The stakes were important to both men. Schmeling was making the first defense of his NBA and The Ring heavyweight titles while trying to solidify his claim as champion ahead of a possible rematch with Sharkey. Stribling, who entered the boxing history with the busiest record, was unstoppable despite hundreds of professional fights and got his chance after defeating several of the best European fighters.
Schmeling started aggressively in the opening round, landing clean 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 combination that caused swelling in Schmeling's eye and gave the crowd hope for an upset.
The fight gradually changed after the opening rounds.
From the fifth round onwards, Schmeling began to win exchanges with his jab and right hand. Stribling remained competitive, but the champion gradually took control of the fight.
In the ninth round, a crushing right hand rocked Stribling, the first clear sign that the fight was clearly turning in the champion's favor.
Schmeling continued to apply pressure in the championship rounds. Stribling took a heavy penalty in the 10th before a right hand over his left eye hurt him badly in the 11th. The American player later admitted that it was the punch that made him believe he was beaten.
Even though he was tired, Stribling refused to give up. He survived the 12th to 14th rounds by fighting whenever possible and taking time to buy time, showing the resilience that carried him through an unusual task.
With seconds remaining in the 15th lap, Schmeling finally broke. A crushing right hand dropped Stribling for the only win of the fight. The challenger climbed to his feet for a 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 that the stoppage came too soon as he had only been down once, but praised Schmeling for fighting the right way throughout the tournament.
The victory gave Schmeling the satisfying title he needed after the controversy surrounding the Sharkey fight and he remains one of the strongest players of his Hall of Fame career. He later became one of boxing's most important heavyweight champions with his memorable feud with Joe Louis.
For Stribling, it was the only stoppage defeat of his remarkable career. He continued boxing before his life was tragically cut short in October 1933, when injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident claimed his life at the age of just 28.
The victory gave Schmeling the title shot he needed after the controversy surrounding his win over Jack Sharkey and remains one of the best performances of his championship career.
