1970, Ackers lost a 6 round decision to Kurt Luedecke. Manfred then traveled to Cremona, Italy in December and was KO'd in the 6th round by Benito Penna. Coming back to Germany, veteran Albert Westphal dispatched Ackers in 2 rounds in Feb 1971 and then two months later, Rudi Lubbers defeated Ackers in an 8th round TKO. This leads up to a match against Nic Suhrig, a German LHW comes on and quickly exits from the European boxing scene in late '71 to early '72.

Nic Suhrig - Germany Rating 1
Light Heavyweight 1971-72
2 wins / 3 losses / 0 draw / 1 KO

Birthplace: Hoechst, Germany

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

KO'd Willi Holweg in 2 rounds in debute in May 1971. Lost 4 round decision to Peter Donner in October '71. Then won his 2nd fight in November on a 2nd round DQ of opponent Otto Louki. Lost last two fights of career in 1972 to Manfred Ackers and Mohamed Hassan.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

After defeating Nic Suhrig in a 4 round decision in March 1972 for his 7th career win, Ackers then though August of that year looses 5 more times to Kurt Luedecke, Kurt Stoer, Kilani Ramdani, Charly Graf and Horst Lant.

Then in October 1972, Ackers heads up to Helsinki, Finland to take on Finnish HW, Timo Ahola. Here Ackers manages his 8th and what would turn out to be his last career victory, a 3rd round TKO of Ahola.

Timo Ahola - Finland Rating 1
Heavyweight 1972-75
8 wins / 2 losses / 1 draw / 3 KO

Hometown: Helsinki, Finland

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Lost to Manfred Ackers in his second fight and to Bjorn Rudi in the last fight. Wins included over Peter Schulze, Ermanno Festorazzi, Ireno Werleman, Ferenc Kristofcsak and Hennie Thoonen.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

With Ahola, that my friends will actually be the last posting of any of Ackers' opponents. He finishes out his career through September 1973 with 7 more defeats, to Horst Lang, Kilani Ramdani, Hartmut Sasse, Bernd August, Horst Lang, Bjorn Rudi and finally Hennie Thoonen racks up defeat number 60 of Manfred Ackers.

With that all of Ackers opponents have been rated by myself or someone else. I notice a good number done my Mark Elwood, for those done by other who off hand I don't remember who did them, thank you for your contributions to the Manfred Ackers project which I'll finish up probably next weekend as I'll be going out of town on business for most of this week, with the actually rating of Mr. Ackers himself. It will be interesting to play test someone with so many fights with all his opponents present in the game data base. So tune in next weekend for the grand presentation of Mr Futility himself, Manfred Ackers!!

Rocco

[SAL]

Great job Rocco
Thanks for all of Ackers opponents.
I will be patiently waiting for the real Manfred Ackers to be posted.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Here he is, Mr. Futility, Manfred Ackers

Man, did this guy rate low!

That was a fun project. In fact I'm going to do something else now along the same lines I think. While away on my business trip waiting in airports on flying around, I re read the book Facing Ali. It started out I just wanted to read the part again on Tunney Hunsaker but with all the extra time ended reading the whole thing again. This got me thinking of going through the careers of these 15 fighters in this book like I did with Manfread Ackers and following through thier careers and rate those opponents who haven't been done yet.

Hope ya all enjoyed Manfred.

Rocco

[CONN CHRIS]

Rocco

Thanks for unveiling Manfred. I look forward to seeing him get kicked around Europe in my little world

Christopher

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Rocco

Thanks for unveiling Manfred. I look forward to seeing him get kicked around Europe in my little world

Christopher

Thanks Chris!

Now I got to get caught up on what you all been doing all week!

Rocco

[CONN CHRIS]

MAURICE MOLS HW (1951-1961) Overall Rating = high 1

Hometown - Nanterre, France

14(4)-27-5

French Heavyweight Champion
Paris Heavyweight Champion

Mols fought a number of the better known European heavies from the 1950s. He scored wins over Bernardo Pacini, Werer Wiegand and Robert Eugene. He drew with Gianbattista Alfonsetti and Hans Kalbfell while dropping bouts to Uber Bacilieri, Robert Duquesne, Alain Cherville, Henry Copper, Willi Besmanoff, Emile Vidal, Mino Bozzano, Dick Richardson, Ulli Ritter, Albert Westphal, Franco De Piccoli and Jean-Paul Schiller. Mols was stopped 5 times in 46 bouts.

[CONN CHRIS]

Maurice Mols

[CONN CHRIS]

GOGEA MITU HW (1935) Overall Rating = 1

Hometown - Bucharest, Romania

0-1-0

Mitu is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the tallest boxer. He stood 7'4" and weighed 327 pounds when he had his one pro fight. He was knocked out in the fourth round by American George Godfrey in June of 1935. Godfrey was himself a large man at 6'3" but must have appeared to be a Lilliputian next to Mitu.