Hans Orsolics

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Hans Orsolics boxer
Data
Birth Name Johann Orsolics
Weight class Light welterweight, welterweight
nationality AustriaAustria Austria
birthday May 14, 1947
place of birth Neuberg in Burgenland
style Legal display
size 170 cm
Combat Statistics
Struggles 53
Victories 42
Knockout victories 28
Defeats 8th
draw 3

Johann "Hans" Orsolics (sometimes referred to as "Hansi", "Hanse", "Hansee" and "Johannes"; born  May 14, 1947 in Neuberg im Burgenland ) is a former Austrian professional boxer , whose career followed early successes (most recent European champion , two European championship titles, world number one) took an unfortunate course. His further life was initially marked by a steep social decline before he managed to return to a secure existence. Due to a surprising success as a singer, he temporarily became a kind of Austrian cult figure.

Life

Origin and education

Johann "Hans" comes from a poor background ("We were very poor people") from his parents Johann and Aloisia Orsolics. After his beginnings in Neuberg (No. 104) in Burgenland, the first years of his life in Kaisermühlen in Vienna, he grew up with his three siblings in a small one-room caretaker's apartment in Ottakring in Vienna . He is described as “a bully and bully from childhood”, “whose mother tongue is not German , but Viennese ” ( Falter , 19/2007). Hans was sickly and started boxing. At the age of twelve he drank himself “ into a coma ” for the first time and became a quarterly drinker (since about 1988 “dry”) . After secondary school, in which he failed, he (nonetheless) did an apprenticeship as a chimney sweep , which he completed as a journeyman.

Boxing career

Orsolics started boxing at the age of twelve and became Austrian youth champion at the age of 16. He was discovered for the sport by the boxing trainer Karl Marchart and started his professional career on July 30, 1965 with a knockout victory in the first round over Mario Batzu. He also won his next seven fights prematurely by knockout, including against the former Belgian champion Pierre Tirlo and the former German champion Karl Furcht. He suffered his first defeat on June 7, 1966 by a technical knockout in the fourth round against the Finn Jarmo Bergloef, who had drawn in his last fight against former world champion Joe Brown . Orsolics, however, won the rematch six months later by winning points. Before his first European Championship fight, he beat two other opponents, including the former multiple German champion Klaus Jacoby.

On June 6, 1967, he boxed for the European title of the European Boxing Union (EBU) in the light welterweight division and won the title in front of around 9,000 spectators in the Wiener Stadthalle by winning points against the German Conny Rudhof . At just under 20 years of age, he was the youngest European title holder to date, bringing a title back to Austria for the first time in 17 years after Joschi Weidinger . Up to this point, Rudhof had only suffered six defeats in 68 professional fights, was a former European lightweight champion and reigning European light welterweight champion, who defended his first title against Orsolics.

On September 12, 1967 he defended his title by knockout in round 11 against the multiple Spanish champion and ex-European champion Juan Albornoz. The Spaniard also suffered a broken nose and a cheekbone. Orsolics' voluntarily chosen rematch on December 5th ended in a draw, which Orsolics could keep his title. At the end of December 1967 he came in third place in the election for "Austrian Sportsman of the Year" (behind Emmerich Danzer and Reinhold Bachler ).
On May 7, 1968, he lost his European Championship belt in the third defense of his title to the later WBC world champion Bruno Arcari from Italy. Orsolics was controversially withdrawn from the fight in round 12 by the Scottish referee due to a cut injury over the eye.

With seven victories in a row, including five by knockout, he got another chance at the European championship title of the EBU, this time in the next higher weight class, the welterweight. He won this title on September 25, 1969 by knockout in the fourth round against the French Jean Josselin and was thus again European champion. His win against Josselin, who had never lost prematurely in his 65 professional fights to date and was a World Cup challenger in 1966, is considered the best fight of his career and, according to Orsolics, was the only one in which he brought his often missed killer instinct to bear.

After defending his title early on January 26, 1970 against the German champion Klaus Klein , he defeated the later WBA and WBC world champion Carmelo Bossi on points in a further title defense on April 9, 1970, and thereby became world number one in the welterweight division.

