The third bout featured Mason Saunders (blue gloves) and Deshaun Ware (red gloves). Saunders won the fight on August 24. (Mark Peterson)
After the untimely death of their son Brian in November 2024, parents and Columbia Heights residents Sean Sr. and Judy Clerkin chose to put on a public event in his memory. Because of the family’s longstanding connection with amateur boxing, they organized a series of bouts at John P. Murzyn Hall, which took place August 24.
The twelve bouts, put together by Midwest Golden Gloves and sanctioned by USA Boxing, drew a crowd that included family members, retired boxing champions and friends and supporters of the Clerkins.
Cindy Schumacher and Upper Midwest Golden Gloves President Lisa Bauch worked the officials’ side of the event, organizing the officials that judge, timekeep, clerk, referee and manage the glove table. Bauch, who owned Uppercut Gym in Northeast Minneapolis until selling it to Ben Loehrer, owner of Los Campeones Gym, in 2019, acted as one of the two referees.
One of the fight doctors examines a boxer after his match. (Mark Peterson)
Bauch said that someone who wants to put on an amateur boxing show must be a member of USA Boxing, fill out a sanction form and pay a fee to the USA Boxing National office. Then an event site is chosen and matches are made with other teams, all of which is reported to the Official in Charge (OIC) of the event. The OIC then verifies that the boxers’ information is correct and secures officials for the event.
Bauch noted that the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves (UMGG) is a franchise of the Golden Gloves of America, which has long been considered the “grassroots” of boxing.
“It is the mission of the UMGG to provide a safe environment that promotes and enhances the physical and emotional well-being as well as the social development of athletes for their athletic skills, work ethic, discipline, sportsmanship (and) self-respect,” she said. “The program also provides a competitive stage if so wanted by the athlete, and all skill and fitness levels are welcome.”
The second referee, Veid Muiznieks, had a career as a Newport, Minnesota, police officer before retiring as the department’s chief in 2009. He is a long-time boxing official: He said he’s “closing in on 1,200 bouts as a referee and 2,600 as a judge.”
Emily Ibarra Vara smiles as she is declared the winner of her fight. (Mark Peterson)
Muiznieks came to the came to the U.S. as a child in 1951. As a young man, he was a parachute soldier in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. When he got out of the Army, he realized that “I couldn’t even vote in the country I just helped defend, and so I became a naturalized citizen.”
Sean Sr. said, “Thanks to the Firehouse Gym team — including our volunteer coaches Jon Stannard and Ty Nosser, and invaluable contributors like Corey Rodriguez, Tony Woods and Isaiah Neal, everything from the ring setup, bout matchups and overall production came together smoothly.”
He added, “Every match was thrilling, but especially rewarding was watching our Firehouse boxers win their bouts. Having put in the daily grind under the guidance of incredible coaches, it’s deeply gratifying to see their hard work pay off.”
The Firehouse Gym boxers were something of a home team, with their headquarters situated just one block east of the Hall. Still, this was the first sanctioned boxing event in Columbia Heights since 2016.
Sean and Judy Clerkin in front of a banner honoring their son, Brian Clerkin. The saying on the banner “Slane go foill” is Irish Gaelic for “goodbye for now.” (Mark Peterson)
Sean Sr. has been involved with Golden Gloves since 1969 — from judging matches to serving on the Upper Midwest and national Boards for over 20 years. In 2007, he organized the first-ever World Golden Gloves Tournament in Hinckley, Minnesota, featuring teams from Puerto Rico, Ireland and England.
The Sunday fight card had matches in weight classes ranging from 100 pounds to 165 pounds. The bouts were two and three-rounds, two of which were halted by 8-counts in their final rounds. Boxers were awarded medallions for first and second place.
Brian Clerkin was active in his community as a member of the Columbia Heights Lion’s Club and served on the Columbia Heights Traffic Commission. His favorite holiday was St. Patrick’s Day.
A trip he took to Ireland fulfilled a lifelong dream to visit his dad’s home. In addition to his parents he is also survived by brothers Sean and Joseph, who own Tasty Pizza of Columbia Heights/Hilltop, MN.