1. Eric Seelig was middleweight boxing champion in Germany in 1931 and their light-heavyweight champion in 1933.
35 Facts About Eric Seelig
1. 2.
Eric Seelig had a successful boxing career in America from 1935 to 1940.
3.
Eric Seelig was born on July 15,1909, in Bromberg, Germany.
4.
Eric Seelig won his first twelve professional matches in Germany, from February 1931 to March 1932.
5.
On November 12,1931, Eric Seelig took the German middleweight championship in a twelve points decision against Hans Seifried at Zircus Busch in Mitte, Germany.
6.
On February 26,1933, Eric Seelig defeated Helmut Hartkopp in a twelve-round points decision at the Flora Theatre to take the German BDB Light Heavyweight Title.
7.
Eric Seelig competed in France for a few years, boxing in Belgium and England.
8.
Eric Seelig emigrated to the United States via Cuba in 1935.
9.
Eric Seelig enjoyed success in the US compiling a career record of 57 bouts, 40 victories, 7 draws, and 10 losses, and he would fight against several champions including reigning IBU world middleweight champion Marcel Thil, former world middleweight champion Freddy Yarosz, world middleweight champion Fred Apostoli, and reigning world middleweight champion Al Hostak.
10.
On May 22,1933, Eric Seelig fought an important bout against IBU world middleweight champion Marcel Thil at the Palais de Sports in Paris, losing in a twelve-round points decision.
11.
On January 29,1934, Eric Seelig fought Marcel Thil again in Paris, losing in a twelve-round points decision.
12.
Eric Seelig competed unsuccessfully for the EBU European Middleweight Title on March 17,1934, against Gustave Roth, losing in a fifteen rounds points decision in Brussels, Belgium.
13.
Eric Seelig won a ten-round points decision against black Cuban boxer Kid Tunero on September 28,1934, at the Salle Wagram in Paris.
14.
Eric Seelig blasted Rossi around the ring for seven rounds with both lefts and rights, backing him into the ropes, and landing dangerous hooks.
15.
Fifty-five seconds into the eighth, Eric Seelig threw his signature overhand right to the jaw of Rossi and ended the bout.
16.
In only his second bout in New York, Eric Seelig knocked out Charley Bellanger on November 11,1935, to a winning reception, fifty-two seconds into the fourth round at New York's St Nicholas arena.
17.
Eric Seelig was in front by a wide margin when the fight was called.
18.
Eric Seelig won a unanimous fifteen-round decision against leading contender Paul Pirrone in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 16,1935, retaining his standings in the top ten world middleweights.
19.
Eric Seelig came back to win after being knocked down in the second round by a stiff punch to the chin.
20.
On May 10,1938, Eric Seelig lost to highly rated contender Billy Conn in a ten-round mixed decision at the Motor Square Garden in Pittsburgh.
21.
In close bout before a modest crowd of 1,200, Eric Seelig was given three rounds, Conn took five, and two were declared even.
22.
Eric Seelig blasted Conn in the sixth with a right uppercut that sent him to the ropes.
23.
Conn dominated the last three rounds with high pressured infighting that smothered Eric Seelig, and gave a significant points advantage to Conn.
24.
Eric Seelig outpointed Carmen Barth on October 14,1938, at Legion Stadium in Hollywood before a crowd of 4,500.
25.
Eric Seelig dropped the first round from a foul, but used his vicious left hook to gain a points advantage in six of the ten rounds with three to Barth, according to the Los Angeles Times.
26.
Eric Seelig defeated future NYSAC world middleweight champion Ken Overlin on December 20,1938, in a close ten round unanimous points decision before 8,100, at New York Colliseum in the Bronx.
27.
Eric Seelig lost to Overlin in a ten-round points decision at Chicago Stadium on June 8,1939.
28.
Eric Seelig showed more aggression which won him fans in the audience, but Overlin landed more effective punches and allowed him to win decisively.
29.
Eric Seelig drew with Teddy Yarosz, former world middleweight champion, before a crowd of 7,937, on February 3,1939, at New York's shrine to boxing, Madison Square Garden in an eight-round bout, but still retained a top ten world standing among middleweights.
30.
Eric Seelig evened up the bout by scoring repeatedly in close fighting.
31.
On December 11,1939, Eric Seelig fought an NBA world middleweight title match against Al Hostak before an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000 at the Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, losing in a first-round knockout of a scheduled fifteen rounds.
32.
Eric Seelig sparred cautiously in the opening of the round, but was sent to the canvas from a crushing left hook to the right side of his jaw, and could not resume the bout until a count of nine was completed.
33.
Eric Seelig was hammered about the head and body in the sixth, and in the seventh, after arising, turned his back to Mauriello, when the referee called the bout.
34.
Eric Seelig was an athlete persecuted under the Nazi regime, and was not allowed to compete in the Berlin Olympics in 1936, where she would have participated in the hurdles race, having already qualified.
35.
Eric Seelig was elected to the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in November 1999, and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.