René Monse

German heavyweight boxer René Monse burst onto the scene in 1989 as the last East German heavyweight champion before reunification. In 1993 and 1994 he was German champion. At the 1995 Worlds he lost his semifinal against Vitaly Klychko from Ukraine and finished third. One year later he also won a European bronze medal.

In 1997 Monse turned professional and became well-known for his fights against Luan Krasniqi, although losing both. Monse retired after the second fight, later working as a self-employed insurance agent. His son Steven became a professional basketball player in Germany. In 2017, at only 48-years-old, René Monse died after a long illness.