Mike Lee (boxer)


Michael Gene Lee is an American professional boxer in the light heavyweight class. He turned pro in February 2010.

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. He was offered jobs on Wall Street. Lee says, "I relax by watching CNBC, and I like to read the Wall Street Journal."

Amateur career

Lee was introduced to the sport at age 16, when his cousin, who is an amateur boxer, took him to the Windy City Gym.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
Lee won his return to the ring - a sixth-round TKO against Peter Lewison
On September 30, 2016 Lee won a ten-round unanimous decision over Chris Traietti at Chicago's UIC Forum to win the USBA-IBF Championship title. The scores were 98-91, 99-90, 99-90. The victory made Lee "the first fighter from Notre Dame’s legendary amateur boxing program to win a title in the professional ranks."

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
22Loss21–1 Caleb PlantTKO3 2019-07-20 MGM Grand Garden Arena, NevadaFor IBF super middleweight title
21Win21–0 Jose HernandezUD10 2018-06-08 Allstate Arena, RosemontWon vacant NABO Light heavyweight title
20Win20–0 Aaron QuattrocchiTKO1 2017-09-15 The Dome at the Ballpark, Rosemont
19Win19–0 Justin ThomasMD8 2017-02-16 The Hangar, Costa Mesa
18Win18–0 Chris TraiettiUD10 2016-09-30 Credit Union 1 Arena, ChicagoWon vacant USBA Light heavyweight title
17Win17–0 Mike SniderUD8 2016-06-03 Resorts World Casino, Queens
16Win16–0 Joe GardnerTKO3 2016-01-16 Barclays Center, Brooklyn
15Win15–0 Mike SawyerTKO1 2015-12-12 Ramada Hotel & Convention Center, Omaha
14Win14–0 Gary TapusoaTKO2 2015-02-14 Resorts World Casino, QueensWon vacant UBF All America Cruiserweight title
13Win13–0 Paul GonsalvesMD6 2014-07-25 Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago
12Win12–0 Peter LewisonTKO6 2014-04-04 Liacouras Center, Philadelphia
11Win11–0 Paul HarnessUD4 2012-09-15 Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
10Win10–0 Tyler SeeverTKO2 2012-08-04 Texas Station, Las Vegas
9Win9–0 Eliseo DurazoUD6 2012-06-08 The Joint, Las Vegas
8Win8–0 Allen MedinaTKO4 2011-12-03 Madison Square Garden, New York
7Win7–0 Jacob StiersUD4 2011-09-16 Edmund P. Joyce Center, South Bend
6Win6–0 Michael BirthmarkKO3 2011-07-09 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson
5Win5–0 Gilbert GastelumMD4 2011-05-06 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
4Win4–0 Pablo GomezTKO1 2011-02-26 Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas
3Win3–0 Keith DebowKO1 2010-11-13 AT&T Stadium, Arlington
2Win2–0 Alex RiveraTKO2 2010-09-11 Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas
1Win1–0 Emmit WoodsUD4 2010-05-29 Credit Union 1 Arena, ChicagoProfessional 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.
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.