Hein Müller

Hein Müller (6 December 1903 – 29 April 1945) was a German boxer, who was a champion of Europe as both an amateur and a professional. He won German amateur titles at three weights, was European amateur champion at light heavyweight, and as a professional won the German and European heavyweight titles.

Career Born in Cologne, Müller first had success as an amateur. He won a bronze medal at the 1925 European Championships in Stockholm in the welterweight division, and in 1927 in Berlin, he won gold at light heavyweight. He won the German national championship three times, in 1925 at welterweight, in 1926 at middleweight, and in 1927 at light heavyweight.

In February 1929 he beat Hein Heeser on points over 15 rounds to take the VDF German light heavyweight title. In June 1929 he challenged for Michele Bonaglia's IBU European light heavyweight title in Turin, the Italian stopping him in the fourth round. He was stripped of the title after failing to fight mandatory challenger Otto von Porat. In January 1932 he beat Reggie Meen at the Granby Halls in Leicester, Meen being forced to stop in the fourth round due to an eye injury. with Don McCorkindale taking his place. He suffered only the second defeat of his professional career in April 1932, when he was beaten on points by McCorkindale at the Royal Albert Hall, McCorkindale a substitute for Gains who had injured his thumb (the agreed fight with Gains required the lifting of the colour bar that had been in place at the venue since 1923), and in his next fight, in May, lost his European title, with Charles taking a points verdict to regain his title.

Müller's career never recovered, winning only two of his last nine fights (over Hans Schoenrath and Gustave Limousin), suffering knockouts at the hands of von Porat and Jack Petersen (in front of 50,000 spectators at Ninian Park), and failing in three attempts to take the BDB German heavyweight title from Vincenz Hower. In April 1934, Müller announced his decision to retire from boxing and return to his former profession as a baker. He did, however, return for one more fight, an eighth-round stoppage loss to Erwin Klein in November 1934. He retired with a record of 32 wins from 47 fights.

During World War II, Müller was initially exempted from military service due to an eye condition, but in March 1945 he was enrolled into the Volkssturm. He was shot dead by Allied forces during fighting for Berlin on 29 April 1945.