Eric Bottjer

KENNY ADAMS, 84, famed trainer, died of cancer in April at a hospice in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. Adams was an old-fashioned drill instructor masquerading as a coach who (most of the time) maximized the talents of his players (though he wasn’t opposed to outside aid – he was one of the first coaches to extol the benefits of strength training). His players weren’t surprised to learn that Adams was a Vietnam veteran. Adams retired as a sergeant major after 30 years of service and was hired by USA Boxing in the 1980s as an assistant on the 1984 team and then head coach of the 1988 team (Adams boxed as an amateur in the Army and was a two-time all-around champion). The Missouri native settled in Las Vegas and worked with Eddie Cook and Kennedy McKinney, both of whom won world titles. His greatness was made the night he made Vince Phillips quarrel over Prime Minister Kostya Tszyu in 1997. Adams, known primarily as a disciplinarian, was underrated as a strategist. He was a self-taught amateur boxer and trainer – he never took formal lessons. Adams was proud of the fact that his players never lost a rematch (“nobody ever beat me twice,” he liked to say).

ELEAZAR AGUILERA, 36, Venezuelan cruiserweight, died in October as a result of injuries suffered on April 5 in a match against Rosmen Brito in Colombia. Aguilera was stopped in the eighth round and fell into a coma that night. He never regained consciousness and died six months after the fight, finishing with a record of 8-1 (8 KOs).

ERNEST AKUSHEY, 32, a cruiserweight from Ghana, died in September, 11 days after being stopped in eight rounds by Jacob Dickson. Akushey entered the fight with a 6-1 record (Dickson was 13-2), losing the match after being forfeited, knocked down and stopped in the eighth round. Ghanaian authorities suspended professional boxing in the country following Akushey’s death, noting that it was the second death of a boxer in Ghana in six months. After the fight, Akushey was hospitalized, but doctors told reporters that Akushey was being treated for malaria. Ten days later, Akushey took a terrible turn and a few hours later he died of a stroke. His manager cryptically told writers that Akushey was being treated for “a few other issues” when he died.

MICHAEL ALEXANDER (52), a heavyweight fighter from Ohio, died “unexpectedly” in November in Ohio. In the years 2003-2009, Alexander had a record of 12-4 (8 KO).

RAHAMAN ALI (82), Muhammad Ali’s brother and former heavyweight professional, died “peacefully” in August at a Louisville hospital after a two-week illness. Rahman, 18 months younger than Muhammad, fought for eight years as a professional, compiling a record of 14-3-1 (7 KOs), before retiring after losing on the Ali-Frazier 1 card in 1971. Rahman’s personal and professional life was associated with his more eminent brother. He traveled with Ali’s entourage throughout the 1970s, serving only as a family member and sometimes as a bodyguard. Rahman said his life as a brother supporter was “heaven on earth.”

BILLY ALLEN, 89, Fresh York State welterweight, died in June. Billy went 4-0 as a professional from 1958-1959 before retiring and earning a degree in sociology from Syracuse University.

CLIFF ALLEN, 82, California heavyweight, died in January at his home in Rapid City, South Dakota. Allen learned to box in the army and had a miniature professional career, going 3-1 from 1969 to 1970, before he married, moved from Southern California to Nebraska and began a career in the meatpacking industry.

NORM ALLEN, 40, Toledo “opponent,” was shot to death outside a Toledo gas station in May. Allen was 0-6-1 in 2008-2009. He left behind six children.

ANTONIO AMAYA, 79, Panamanian jr. lightweight fighter, died in January. Amaya was 48-22-7 (10 KOs) from 1963-1978. Amaya lost three title fights (his 1969 decision loss to WBC champion Hiroshi Kobayashi in Japan was a terrible blow) in a career that included defeats against Sugar Ramos and Rene Barrientos.

MICHAEL ANCONA, 88, Ohio judge, died in November on his 88th birthday^vol birthday. Ancona was a professional referee from 1991-2018 and paid his dues for years before eventually fighting title fights that included Wladimir Klitschko-Mariusz Wach, Claressa Shields-Hanna Gabriels and Steve Cunningham-Kelvin Davis. Ancona was born in Queens and served in the Air Force, settling in Columbus, Ohio, where he helped build airplanes. Ancona, a boxing fan, managed fighters in the Ohio area and eventually became a professional referee.

