He is then detailed to escort a British prisoner of war who recognises him as the famous heavyweight boxer Max Schmeling and asks him to tell his story.

In 1936, a fight in New York City with the formidable Joe Louis (Yoan Pablo Hernández) is arranged despite the opposition of the Nazi head of sport who fears he might lose, because Adolf Hitler wants it to go ahead.

Schmeling trains hard and studies film of Louis in preparation for the fight which he wins following a knockout in the 12th round.

He returns home and helps some victims of Kristallnacht and when war breaks out in 1939, he obeys an instruction to enlist in as a paratrooper in the Fallschirmjäger rather than fleeing abroad.

There was criticism of the acting performance of Henry Maske as the title character, director Boll having selected a real life boxer rather than an actor to play the lead.