Schmeling was a good boxer with a stiff right-hand punch and somewhat difficult to anticipate due to his European style of fighting; Max always studied his opponents thoroughly before meeting them in the ring

Nat Fleischer ranked Schmeling as the #9 All-Time Heavyweight; Herb Goldman ranked him as the #15 All-Time Heavyweight; He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1970, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1982 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992