Four-Time Golden Gloves Champ Dennis Milton Passes Away

64-year-old Dennis Milton, a four-time Golden Gloves champ, passed away on January 27.

Milton’s career had big milestones, as he became a rare four-time Golden Gloves champion. His amateur pedigree was so impressive that he even secured a win over the Iran “The Blade” Barkley before transitioning to the professional ranks. In the pros, Milton proved he could compete with anyone, most famously handing Gerald McClellan his first significant loss and following it up with victories over top-tier opponents like Robbie Sims and Michael Olajide.

Milton’s impressive run eventually earned him a world title opportunity against the Julian “The Hawk” Jackson in 1991, followed by a bout with Bernard Hopkins in 1992. Although those fights didn’t go his way, Milton’s 16-5-1 record only tells part of the story. After hanging up the gloves, he dedicated his life to coaching and mentoring younger fighters. Milton was also a self-taught magician, showing he had many strings to his bow.

How He’ll Be Remembered

“A boxing fan might know Dennis Milton as someone who, between the amateurs and the professionals, beat Reggie Johnson, Frank Tate, Iran Barkley, Michael Olajide, Michael Nunn AND Gerald McClellan, but I’ve always just known him as a really decent guy who was a great friend and someone who was very much behind the idea of supporting fighters in whatever way possible after their careers were over,” “Iceman” John Scully said

“I used to make money off it. Go downtown and they have street magicians, comedians, ventriloquists and people just throw money into the pot,” Milton stated

“After his [fights], he would put on his tuxedo jacket and the bow tie and would sit outside, whether it would be two fans or 22 fans or 200 fans, he’d sit there and put up a little box and make all kinds of magic acts,” John Zervos (ex-New York Police Department officer)