Henry Maske facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henry Maske |
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Maske in 2016
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Henry Maske |
| Nickname(s) | Gentleman |
| Rated at | Light Heavyweight |
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
| Nationality | German |
| Born | 6 January 1964 Treuenbrietzen, East Germany |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 32 |
| Wins | 31 |
| Wins by KO | 11 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  East Germany |
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| Men's boxing | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1988 Seoul | Middleweight |
| World Amateur Championships | ||
| Gold | 1989 Moscow | Light Heavyweight |
| Silver | 1986 Reno | Middleweight |
| European Amateur Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1983 Varna | Middleweight |
| Gold | 1985 Budapest | Middleweight |
| Gold | 1987 Turin | Middleweight |
| Gold | 1989 Athens | Middleweight |
Henry Maske (born 6 January 1964) is a famous German former professional boxer. He is known as one of Germany's most popular sports heroes. Maske held the IBF light heavyweight world title from 1993 to 1996.
Contents
Henry Maske: A German Boxing Legend
Early Life and Amateur Boxing
Henry Maske was born in Treuenbrietzen, a town in what was then East Germany. Before becoming a professional, he had a very successful amateur boxing career. An amateur boxer is someone who competes in the sport for fun or for medals, but not for money.
Maske won many important medals for East Germany. He earned a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He also won gold at the 1989 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Moscow. In 1986, he took home a silver medal from the World Amateur Championships in Reno, Nevada.
Olympic Gold Medalist
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Henry Maske competed in the middleweight category. He showed great skill in his fights:
- He won his first fight against Helman Palije from Malawi.
- He then won against Sello Mojela from Lesotho without having to fight (this is called a "walkover").
- In the quarterfinal, he beat Michele Mastrodonato from Italy.
- He won his semifinal match against Chris Sande from Kenya.
- Finally, in the gold medal match, he defeated Egerton Marcus from Canada to win the gold medal.
During his amateur years, Maske faced tough opponents. One of them was Angel Espinosa from Cuba. Maske lost to him three times. Luckily for Maske, Cuba did not send its athletes to the 1988 Olympics, so he did not have to face Espinosa there.
Becoming a Professional Boxer
After Germany became one country again in 1990, Henry Maske decided to become a professional boxer. A professional boxer competes for money and titles. He quickly became a champion. On March 20, 1993, he won the IBF world title in the light heavyweight division.
Henry Maske was a strong champion. He successfully defended his world title ten times between 1993 and 1996. This means he kept his championship belt for a long time. He was very popular in Germany, and millions of people watched his fights on television. For example, his fight against Graciano Rocchigiani in 1995 was watched by over 17 million people!
Maske retired from boxing in 1996 after losing a close fight to Virgil Hill. However, he made a comeback 11 years later. In 2007, he fought Virgil Hill again in Munich and won the fight. This was a great way for him to end his boxing career, as he got to avenge his only loss. Overall, Henry Maske had 32 professional fights, winning 31 of them and losing only one. He won 11 of his fights by knockout.
Life After Boxing
After his boxing career, Henry Maske stayed busy. He became a successful businessman. As of 2010, he owns ten McDonald's restaurants in Germany. He also works as a boxing commentator for a German television channel, sharing his knowledge of the sport with viewers.
Acting Career
In 2010, Henry Maske tried something new: acting! He played the main character in a movie called Max Schmeling. This movie was about another famous German boxer, Max Schmeling. Maske took acting lessons for several months to prepare for the role.
Images for kids
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Henry Maske (left) and his coach Manfred Wolke in 1983.
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Henry Maske (left) and Wladimir Klitschko (right) with sculptor Carsten Eggers, at the unveiling of the Max Schmeling monument in 2010.
See also
In Spanish: Henry Maske para niños
