Futchi to receive Lifetime Achievement Award.

William Futchi moved to Cleveland as a child and he attended North High School in Eastlake where he had an outstanding athletic career. Futchi’s compassion for competitive sports continued once he joined the Army, where he won many wrestling championships. Futchi was a 4th Army wrestling champion at Fort Hood, Texas.

Boxing became more of an interest to Futchi after he won two fights at the old Navy Park Gym. These fights helped him reach the 1961 Golden Gloves finals where he went up against Ted Humphrey for the Novice heavyweight title at the old Cleveland Arena. Futchi had only three prior bouts, but he proved himself to be a great fighter when he beat Humphrey. After the fight, the Plain Dealer called him “Slugging Futchi” and he received the Samuel D. Otis Trophy. After working in the construction industry, Futchi retired with 35 years of service.

Aside from boxing, Futchi coached softball and wrestling, and his girls softball team won three championships. Futchi won seven Ohio championships and one U.S. championship in flag football. Futchi also refereed a Tough Man competition with the late referee Jackie Keough. In addition to being inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc. Hall of Fame, Futchi is in the North High Sports Hall of Fame for wrestling and in the Touch Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the North High School Legends Hall of Fame. Currently, Futchi resides in Mentor with his wife Karen, of 48 years. They have one son and two daughters, and 5 grandchildren. His granddaughter, Gabriella, was on the 9th grade varsity state championship volleyball team.

Futchi is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award along with Tom Lorek, Paul LaBuda, and Joe Gentile.

Alex Cooper is passionate about training boxers.

While other children were playing tag, Alex Cooper was watching every Mike Tyson fight as a young kid as he grew up to be a big boxing fan. Cooper was born on June 1, 1983, and he graduated from Mentor High School in 2001.

He later graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in finance in 2005, and he earned his M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University. Cooper and his wife, Renee, have one daughter, Nora, who is 21 months old. While in college, Cooper played lacrosse, and following graduation he wanted to continue to pursue athletics as he joined King’s Gym in 2007 when he started training boxers under the tutelage of Robert Francis. By 2009, Cooper, alongside Francis, was training several fighters. During the past five years, Cooper trained Golden Gloves and Junior Olympic champions including Jeremy Abram and Aurel Love (Open Division boxers). Cooper traveled to Las Vegas in 2014 to coach Love in the Golden Gloves National Tournament where Love advanced to the quarter finals.

Currently, Cooper is the head amateur and assistant professional boxing coach at the Old School Boxing Club/ Strongstyle Fight Team in Independence under head coach Joe Delguyd. Copper’s duties include assisting Delguyd with his professional fighters as well as being the boxing coach for UFC fighters Jessica Eye and Stipe Miocic. Cooper is president of the Lake Erie Association, and he was secretary for the organization from 2013-2014.

According to Cooper, his favorite fighters are: Arturo Gatti, Keith Thurman, Mike Tyson and Marvin Hagler, and the greatest and his favorite fight of all time was Gatti vs. Ward 1. Cooper is vice president and relationship manager in the Middle Market Commercial Banking Group at Fifth Third Bank.

Cooper is a licensed USA Boxing judge, licensed professional cutman, trainer and manager. During the past four years, Cooper has acted as a matchmaker for about five amateur boxing shows a year. According to Cooper, “My goals are to bring more notoriety to the sport of boxing in the Cleveland areas and to make Cleveland area boxers more prevalent on the national scene.” Cooper is being inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates, Inc., Hall of Fame along with Michael Melbar and Terry Strowder.

Michael Melbar comes from a boxing family. Michael Melbar is a native Clevelander who was born at the old St. Alexis Hospital in 1966. As a young child, Melbar’s mother died. After her death, he and his brothers were raised by their grandparents, James and Genevieve Gray, until Melbar was eight years old. According to Melbar, his father took the responsibility to care for him and his brothers, Tony, Joey, Jim, and Johnny. “At nine years old,” Melbar said, “my first pair of boxing gloves were put on me by my father.”

