Mike Stafford, the hugely respected trainer who coached world champions such as Adrien Broner, Jamel Herring, and Robert Easter Jr., passed away last week. He was widely admired across the boxing community. Stafford could be considered responsible for developing the unique Cincinnati style of boxing and subculture, as Shawn Porter said, while paying tribute to a true gentleman. More so, ‘Showtime’ expressed genuine concern for his former opponent, Adrien Broner, to whom Stafford was a father figure.

In Cincinnati, Ohio, Mike Stafford took up the cudgels of training. For his notable contribution to amateur boxing, USA Boxing honored him as the ‘U.S. Coach of the Year’ in 2003 and 2005, respectively. During the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, he served as a USA Boxing coaching team member.

Shawn Porter’s heartfelt homage to Mike Stafford

His work with future champions such as Broner, Herring, and Easter Jr. brought universal admiration and recognition to Mike Stafford. So, in his podcast, Shawn Porter said that boxers represent the place they come from. One of the best people to be around, Mike Stafford, was a kind and sincere man. But rarely did anybody take him seriously. Hence, many of his students would take advantage and play despite his imploring.

But at the end of the day, everyone held him in high regard. They loved him and were always concerned about him. Porter said, “…that boy AB is going through it right now because that was like a father figure to him. So I know it’s again a lot of people out there that don’t know Mike, that don’t know the fighters he worked with, and stuff like that. I ended up on YouTube for a couple of hours last night. Just watching Cincinnati boxing…”

Cincinnati has a thriving boxing culture. The great Aaron Pryor was born in the city. ‘The Queen City’ hosted most of his initial pro boxing matches. ‘Showtime’ stated that the city has a style, and aside from Aaron Pryor, he was pretty sure that Mike Stafford was the primary reason behind it. The legendary trainer imparted life lessons beyond boxing. His Cincinnati Golden Gloves gym became a place where boys and girls found safety after returning from school and during weekends.

Read More: “May God Rest His Soul”: As Adrien Broner Continues to Mourn Saddening Demise of His Father Figure, Jake Paul’s Trainer Joins in Honoring Late Coach’s Memory

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