? Stanley Ketchel, born as Stanislaw Kiecal to Polish immigrants in Grand Rapids in 1886, dropped out of school, ran away from home to Montana and then California and turned his penchant for backroom fighting into a professional fist-fighting career at age 16.
Called the “Michigan Assassin” and considered one of the nation’s most popular athletes of the time, he was a middleweight but was known to take on all comers. His most famous fights were against legendary heavyweight Jack Johnson. He fought him to a 20-round draw in 1906, and then in a 1909 bout had Johnson on his back at one point. Johnson, however, was able to fight on and knocked Ketchel out.
He had 64 professional fights with 52 wins, four losses, four draws and one no-contest bout. Of his 51 wins, 49 were by knockout and he was the first middleweight to regain a world title after losing it. He is regarded as one of the greatest middleweights and one of the 100 Best Punchers in boxing history and is in the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the original class of inductees.
He lived to just age 24 when he was famously murdered at a ranch he owned and trained at in Conway, Mo. A farm hand and cook he had hired – Walter Dipley and Goldie Smith posing as husband and wife – were convicted of murder and robbery in the shooting death in January of 1911.
Reportedly having maintained a close relationship with his mother, his body was brought back to Michigan and he is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery. His funeral was reportedly attended by 5,000 people.
A plaque in his honor is at the corner of Stocking Avenue and 3rd Street, and a statue created by sculptor Ann Hirsch is at 438 Bridge Street NW. The sculpture was unveiled in 2015 as part of Peter Secchia’s Grand Rapids Community Legends project.