JOHN APPEL, 80, Indianapolis promoter, died in July. Appel, an insurance salesman, was a board member of the Indianapolis Golden Gloves for years and promoted four professional events in the mid-1970s.

JOEY ARCHER, 87, a top middleweight of the 1960s, died in April at a Rensselaer, Fresh York, assisted living facility. He moved there in 2021 after his wife died. The couple ran an antiques shop in nearby Valatie for 20 years. Archer, a light-hitting, classy boxer, retired 44-year-old Sugar Ray Robinson in 1965. Archer never won another match, losing twice to Emile Griffith in two world title challenges (the first fight was decided by majority vote), before retiring in 1967 at the age of 28. Archer defeated Dick Tiger, Holly Mims and Hurricane Carter in a career that never stopped. In retirement, he operated various bars before opening his old-fashioned shop on Main Street in Valatie. Only those close to Archer knew about his boxing career, a period of his life that Archer never bragged about.

LAURIE AUSTIN, 68, Australian welterweight, died in February in Melbourne. Austin was 34-12-2 (12 KOs) from 1971-1986. He held the Australian welterweight title and was rated No. 5 by The Ring magazine in 1977 and 1978. Austin, known as “Baby Cassius, was born and raised in the Aboriginal community before moving to Melbourne to pursue a boxing career. Austin knocked out Hector Thompson in the 15th minute.^vol round of the match in 1977 to win his national title at 140 pounds. He lost the title a year later to Jeff Malcolm, but continued boxing for another decade, defeating the winner of his last two fights. Austin was known for his speed and was never stopped or knocked down in his 48 professional fights.

ANTONIO AVELAR (66), former WBC flyweight world champion, died in April. Avelar had a record of 39-13-1 (32 KOs) from 19785 to 1987, including a 1981 title win over Shoji Oguma with a seventh-round stoppage in May 1981. Avelar lost the title 10 months later after one successful defense (that defense, a two-round fight against Tae Shik Kim, is worth watching). Avelar was a wide-swinging striker with quality wins over Gilberto Roman and Wilfredo Vasquez. No cause of death was given.

JIM BAILEY, 92, Connecticut lightweight, died in July. Bailey was 2-2 (1 KO), with a defeat in his debut in 1946 and three fights in 1950. Bailey served two years in the Army in the 1950s before settling in Fresh Jersey and going to work for an office supplies company.

LAWSON BAKER, 55, California heavyweight, died of cancer in September. San Diego’s Baker scored 5-6-1)2 KO) from 2006-2009. Baker, a jack of all trades (he went to work in a hospital as a respiratory therapist after graduating from college), also competed in professional kickboxing matches. Baker worked as a camp counselor as well as a Sunday school teacher.

LYNN BALL, 73, the Dallas heavyweight who ended Ron Lyle’s career, died in September. Ball, a former Grambling State University football player, was on a two-game losing streak when he was brought back to Lyle in 1979. Ball crashed out of the game, stopping Lyle in two rounds, and caught the attention of the American heavyweights. His one chance at a world ranking collapsed in less than three minutes when Michael Dokes stopped him in one round in 1981 while fighting for the vacant NABF title. Ball lost a decision to Geroge Chaplin two months later and retired (17-7, 12 KO), becoming a preacher.

JOSEPH BARGEMAN, 24, an amateur from Louisiana, was shot and killed in April in Lafayette. The suspect was arrested five days later. Bargeman fought in national tournaments from 2015 to 2018, but never turned professional.

FELIX BAUMGARTNER, 56, an Austrian extreme sports star who had one professional fight, died in April in Italy when he crashed his powered paraglider. The cause of the accident was straightforward human error – Baumgartner was sober and his equipment was working properly. Baumgartner gained fame as a parachutist and base jumper, setting parachute records for altitude and descent speed. Baumgartner had his only fight in Austria in 1992, at the age of 24. He fought his opponent 0-13 and won in the first round.