Just a few months ago, Henry Maske visited his former trainer Manfred Wolke in the nursing home. Now he has to come to terms with his death.
Former boxing world champion Henry Maske (60) mourns the loss of his former trainer Manfred Wolke (1943-2024). The sports legend, who was himself an Olympic boxing champion, died at the age of 81 in Frankfurt/Oder on May 29, according to consistent media reports.
His former protégé Maske told Bild: “The death of my trainer hit me very hard, of course.” He was able to visit Manfred Wolke, who was most recently living in a care facility, again on January 24. “He was in very good physical shape at the time. It was just this dementia… Now he’s gone and also relieved.”
Boxing pro Marco Huck also pays tribute to Manfred Wolke
With Wolke at his side, Maske celebrated great boxing successes. He won the gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games and the world title a year later. The trainer himself was also a successful boxer and became Olympic champion in the welterweight division in Mexico City in 1968. After his amateur career, the trained locomotive fitter became a trainer at ASK Vorwärts Frankfurt, where he trained many well-known boxers. Among them were Axel Schulz (55) and the still active Marco Huck (39). The latter emphasized in an interview with “Bild”: “I had the privilege of spending part of my professional career with him and I can say with certainty that he was a great person. His legacy will live on in German boxing history.”
The deceased, who leaves behind his wife and three children, will also remain unforgettable for his most famous protégé, Henry Maske. When he won the most important German sports award for his life’s work in Berlin in 2012 – the “Golden Sports Pyramid” from the German Sports Aid Foundation – Wolke was at his side. And Maske provided a touching moment: he passed the award, which is associated with induction into the German Sports Hall of Fame, on to his legendary trainer.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