Although a fight against the world champion José Nápoles had already been largely negotiated and planned for November 20, 1970 in Vienna, Orsolics' management decided, for dubious reasons, to conduct a test fight against the widely feared US ex-former, who was avoided by many top boxers. Perform world champion Eddie Perkins .

This ultimately completely superfluous fight ended on September 3, 1970 with a severe knockout defeat Orsolics' in the fourth round, which destroyed all World Cup plans and was to be the turning point of his career. Because only two and a half months later - and not yet recovered from the defeat against Perkins - he lost his European title against the Englishman Ralph Charles on November 20, 1970 despite a good performance through a knockout defeat in the twelfth round. However, Orsolics' supervisor protested against the outcome of the fight, as the decisive blow allegedly came after a "break" command from the referee, whereupon both boxers should have taken a step back. The European Boxing Union rejected the protest, however, because the referee denied such a command. At the time of the cancellation, Orsolics was clearly in the lead on points.

Three attempts to regain the title - this time in the light middleweight division - failed in the following years. On March 15, 1973 he lost to the Italian Juan Carlos Durán controversially on points, which in the opinion of many - not only Austrian - observers was a clear misjudgment. On February 1, 1974, the fight against the French Jacques Kechichian ended with an abandonment defeat in the ninth round, with Orsolics having brought Kechichian to the brink of a knockout in an earlier phase of the fight, but failed to follow up decisively. Another defeat to José Manuel Durán on November 5, 1974 meant the end of Orsolics' boxing career.

Orsolics' strengths were his considerable boxing talent, his good reflexes and his enormous fighting heart. The main weak point was the inability to strike an already battered opponent with the decisive knockout blow (“killer instinct”), which sometimes even led to the accusation that Orsolics was “too soft” for boxing. He often had difficulty bringing the fighting weight. In addition, as it became known later, he suffered from an increasingly severe alcohol problem.

His enormous popularity was undisputed, which caused the Wiener Stadthalle to be completely sold out several times and brought sensational ratings to the TV broadcasts of his fights - albeit with a lack of competition. Conversely, the final establishment of television as a mass medium in Austria also contributed its part to Orsolics' popularity, as there had been hardly any TV broadcasts of boxing matches beforehand - especially with Austrian participation. However, since Austrian television was only prepared to pay low - from today's perspective grotesquely low - prices for the broadcasting rights, there were repeated conflicts with the organizers, who feared for the more profitable income from ticket sales.

Social descent

Orsolics, only 28 years old after the end of his boxing career, was stripped of his boxed millions by "friends". So he first tried to get started in gastronomy and opened his inn “Zum Rauchfangkehrer” in Goldschlagstraße in the 15th district ( Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus ), so named after his learned profession. A lack of experience in this area and an increasing alcohol addiction let him slide into bankruptcy with the restaurant. The resulting debts with additional tax claims from the tax office and the costs of the divorce from his first wife soon grew to a burden of debt that Orsolics could no longer cope with alone. In addition, he was increasingly involved in brawls (often after provocations and / or under the influence of alcohol). In total, he was convicted 14 times and spent 846 days in prison. Orsolics, who also had massive psychological problems, was finally forced to live on welfare and was only saved from homelessness by finding a place to live in his father's house in Burgenland. His former “friends” had broken off all contact with him.

The extent to which wrong decisions by Orsolics' management have damaged his career is speculation. What is certain, however, is that his adherence to some people in his environment who were considered dubious, but whom he regarded as personal friends, opened up a range of financial opportunities - such as B. a well endowed contract with the Wiener Stadthalle - brought. Inexperience paired with gross negligence in financial matters also ensured that after the end of his boxing career, despite fighting fairs totaling around 4 million schillings (300,000 euros), he remained in debt of around 600,000 schillings (43,000 euros).

