Courtesy Photo Former Alpena boxer Tim Holsworth will be inducted into the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday at the APlex as part of the Class of 2022.

ALPENA — As far back as he can remember, Tim Holsworth was always boxing.

Whether he was sparring with his brothers, doing practice rounds with trainers or proving himself as an amateur boxer, Holsworth was always ready and willing to prove himself.

“We were battlers when we were young,” Holsworth said. “Boxing gave us direction and taught us a lot. It taught us to stand up for the underdog.”

At his peak as an amateur boxer, Holsworth measured 5-foot-10, 147 pounds, fighting as a welterweight. By the end of his career, he won numerous boxing awards, fought against famous names and put Northeast Michigan on the boxing map with bouts all over the state.

For his boxing accomplishments, Holsworth is one of four members of the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 and will be inducted on May 6 during the Hall of Fame’s annual enshrinement banquet at the APlex. He will be inducted along with John Cunningham, Phil Straley and Michele (Suszek) Yates.

Holsworth grew up in Alpena and shined in his youth as a baseball star. In 1968, he was the winning pitcher for the Huron Shores All-Stars team in 1968 that won the district championship and advanced to the State Little League finals. He was also a two-time letterwinner in baseball at Alpena High School.

But boxing is where Holsworth left a lasting mark and he became known in the state when he began his amateur career.

He went undefeated at the regional level during his amateur career and won the prestigious Julius Piazza Award in 1975 for the Outstanding Boxer in the Saginaw Region. He also won the Outstanding Boxer Award in 1980 at the Wisconsin State Finals for the Northern team.

In 1975, Holsworth won the Michigan Open Division State Champ Welterweight division to advance to the National Tournament of Champions in Knoxville.

Eventually, Holsworth caught the attention of Eddie Bridges, Michigan’s head coach and head of the Kalamazoo Boxing Academy.

During a run of two decades, the academy produced dozens of state champions, Toughman Contest winners and Golden Gloves champions.

In its heyday, the academy welcomed boxing greats like Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks, and Floyd Mayweather Sr, who became one of Holsworth’s frequent sparring partners.

“Floyd, when I sparred with him I took every chance I got,” Holsworth said. “His hand speed was phenomenal and he helped me increase my own hand speed.”

Holsworth learned a lot at the KBA, crediting it for helping him get to the next level. During his time at KBA, Holsworth fought a few notable names, including Brian Brunette and Tommy Hearns.

Brunette went on to challenge for the World Boxing Association light welterweight title in 1986 and finished with a career record of 24-1. Hearns, who later became known as “Hitman,” went on to become the first boxer to win five world titles in five different divisions.

Holsworth and Hearns squared off in October 1976 at Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie in a welterweight bout. A report from the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News relayed that Hearns used his long reach to gain an early advantage and the two fighters mixed it up into the final round. In the end, Hearns won in a close decision.

“I was fighting for Kalamazoo at the time and my coach comes up to me,” Holsworth said. “He said, ‘Tommy just came out of the Ohio State Fair, do you want a shot?’ I said, ‘You bet, I can take him.’ Anytime I was around Tommy, he was a gentleman.”

In 1979, Holsworth stepped outside the ring and into the corner as a trainer for the Wisconsin Open Division champions at the nationals. Holsworth said he was excited to be able to give back the way others had done for him and focused heavily on fundamentals in his training.

“You do the fundamentals and you do them well and you forget about the results,” Holsworth said. “The results will take care of themselves.”

Holsworth returned to competition one more time, winning the Wisconsin State Welterweight Open Division title in 1980. He advanced to Shreveport, Louisiana for the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.

He tested his boxing skill one more time in a Toughman Contest in 1995, just shy of 40 years old, and won all four of his matches, including one by KO.

After proving himself during his career, Holsworth is content to take his place among Alpena’s sports greats, even though he said he was surprised to get the call from the Hall of Fame.

“There’s been some great athletes come out of Alpena and I’m pleasantly pleased,” he said.

Tickets for the banquet are $20 per person and can be purchased at The Alpena News office, at Jimmie Garant’s Party Store, through Venmo (@AlpenaSportsHOF) or by check. Those interested in paying by check can contact Nancy Garant at 989-464-0319 to make arrangements.