Photos: www.sport.de

30.11.06: “It was my pleasure and an honour – but what will stick even more is the bad feeling I have for Axel,” said a disappointed Olaf Schroeder, who acted as cutman for German heavyweight icon Axel Schulz’ failed comeback attempt last Saturday in Halle/W, Germany. After seven years out of the ring, the 38-year-old former three-time ‘world’ heavyweight title challenger was outclassed and ultimately stopped in six rounds by American Brian Minto to immediately afterwards close the book on his much-hyped comeback.

There is an interesting twist about the way the Fight Production manager ended up working with Schulz. Before his first retirement in 1999, while trained by Manfred Wolke and promoted by Sauerland Events, the late Dennie Mancini had tended to Schulz’ face during fights for all of the German’s career. Interestingly, Mancini and Schroeder were well-acquainted for more than two decades and had worked a number of corners together. “I begged Dennie many times to join me with my boxers in the corner as he was a great cutman and I always looked closely to learn something,” says Schroeder today. However, the Londoner passed away aged 71 in 2004 – and when Team Schulz looked to fill the void for the comeback they turned to Schroeder. “I was taken by surprise and told them straight away ‘If you think I’m half as good as Dennie was, then you better look for someone else.’ But Axel trusted me and of course it is a great honour to follow a boxing legend like Dennie.”

The way the fight went, Schroeder was kept busy from the first round as Schulz’ face was rapidly swelling up. Schulz later admitted that he completely froze upon entering a sold-out arena with 12.500 fans and more than 10 millions watching on television. “It just hurt to see a nice guy like Axel loose like that…,” Schroeder later pondered in the dressing room, no doubt thinking once or twice about Dennie Mancini, who was seen on photos illustrating Schulz’ career on the long walk to the ring.