Kind of a comeback

The turning point in 1986 brought a documentary designed by the ORF sports presenter and boxing expert Sigi Bergmann , in which Orsolics' great successes were contrasted with the dreary situation at the time and which triggered a large number of reactions and a wave of helpfulness. The offer of the Viennese songwriter Charly Kriechbaum proved to be the most successful, who provided Orsolics with a song written under the impression of the TV documentary, which precisely described the exboxer's situation and in the refrain “I lifted valuan, as only ana can validate who has a heart instead of a brain ”(“ I have lost as only one can lose who has a heart instead of a brain ”) summed it up. The resulting single Mei potschertes Leben (“My awkward life”) became a kind of cult record , despite or perhaps because of Orsolics' lack of vocal skills or its authenticity, reached the top spot on the Austrian charts and was so lucrative that Orsolics succeeded - together with the income from live performances in discotheques etc., as well as a subsequent LP Come Back  - to pay off a large part of his debts.

His "real friend" Sigi Bergmann, with whom he has been friends since around the age of 20, found him a job as a warehouse worker in the ORF in-house print shop, where he worked until he became cancerous in 2009, despite being completely disabled. He went "to Kalksburg" (colloquially for the Anton Proksch Institute ), successfully withdrew from alcohol and, under medical treatment, fought his psychological problems (hearing voices, attacks of paranoia and jealousy). A new marriage helped him, which made his personal “comeback” perfect for Orsolics.

In 2009 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and removed a tumor on his right lung.

family

Hans Orsolics has a daughter and lives with his second wife Roswitha in a small communal apartment in Vienna's 12th district of Meidling on "37 square meters, a boxing ring measures 36" ( Der Standard, June 2008): "I owe a lot to her, we all have them Debts paid back. ”In addition to his wife, his sister Erika - one of three siblings - takes care of him.

His nephew Mario Orsolics is also a boxer and boxing trainer and became known in Austria through the ATV - docu-soap "The business with love - women from the east".

Quotes

  • “It's madness. Orsolics often uses this word as the end of his thoughts, considerations ”( Falter, 19/2007).
  • In the Viennese dialect Orsolics often uses the phrase: "A madness, normal." Translated literally into written language: "A madness, normal.". Basically, this means something like: "Actually amazing."
  • Orsolics' comments on radio and television are legendary. Two of his most famous statements:
“I was always either at the top or at the bottom. The center has never interested me. "
"I couldn't adjust to my opponent, he was very difficult to box."
  • About alcohol:
“Many boxers became alcoholics after their careers. I started earlier. "
“Derschlogn could have done it, shoot it, oh techn, olles. In the boxing ring, on the street, at the train station, in the pub. Normally I would have long since died. I owe everything to my wife, I went to Kalksburg through her and stopped drinking. Woa a luck. "

reception

With his play The Boxer or The Second Air of Hans Orsolics , the writer Franzobel dealt artistically with the rise and fall of Hans Orsolics and focused on the period between 1965 and 1986. On February 19, 2011, the play was staged in the Vienna casino on Schwarzenbergplatz of the Burgtheater with Johannes Krisch in the lead role.

“When he [Hans Orsolics] talks about a visit to the Burgtheater, it sounds like this: 'A leiwande Hütt'n. Have you already been boxing? A madness. '"

The song Hansi Da Boxer by Voodoo Jürgens and Nino from Vienna , released in 2016, is about Hans Orsolics.

Boxing successes

amateur

  • 1964: Austrian junior champion

professional

  • June 6, 1967 to May 7, 1968: European light welterweight champion
  • September 25, 1969 to November 20, 1970: European welterweight champion
  • 15th place in the all-time European ranking ( BoxRec , May 2017)
  • 152nd place in the all-time world rankings (BoxRec, May 2017)

Discography

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
My potschertes life
  AT 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 02/15/1986 (10 weeks)
  • Single, 1986: Mei potschertes Leben (Text / Music: Charly Kriechbaum; KIWI Records; No. 1 in the Austrian Charts, February to April 1986)
  • Single, 1986: Bleib no da / Please go (Text / Music: Zenker / Wolf / Zenker / Hermann; Ron Records)
  • LP, 1986: Come Back (Ron Records)
    • Don't stay there (text / music: Wolf, Zenker)
    • Mei potschertes Lebn (text / music: Kriechbaum)
    • Rock'n'Roller (Text / Music: Herrmann, Zenker)
    • Fairy tales (text / music: Müller, Ruzicka, Zenker)
    • Tennessee Waltz (Text / Music: Stewart, King, Zenker)
    • Again I stand in front of your house (text / music: Fischer, Zenker)
    • Please go (text / music: Herrmann, Zenker)
    • Today is today (Text / Music: Kriechbaum)
    • I never go to bed (Text / Music: Zenker, Bannon)
    • Sometime (text / music: Wingert, Zenker)
  • Audio CD, 2009: Kottan determined : Act 3 (episodes 20 to 25 as radio plays), together with Kottan's band