Melbar and his brothers were trained by the late Jim Kelly at PAL 10 gym. According to Melbar, he had his first fight was at the old Navy Park. Melbar graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1984, and joined the United States Army. He served in the Army from 1984-1987. Melbar continued his boxing career in the Army and he is proud that he was a member of the `All Army Team’ of 1986 and 1987. Prior to an early retirement, Melbar was a machinist at Central Brass before the plant relocated overseas. According to Melbar, his biggest fan is his daughter, Destiny, who always been in his corner.

Melbar and his brother, John, were matched eight times against each other in the finals of the Tough Guy Competitions, and the brothers took turns so that the other could win. As a professional figher, Melbar got a late start in his career. He became a professional fighter at 38 years old. Melbar was trained by Gary Horath, and his first professional fight was against Robert Smart at St. Michael’s Hall in Cleveland in May of 2004, and he won the fight by a KO in the first found. In his second fight, he won it by a TKO in the first round 14 against Kelly Praterin in June of 2004 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Cleveland. Melbar fought five professional fights, and retired with a record of 2-3.

Melbar enjoys watching all kinds of sporting events, but most especially boxing matches. Melbar is being inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates, Inc., Hall of Fame along with Alex Cooper and Terry Strowder.

LaBuda honored with Lifetime Achievement Award.

Although Paul LaBuda was an excellent athlete in a number of sports, he never boxed, but he always had a devotion to the sport and followed the careers of many amateur and professional boxers in the Cleveland area.

LaBuda was born and raised in Cleveland, and he attended the Cleveland Public Schools where he graduated from the old South High School. In high school, LaBuda was on the wrestling and decathlon teams. He received an associate’s degree in business from Cuyahoga Community College. Following graduation, LaBuda married his wife, Judy, and the couple has two sons, Stan and Gary. LaBuda began working at the Fisher Foods Warehouse in Bedford Heights when he became a union member. His union affiliations have been long and fruitful where he became a member of Teamster Local 507 for 24 years. During his association with the union, LaBuda held several union offices including: business agent, trustee, recording secretary, and vice president. His union affiliation continued and he has been a member of Baker’s Union Local No. 19 for 35 years. LaBuda served as president of the Baker’s Union for 15 years.

LaBuda was the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local Union general executive board member, Region II for 14 years, and he served as the vice president for the AFL-CIO, Ohio for 15 years. He has served as the treasurer for the Ohio Teamsters Credit Union, and executive vice president of BCTGM East Central States Council as well as holding the following positions in the organization: secretary treasurer; snack & pasta council trustee; trustee for the Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Health and Welfare and Pension Funds; and the Cleveland Bakers Local No. 19 Charitable, Education and Recreational Fund. LaBuda is an avid golfer, and he has played softball on several teams while serving as director of the Teamster & Bakers Softball league for 15 years.

LaBuda was inducted into South High School Hall of Fame and the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates, Inc. Hall of Fame in 2007. LaBuda is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award along with Joe Gentile, Bill Futchi, and Tom Lorek.

Lorek to receive Life Time Achievement Award.

Tom Lorek’s life-long interest in boxing came after watching his older brother, Frank, participate in the 1954 Cleveland Golden Gloves Tournament. Lorek started his boxing career at the St. Clair Bathhouse under trainer Sam `The Barber” Gagli

ardi. Lorek entered the 1959 Cleveland Golden Gloves Tournament as a novice in the welterweight division and he advanced to the quarter finals.

Following his graduation from East High School in Cleveland in 1957, Lorek enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. When he returned home in 1961, Lorek entered the Cleveland Golden Gloves Tournament in the novice middleweight division and advanced to the semifinals. He has attended the Cleveland Golden Gloves for the past 61 years.

After retiring as an amateur boxer, Lorek continued his interest in boxing when he became a judge for amateur boxing. A highlight of Lorek’s judging career came in 1996 when he judged the last two heavyweight division bouts of the National Golden Gloves held in Cleveland, seated next to Mike Tyson. Lorek retired from the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1989 at 50 years old with 30 years of service as a pressman. He was chapel chairman, secretary//treasurer and pension trustee for the Cleveland Newspaper Printing Pressmen Local #5. He judged 13 years of amateur and professional bouts.

Currently, he is president of Lake County Homes, Inc. He worked as a real estate broker and agent for 46 years at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Professional Realty (formerly Prudential Select Properties) in Lake County.

