Another Jewish fighter.
<b><font size=3>Erich Seelig</b></font>
Middleweight
b. 1910-07-12
Bromberg, Germany
Home: Atlantic City, N.J.
(Seelig fled Hitler's Germany in 1933)
Career, 1931-40
<a href="http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=010522" target="_blank">Record</a>: 40-15-7 (8)
Style: Boxer
Fouls frequently
CFB/S 9/10
HP 2
CKD 2
CKO 1
REC 2
CUTS 1
AP 2
KI 5
AGG 7
END 8
DEF 0
FS 2
OR 2
DP 3
CON 2
INT 10
PRF 10
FI 1
FO 2
CU 2
GK 1
CLI 69
Punches
J 21.25/0
H 19/1
CR 21.5/1
CB 16.5/1
UC 18.75
PL 42
CP 40
PM 62
Rate 8
Seelig was the middleweight champ of Germany when Hitler rose to power. On the eve of a title defense, Seelig was threatened by Nazi goons, according to his biography at <a href="jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=boxing&ID=210" target="_blank">Jews in Sports</a>. Seelig fled first to France, then to England and the U.S. He was stripped of his titles, and to this day Germany has never restored them.
In the midst of this upheaval, he lost two fights to IBU middleweight champ Marcel Thil. Then he lost to Gustave Roth, the middleweight champion of Europe.
Once he came to America, though, Seelig settled down. He knocked out the incomparable Mickey Walker in seven rounds in December 1935--the Toy Bulldog's last fight. Then he outpointed Paul Pirrone and moved up the ranks of middleweight contenders, despite a TKO loss to Harry Balsamo.
After beating Ken Overlin and fighting Teddy Yarosz to a draw, he lost to Fred Apostoli and then a rematch with Overlin. Even so, he got a title shot against Al Hostak, who held the NBA middleweight crown. Hostak kayoed Seelig in the first--the only time in his career Seelig was ever counted out.