CINCINNATI — Friends and family prepare to say goodbye to the man who trained legends right here in the Tri-State.
For years, people could find Coach Mike Stafford in the boxing ring, keeping up with the best of them. But more recently, those close to him started to notice he’d slowed down despite his best efforts to hide it.
"Never knew he was sick at the time," Daryl "P-Man" Jones said. "We went to the hospital, I was kind of shocked."
Stafford, who sparred with the likes of Olympians, was on the verge of death. But Jones, his longtime friend, said he still couldn't tell.
"He was throwing punches in the bed. I said, 'Are you alright?'" Jones said. "He could hardly talk because he had tubes, but he was throwing punches and I said, 'Mike looks good.'"
Unfortunately, he died just days later. Now, those who trained under him are reminiscing about the man who molded teenagers into world champions.
"It was great working with Mike," William Jackson said. "It was always love. It was always caring. He was like a father. He was always hands-on ... and makes you feel good about yourself no matter what."
Stafford coached Jackson in his teenage years and was in his corner when he won a championship belt.
Adrian Williams said the legendary coach has always been in his students’ proverbial corners — even when trouble comes their way. He said Stafford had a soft spot for his most well-known boxing student, Adrien Broner, a professional boxer who has held multiple world championships in different weight classes.
"There was times Adrien was kicked out of the gym but Mike would find a way to get him into the gym, train late at night, do whatever he needed to do," Williams said. "So he’s meeting these kids wherever they are."
Although Williams, Jackson and Jones said they plan to continue on in Stafford’s footsteps, they hate that this new generation won’t get a chance to get the full experience.
"I think about Mike every day," Jones said. "He's still here in spirit."
"The love, the jokes, the caring person ... just knowing that all these kids are gonna miss that," Williams said.
Stafford's burial is Saturday, Sept. 16 at Quinn A.M.E. Church starting at 11 a.m.
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