Mike Lee (boxer)

Michael Gene Lee (born 1987 in Wheaton, Illinois) is an American professional boxer in the light heavyweight class. He turned pro in February 2010.

For other uses, see Michael Lee.
Mike Lee
Lee at Barclay's Center following KO of Joe Gardner on Jan. 16, 2016
Statistics
Real nameMichael Gene Lee
Weight(s)
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Reach74 in (188 cm)
NationalityAmerican
Born (1987-06-17) June 17, 1987
Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights22
Wins21
Wins by KO11
Losses1

Background

Lee is a 2005 graduate of Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois where he was all conference linebacker in the Catholic League. Lee spent his freshman year at the University of Missouri and then transferred to the University of Notre Dame in 2006 and graduated with a 3.8 GPA in 2009 with a degree in finance from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.[1] He was offered jobs on Wall Street. Lee says, "I relax by watching CNBC, and I like to read the Wall Street Journal."[2]

Amateur career
Lee at a Chicago Golden Gloves competition in 2009

Lee was introduced to the sport at age 16, when his cousin, who is an amateur boxer, took him to the Windy City Gym.[3]

Notre Dame does not have an intercollegiate boxing team. However, Lee won the Bengal Bouts, an all campus intramural boxing tournament each of the three years that he attended the school.

During Lee's sophomore year, he won the 175-pound crown in a technical knockout that was called in the third round. In his junior year he was named junior captain and defended his title. Lee was named Boxer of the Year in his junior year, a feat that is typically reserved for a senior. Lee was named boxing team captain his senior year where he again won his third straight title in the Bengal Bouts.

Lee competed in the 2009 Chicago Golden Gloves competition in the sub-novice class, where Lee went undefeated in four matches, winning his class.[4] In one memorable bout, Lee broke his opponents ribs thus immediately stopping the fight.

Pro career

Lee is the current IBF-USBA Light Heavyweight champion and is ranked in the top 15 of the light heavyweight world rankings.[5] He trains with Jamal Abdullah at the famed Wild Card West Boxing Gym in Santa Monica, California. Prior to being in Los Angeles, CA full-time, Lee was in Houston, TX working with legendary trainer Ronnie Shields.[6][7]

Lee won his professional debut on May 29, 2010 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, in a four-round unanimous decision over Emmett Woods. All three judges scored the fight 40-36, with Lee winning all four rounds on all judges cards.[8] On September 11, 2010, at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lee defeated Alex Rivera at 2:59 of the second round.[9][10] Lee received national attention through his endorsement contract with Subway that resulted in his appearance in a 2013 Super Bowl television commercial.

Following Lee's knockout of Tyler Seever in August 2012, Lee did not fight again until 2014. Lee spent two years in and out of hospitals battling what was later learned to be an autoimmune disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis. His comeback from the hospital bed to back in the ring was documented in his well received article he wrote for The Player's Tribune titled: Invisible Pain. [11]

Lee won his return to the ring - a sixth-round TKO against Peter Lewison[12]

On September 30, 2016 Lee won a ten-round unanimous decision over Chris Traietti (21-4) at Chicago's UIC Forum to win the USBA-IBF Championship title. The scores were 98-91, 99-90, 99-90.[13] The victory made Lee "the first fighter from Notre Dame’s legendary amateur boxing program to win a title in the professional ranks."[14]

On 15th September, 2017, Mike Lee made easy work of Aaron Quattrocchi, defeating him in just one round. Lee dropped his opponent twice in the opening round, and hurt him badly enough that the referee had to stop the fight.[15]

In his next fight, Lee defeated Jose Hernandez via 10-round unanimous decision. It seemed like it would be an early finish after Lee shook Hernandez significantly in the opening round. However, Hernandez recovered and made for an entertaining bout, which Lee still managed to win comfortably in the end.[16]

In his following fight, Lee fought his first world title fight, against IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant. Plant dominated the fight from the beginning. His dominance culminated with two knockdowns in the third round, which prompted the referee to stop the fight and award the champion with the TKO win.[17]

