Representing the Chicago Hebrew Institute, Walter Maurer never won a major championship of any kind. His best finish before the Olympics came at the 1920 AAU Meet when he lost to the New York AC’s Eino Leino. Leino was a Finn and eventually won a complete set of Olympic medals, including a gold at the 1920 Olympics in the middleweight class. At Antwerp, Maurer won his bronze medal by defeating his teammate, John Redman, in the match for third place. Maurer worked in insurance, and became secretary-treasurer of the Grand Crossing Chapter of the Independent Order of Foresters, fraternal benefit society for foresters.