Mike Rossman was a local light heavyweight fighter from Turnersville, New Jersey who had been climbing the ranks. He fought Victor Galindez on the undercard of Ali-Spinks 2 on September 15,1978 in New Orleans. Coming in as a underdog, Mike battled Galindez, and stopped him with a 13th round TKO, capturing the WBA version of the title.
It was big news to have a champ in south Jersey, and he was welcomed home with open arms. Turnersville was only about 7 miles from my house, and I remember the people had put a banner saying ‘WELCOME HOME CHAMP’ and draped it across the highway that led into town. The local newspapers and sportscasters all greeted the champ warmly, and I’m sure he felt the love.
As a neophyte boxing fan, I found my interest in the sport growing daily,and it certainly didn’t hurt to have a local champ.
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