Well, this is a weird one. The figure itself looks great of course, I especially like the interesting kneepads and the accuracy of the head sculpt. And the details in general.
BUT...
Prepare for a Skywalkersaga (<3) style wall of text! As I happen to know some facts about this guy. If it's too political, delete it or whatever, but I try to be fun and educating here! Was going to keep it short, but then it escalated a bit, forgive me...
I guess the figure is mostly based on propaganda photos of Schmeling.
But that short info text is rather history bending and leaves out some important details, now giving the impression he might be some kind of war hero.
Some war facts:
After landing on Crete, he did not run into combat and went shooting 'towards enemies'. He was actually ill beforehand, and Crete was his first mission ever, aged 35. On the day of the landing, he hurt his leg and his spine (the spine was already damaged thanks to his rematch vs. Joe Louis, which ended his boxing career) directly sending him into a hospital. He probably never fired a shot. Then the war was over for him, he visited American POW camps, but not as part of the army anymore.
- When an US Reporter showed up in the Greece hospital for an interview, Schmeling was like: "Brits are nice, I hope the war is over soon, I want to visit my friends in America."
Goebbels was like: "Wtf??" And they mostly ditched him, their former propaganda puppet.
- His home in Hamburg was bombed and burned out during an US air raid.
- Few days before the war ended, he went on a mission to a prison camp for US Airmen to ask them: "Communists are much worse than us, you like to fight them together? Airmen were like: "...nuts."
Some pre war facts:
- before the war, he was a rather naive propaganda tool and friends with Hitler, Goebbels & Co. Because they really were into boxing for multiple reasons and they liked his biceps.
- From his first big boxing money he bought a Harley, he had an accident while riding with his sister, she died
- About his first World Champion title: he won after his opponent Jack Sharkey was disqualified for a low blow which knocked out Schmeling. Schmeling wasn't that proud of the way he achieved the title, understandably. After defending the title one time, he lost the title in his rematch vs Sharkey, who fought fairer this time.
- although he benefited a lot from the Nazi party and being their puppet, it seems he wasn't that invested in their ideology
- Hitler and co. asked him: "Well your promoter in America is a Jew, your wife Czech, could you ditch them please?"
Max: "Nein, I like them."
H: "Oh...ok, cool."
- he also hid some Jewish friends kids in his suite to protect them from a purge
- his victory vs Joe Louis was a big propaganda event for ideological reasons, Fascism Vs Freedom and Democracy, White Vs. Black etc.
- in the rematch fight, Joe Louis knocked him out in round 1, damaging the spine, ending his career. His old 'friends' didn't like him that much anymore after that.
Some post war facts:
Despite his connections to the party, he wasn't found guilty or prosecuted for any crimes. Of course he later said he was forced to join the war as a soldier, but he probably volunteered because paratroopers are cool.
- Later he turned into a business man, farming chicken and tobacco and producing prize winning pelts from cute little animals.
- He and his wife couldn't have kids, but they put a lot of money and effort in organizations to help kids in need
- He was also making BIG MONEY WITH AMERICAN SOFT DRINKS!
Really big money.
- He anonymously paid the funeral for his friend Joe Louis.
- Schmeling died 2005, aged 99.
Anyway, enough of that. You can see there are also a lot of US themes in there which might be interesting. My point is, they just could have used the facts but maybe it wouldn't sell that good?
Thanks to all my three readers. xD
Btw, Did.co does a lot of accurate stuff, are they Chinese? My phone says their website is dangerous so I can't find out.