Lorek and his wife, Sherry, have been married for 51 years. They have two sons, Tommy and Gary; daughter-in-laws, Laura and Jenny; and four wonderful grandchildren, Danielle, Allison, Brenna, and Ryan (Champ). They reside in Mentor. His grandchildren have now become his first love (besides Sherry) and boxing has dropped to second place. Lorek is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award along with Bill Futchi, Paul LaBuda, and Joe Gentile.

Leo Keglovic honored as Coach of the Year.

Leo Keglovic interest in boxing was reignited when his sons became interested in the sport and he became their trainer. Keglovic started his amateur boxing career in 1976 when he was trained by Frank Collica and Joe Polo at the Chuck Ross A.C. Keglovic wore a shirt with his motto, “No Excuses.” His philosophy was practice makes perfect, and he put in the time to be the best boxer that he could be. Keglovic’s amateur boxing career was from 1976 through 1977, and his amateur boxing record is 8 and 2. Keglovic returned to boxing in 1996 as a trainer when he started training his sons at the Pinzone Boxing Club in Parma.

When the late Chuck Pinzone retired in 2005, Keglovic took over the gym where he continued to train boxers until the gym closed. His sons, Matt and Leo Jr., became boxers under his tutelage. While training his sons, Leo Jr. and Matt competed in the Golden Gloves Tournament and won. Leo Jr. won the 147 pounds novice tournament in 1998; and Matt won the 147 pounds novice tournament in 1999.

Matt continued his boxing career, and he became a professional boxer in 2005. He had a short professional boxing career with a record of 1 win, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Keglovic coached Stipe Miocic, a former Golden Gloves champion, and ranked #3 in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also coached Jessica Eye who is ranked #5 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the bantamweight division. Continuing to train the next generation of boxers, Kleglovic is one of the trainers at the Old Angle Gym on Cleveland’s West side. Aside from training boxers, Keglovic has been employed for 29 years with Valley Ford Truck Sales as a truck parts specialist. He and his wife, Pat, have been married for 38 years. They have three sons, Leo Jr., Matt and Kevin, and a granddaughter, Isabella. Keglovic was inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Association Inc., Hall of Fame in 2006.

Keglovic is being honored with the Clint Martin Coach of the Year Award. The award is named in honor of the late legendary trainer, Clint Martin, and Keglovic is the first to receive the award.

Gentile to receive Lifetime Acheivement Award.

Joe Gentile, went from being a poor young immigrant from Italy to becoming a boxer and beloved, legendary boxing trainer who took many poor youngsters off the street and showed them that they could achieve more with their lives. Gentile said his life philosophy has always been, “It takes very little energy to be nice.” Gentile has used his energy to transform lives, and in the process he developed many outstanding boxers. Gentile was born in Rome, Italy and his family immigrated to the United States. After spending a short time in New York City, his family relocated to Elyria where he was raised with his three brothers, Tony, Frank, and Sal.

Gentile fought as an amateur boxer with an impressive record of 52-5, before finding his calling as a boxing trainer and promoter. According to Gentile, he trained 60 Golden Gloves championships, including Lovell Nixon and Larry Bowen, the runner-up in the 118 pounds division. Bowen lost to Gregg Richardson from Youngstown. During his training career, Gentile helped William Stafford and Jim Ralston win district titles in 1969. He also helped Sean Mueller, of Sandusky, win the Toledo Golden Gloves.

As a promoter, several world champions such as Michael Dokes, Hilmer Kenty and Richard Rozell fought on his boxing shows. Gentile was a chief official for 13 years for the Lake Erie Association. During this period, he judged more than 5,000 bouts.

He was inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc. Hall of Fame, and was the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc. Man of the Year in 2005. He was inducted into the Elyria Hall of Fame as well as the Legends of Leather Hall of Fame in 2006. He was the Man of the Year, Legends of Leather in 2007. Gentile, along with his son, Lorenzo, sponsored the 2012 Lake Erie Association Jr. Olympic Tournament in Elyria. Gentile is enjoying retirement with his wife, Francesca, and his son, Lorenzo. Gentile is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award , along with Bill Futchi, Paul LaBuda, and Tom Lorek