Norcalboxing.net
Mike Dallas Sr. (right, with son Mike Jr.) passed away Wednesday night. (Peggy Foxx)
It is with great sadness to report that Mike Dallas Sr., longtime head of the Bakersfield PAL, passed away Wednesday night due to a bout with leukemia. He was 45.
Dallas Sr. was beloved by the Central California community for his work building a successful amateur program, but more importantly, for his selfless contributions affecting the lives of local youth looking for a positive outlet from the dangers of the streets.
"He was a mentor to me," said pro middleweight Paul Mendez, who learned the basics under Dallas Sr. as an amateur. "He was always there to talk to about anything, not just boxing, and you knew he really cared. He would always take time out to bring busloads of kids to the tournaments, and we would win."
While Dallas Sr. would steer his son Mike Jr. to a 115-12 amateur record that included gold medals at both the 2000 PAL International Junior Olympics and 2006 National PAL tournament, the Bakersfield PAL as a whole had also become a perennial force under his watch.
In 2004, Mendez was part of a squad that won the Oxnard PAL team title. Most recently, middleweight Daniel Valdivia added a National PAL championship to his vast trophy case in October.
"This is a tremendous loss for all of us. Mike was my dear friend, a great man who meant a lot to Bakersfield, especially the kids," said CCA president Armando Mancinas. "His leadership and inspiration he provided to everyone will always be remembered. He's in my prayers, and he will be missed."
Mike Jr., a promising junior welterweight contender in the professional ranks, will now carry on with pursuing a dream he shared with his father--to be crowned a world champion.
"We're all going to keep doing what we learned from Mike Sr. and keep his memory alive," Mendez said. "As for little Mike, I know he's going to make his dad proud and win the title."
Norcalboxing.net's Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, his archive for BoxingScene.com, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
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