Stanley Ketchel, The Michigan Killer, is considered one of the greatest middleweights in history. This article about his life and career was published some years ago and now we present it again, expanded, because of its relevance both for long-time fans and for the new generations who passionately follow boxing, one of the oldest and most exciting sports disciplines, which is believed to have been born some 7,000 years ago in Abyssinia, today Ethiopia.

A TEMPESTUOUS LIFE

Stanley Ketchel’s life, which ended tragically with his murder at the age of 24, is one of the most fascinating in the history of the sport. This tragic end occurred almost 115 years ago, in October 1910. His life, full of ups and downs and shrouded in mystery, could serve as the basis for a non-fiction novel. In fact, it inspired one of the best-known short stories by American writer Ernest Hemingway, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.

Many young boxing fans probably don’t know much, if anything, about Ketchel. At the age of 21 or 22, during a time filled with inaccuracies and rumors about his life, Ketchel became the youngest middleweight world champion in history. Middleweight includes boxers weighing between 154 and 160 pounds. Since 1954, Ketchel has been among boxing’s immortals, with a place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

Stanley Ketchel was born Stanislaw Kiecal in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 14, 1886, and died on October 15, 1910, in Springfield, Missouri. For the first five decades of the 20th century, he was considered the greatest middleweight of all time. Later, figures such as Marvin “Marvelous” Hagler, Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Carlos “Escopeta” Monzon, Nino Benvenuti, and other boxing greats would follow his legacy in this category. In all, 8 traditional divisions in boxing include middleweight, which was born in the 1840s.

Although Ketchel was the first middleweight world champion at such a young age, there were other boxers, such as Alexander Rudolph, known as Al McCoy, who also reached the title at a very young age. McCoy, in fact, won the championship at the age of 19 years and 6 months, beating Ketchel’s record.

Ketchel was also considered one of the top 5 boxers of all time, and today he is still recognized among the 20-30 greatest of any division in boxing history.

ORIGINS AND RISE TO THE RING

The son of Polish immigrants, Ketchel grew up in a difficult environment. His real name was Stanislaw Kiecal. From a young age, he was involved in problems and difficulties, and according to some versions, his boxing life began due to the tragedy that marked his childhood, the alleged murder of his parents, although this version was never confirmed. At the age of 12 he left home and began to live independently, moving from city to city, and taking minor jobs.

His professional career began on May 2, 1903 or 1904 (the exact date remains uncertain), when he defeated Kid Tracy in the first round. After a few losses and wins, including a loss to Maurice Thompson, Ketchel totaled 34 wins by KO, 3 draws and one additional loss, the latter again to Thompson. Thompson, Kid Lee and Billy Papke were the only boxers who managed to beat Ketchel, although the latter knocked him out in 12 rounds and then, in a series of fights, Ketchel defeated Papke three times.

His aggressive style and relentless approach made him famous, earning him the nickname The Michigan Assassin. It was said that his fury in the ring stemmed from humiliations suffered during his childhood, especially by his mother, and that he saw in each opponent the cause of those past pains.

A TRAGIC END

Ketchel ascended to the world middleweight throne in 1907 or 1908, when he defeated either Joe Thomas or Mike “Twin” Sullivan, depending on what source is being consulted. In his first defense, he defeated Jack “Twin” Sullivan in 20 rounds, although he later lost the title to Billy Papke in a historic fight.

In his quest for more glory and money, Ketchel challenged world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, the first black champion in history. The fight occurred on October 16, 1909 in Colma, California. Although Ketchel weighed 180 pounds (81 kg) and Johnson about 210 pounds (95 kg), Ketchel surprised everyone by knocking down the “Galveston Giant” with a heavy punch in round 12. However, Johnson quickly recovered and defeated Ketchel in emphatic fashion, even leaving some of Ketchel’s teeth embedded in his glove.

Ketchel’s last fight was on June 10, 1910, in New York, where he defeated Jim Smith by KO in five rounds. His final record, although not completely official, was 46 victories by KO, 3 wins by points, 4 draws, 2 losses by decision, 3 by KO and 4 no-decision fights, according to Nat Fleischer’s book.

After his last fight, Ketchel suffered a deep burnout due to alcohol abuse and possibly opium use. He moved to a ranch in Missouri, owned by a family friend, to try to recover. There, on October 15, 1910, in a violent altercation with Walter Dipley, the partner of a local cook, Ketchel was killed by a shotgun blast that pierced his right lung. He died a few hours later in a hospital in Springfield, Missouri.

His funeral was an emotional occasion. Amid the solemn silence, a fan shouted aloud, “Count him! You’ll see him get up after 8 seconds…count him!” This shout, in tribute to his courage and determination in the ring, was one of the last tributes to his memory.