Saint Michael's College

Mike was a star Vermont Golden Gloves boxer as an undergraduate before making a heralded comeback in his 30s. Following graduation, he remained heavily involved in the sport, including as a referee, a certified USA Boxing official and as head of the Golden Gloves Association of Vermont, coaching and training the next generation of boxers in Vermont. During his first year at Saint Michael’s, Mike won the 1965 Vermont Golden Gloves championship at 135 pounds, earning tournament most outstanding boxer honors. He later took the regional crown at the New England Tournament of Champions in Lowell, Mass., before advancing to the national Golden Gloves championship in Kansas City. The Vermont Golden Gloves tournament was discontinued in Mike’s junior year, temporarily halting his amateur career, but when it returned in 1978, he was there not only as tournament co-director but, after not boxing in a dozen years, as a competitor. He made good on his comeback attempt, winning the 147-pound division, a feat that landed him in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd. Once his boxing career concluded, Mike continued coaching out of the Essex Boxing Club, training four-time New England champ Tony Robitaille and two-time titlist Dave Fields. He continued to be a resource for up-and-coming local boxers up until his death in 2019.