Mike Belloise
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Bronx Spider |
| Nationality |  American |
| Born | Michael Joseph Belloise February 18, 1911 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 2, 1969 (aged 58) Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165cm) |
| Weight | Featherweight |
| Boxing career | |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 133 |
| Wins | 92 |
| Win by KO | 15 |
| Losses | 28 |
| Draws | 13 |
Mike Belloise (February 18, 1911 – June 2, 1969), nicknamed The Bronx Spider, was an American professional featherweight boxer who became the NYSAC world featherweight champion in 1936.
Early life
[edit]Born Michael Joseph Belloise, he was the eldest of nine children born to Salvatore and Julia Belloisi in the Villa Avenue area of the Bronx, New York.[1]
Amateur boxing career
[edit]He advanced to the final of the 118-pound division at the 1931 National Amateur Boxing Championships in April, where he lost to Honey Mellody.[2]
In November 1931, he fought in Stockholm in a Sweden vs. USA bout held at Stallmästaregården.[2]
Professional boxing career
[edit]Belloise made his professional debut in 1932, fighting at venues such as the New Lenox Sports Club, Starlight Park Stadium, St. Nicholas Arena, and later Madison Square Garden.[3]
Title match with Baby Arizmendi, August 1934
[edit]He failed to beat Baby Arizmendi in his first bid for the NYSAC featherweight world title on August 30, 1934.[4]
Taking the NYSAC world featherweight championship, May 1936
[edit]The Bronx battler faced 90-4-10 Everette Rightmire in April 1936, winning by a 14th-round TKO in the final eliminator for the division's world title.[3] Belloise was named the NYSAC world featherweight boxing champion on May 19, 1936.[4]
Notable bouts during world featherweight title reign
[edit]The following month, the new titleholder battled Dave Crowley in a ten-round bout that ended in a draw.[5] Belloise went on to successfully defend the NYSAC world featherweight championship with a knockout of Dave Crowley at Madison Square Garden on September 3, 1936.[3]
In October 1936, the featherweight champion challenged Henry Armstrong for the California-Mexico world featherweight title at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. He went the ten-round distance with the highly touted Armstrong and lost by points.[3] In their 1937 rematch at Madison Square Garden, he suffered a TKO loss at the hands of Armstrong, who was making his East Coast debut.[6]
Losing the NYSAC world featherweight championship, August 1937
[edit]He was stripped of the 126-pound title by the New York State Athletic Commission on August 10, 1937.[3]
Belloise notably defeated an unbeaten Petey Scalzo at the New York Coliseum in April 1938.[3]
Title match with Joey Archibald, October 1938
[edit]After Henry Armstrong vacated, Belloise failed to win his attempt for the vacant NYSAC world featherweight title against Joey Archibald at St. Nicholas Arena in October 1938.[7]
Belloise was rated fifth in the featherweight division in The Ring magazine's 1938 annual rankings, which appeared in the February 1939 issue.[8] In 1941, he held the eighth position among featherweights in the annual ratings of The Ring.[9]
Loss against reigning NBA world lightweight champion Juan Zurita, January 1945
[edit]The former titleholder went up against Juan Zurita, NBA world lightweight champion, in Houston on January 31, 1945.[3]
His last pro bout resulted in a KO loss to Tommy Stenhouse at Dunn Field in August 1947.[3]
Professional boxing record
[edit]| 133 fights | 92 wins | 28 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 21 | 14 |
| By decision | 71 | 14 |
| Draws | 13 | |
Death
[edit]Mike Belloise died on June 2, 1969, in the Bronx, New York, United States, at 58.[7]
Legacy
[edit]Belloise appeared on the cover of the March 1937 issue of The Ring magazine.[1]
He was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 12, 1998.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "MIKE BELLOISE". njboxinghof.org. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- 1 2 "Mike Belloise (Amateur)". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Mike Belloise (Pro)". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- 1 2 "Featherweight". openboxing.org. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- ↑ "BELLOISE IS HELD TO 10-ROUND DRAW; Battles on Even ..." nytimes.com. May 27, 1936. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- ↑ Joseph C. Nichols (March 13, 1937). "Armstrong Knocks Out Belloise; Loser Unable to Come Up for ..." nytimes.com. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- 1 2 "MIKE BELLOISE, 58, EX-CHAMPION, DIES; Featherweight Topped His Class in 1936-38". nytimes.com. June 4, 1969. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- ↑ "The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1938". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ↑ "The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1941". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
External links
[edit]- Boxing record for Mike Belloise from BoxRec (registration required)