Filmography

  • 1989: Tatort - Money for the Greeks ( episode 218a * ). Soundtrack: "My potschertes Leb'n".
  • 1993/1994/1996: Tohuwabohu in 5 episodes as himself.
  • 1997/1998: Tohuwabohu in 2 episodes. Soundtrack: "My potschertes Leb'n".
  • 2004: Trautmann - heavyweight (episode 7). Than himself.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Boxing legend Hans Orsolics turns 60. In: burgenland. ORF .at. May 14, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i See interview in the daily newspaper Der Standard , June 2008: "STANDARD: You have been dry for 20 years." - [...] - "Hansi: [...] I was already drinking when I was twelve . Everything, beer, wine, schnapps. "
  3. ↑ 40 years ago: European boxing champion Orsolics "Hanse" Johannes visits Neuberg. (PDF; 1.1 MB) In: Community news from the Neuberg community. No. 2/2007, June 2007, p. 9. Accessed on October 27, 2011. (Compare here: While the father is called Johann, the son “Hanse” is referred to as Johannes. On the other hand, he signed a letter “To the community administration von Neuberg ”( facsimile shown in the article), dated July 1967, with“ Orsolics Johann ”.)
  4. ↑ Gernot Aglas ( "admin"): triumphs and sorrows of a boxer. Orsolics Hansi. In: Review by oepb / Austrian Press Office. May 4, 2007 (accessed on October 27, 2011) on Sigi Bergmann: Orsolics Hansi K. o. Triumphs and sufferings of a boxer. Vienna 2007.
  5. ^ "Danzer again athlete of the year" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna December 23, 1967, p. 12 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  6. ↑ Tibor Zenker: For Helmut Zenker's 60th birthday . At: kottan.info. January 9, 2009. Retrieved October 27, 2011. ("... the album" Comeback "by former European boxing champion Hans Orsolics was produced by Zenker and released on his own record label," Ron Records "...")
  7. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Mario Orsolics. Trainer entry on the website of the Martial Arts Center Tosan, Vienna. Retrieved October 27, 2011.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.tosan.at
  8. ^ The business with the prolos. In: The Standard. Print edition, February 23, 2010. Accessed October 27, 2011.
  9. ^ A b Franzobel: 'The Boxer or The Second Air of Hans Orsolics'. ( Memento of the original from February 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Description of the work. Burgtheater program, February 2011. Accessed October 27, 2011. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.burgtheater.at
  10. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Cheers for the real and the fake Hansi - Franzobel's “DER BOXER or The Second Air of Hans Orsolics” premiered at the Burgtheater. (PDF; 120 kB). Short report and summary of press comments on the premiere on February 19, 2011. Accessed on October 27, 2011.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.sesslerverlag.at
  11. ↑ Claudia Fromme: Gscheida Bua. In: sz.de. February 10, 2017, accessed December 20, 2018 .
  12. ↑ discogs.com
  13. ↑ Chart sources: AT
  14. ↑ Kottan is investigating again! File 3. 6 radio plays with the Kottan team. At: kottan.info. January 9, 2009. Accessed October 27, 2011.
predecessor Office successor
Conny Rudhof European boxing light welterweight champion ( EBU )
June 6, 1967 - May 7, 1968 		Bruno Arcari
predecessor Office successor
Jean Josselin European welterweight boxing champion ( EBU )
September 25, 1969 - November 20, 1970 		Ralph Charles
personal data
SURNAME Orsolics, Hans
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Orsolics, Johann (real name); Orsolics, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian boxer and singer
DATE OF BIRTH May 14, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Neuberg in Burgenland