Professional boxing record
Professional record summary
22 fights 21 wins 1 loss
By knockout 11 1
By decision 10 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
22 Loss 21–1 Caleb Plant TKO 3 (12) 2019-07-20 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Nevada For IBF super middleweight title
21 Win 21–0 Jose Hernandez UD 10 (10) 2018-06-08 Allstate Arena, Rosemont Won vacant NABO Light heavyweight title
20 Win 20–0 Aaron Quattrocchi TKO 1 (10) 2017-09-15 The Dome at the Ballpark, Rosemont
19 Win 19–0 Justin Thomas MD 8 (8) 2017-02-16 The Hangar, Costa Mesa
18 Win 18–0 Chris Traietti UD 10 (10) 2016-09-30 Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago Won vacant USBA Light heavyweight title
17 Win 17–0 Mike Snider UD 8 (8) 2016-06-03 Resorts World Casino, Queens
16 Win 16–0 Joe Gardner TKO 3 (8) 2016-01-16 Barclays Center, Brooklyn
15 Win 15–0 Mike Sawyer TKO 1 (8) 2015-12-12 Ramada Hotel & Convention Center, Omaha
14 Win 14–0 Gary Tapusoa TKO 2 (6) 2015-02-14 Resorts World Casino, Queens Won vacant UBF All America Cruiserweight title
13 Win 13–0 Paul Gonsalves MD 6 (6) 2014-07-25 Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago
12 Win 12–0 Peter Lewison TKO 6 (6) 2014-04-04 Liacouras Center, Philadelphia
11 Win 11–0 Paul Harness UD 4 (4) 2012-09-15 Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
10 Win 10–0 Tyler Seever TKO 2 (6) 2012-08-04 Texas Station, Las Vegas
9 Win 9–0 Eliseo Durazo UD 6 (6) 2012-06-08 The Joint, Las Vegas
8 Win 8–0 Allen Medina TKO 4 (4) 2011-12-03 Madison Square Garden, New York
7 Win 7–0 Jacob Stiers UD 4 (4) 2011-09-16 Edmund P. Joyce Center, South Bend
6 Win 6–0 Michael Birthmark KO 3 (4) 2011-07-09 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson
5 Win 5–0 Gilbert Gastelum MD 4 (4) 2011-05-06 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
4 Win 4–0 Pablo Gomez TKO 1 (4) 2011-02-26 Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas
3 Win 3–0 Keith Debow KO 1 (4) 2010-11-13 AT&T Stadium, Arlington
2 Win 2–0 Alex Rivera TKO 2 (4) 2010-09-11 Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas
1 Win 1–0 Emmit Woods UD 4 (4) 2010-05-29 Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago Professional debut

Charity work

In the summer of 2008 Lee went to Bangladesh to see first hand how the money raised during the Bengal Bouts is used to aid people of all different ages including the construction of an entire school for children. Lee has established a foundation to help fund the Holy Cross Missions of Bangladesh where a portion of his purse money will be donated. In partnership with Champions for Children, he donated two ringside seats plus travel expenses for his November 2010 fight. The charity benefits Children’s Memorial Hospital.[18]

On September 16, 2011, Lee headlined a professional boxing event at The University of Notre Dame inside the Purcell Pavilion in the Joyce Center.

The Mike Lee Foundation pledged all profits from this event, over $100,000 to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend and the Kelly Cares Foundation, headed by Coach Brian Kelly of the Fighting Irish Football Team.[19]

References
  1. Rozner, Barry (5 May 2011). "Wheaton boxer, N.D. grad Lee hits spotlight". Daily Herald. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  2. Mulvaney, Kieran (November 10, 2010). "Lee takes road less traveled through boxing". Espn.com. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  3. Velin, Bob (12 November 2010). "Wall Street can wait: Mike Lee ready to make his mark in the ring". USA Today. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  4. "2009 Chicago Golden Gloves Results". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2011-01-10. (source lists four matches, but Lee's press releases claim five)
  5. WNDU. "ND Alum Mike Lee boxes his way to IBF-USBA Light Heavyweight title". Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  6. "Mike Lee Returns To The Ring on February 16 in Costa Mesa - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  7. "Chat with Mike Lee". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  8. "Vitali continues Klitschko dominance". May 31, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  9. "Mike Lee". Top Rank Boxing. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  10. Oberhelman, Dave (September 8, 2010). "And in this corner, Wheaton's Mike Lee". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  11. "Invisible Pain | By Mike Lee". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  12. "Mike Lee Talks Comeback, New Trainer, Top Rank Parting". Boxingscene. April 8, 2014.
  13. "Mike Lee Drops, Outworks Chris Traietti To Grab Clear Decision - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  14. "Mike Lee Returns To The Ring on February 16 in Costa Mesa - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  15. "Mike Lee Crushes Quattrocchi in One; Javier Fortuna Wins Big". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  16. "Mike Lee Grinds Out Unanimous Decision over Jose Hernandez". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  17. "Photos: Caleb Plant Wipes Out Mike Lee in Three Rounds". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  18. Young, Tim (November 11, 2010). "Wheaton boxer on big stage in Texas". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  19. Gastelum, Andrew (July 11, 2011). "Notre Dame grad Mike Lee stays unbeaten with knockout win". The Observer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
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