In Memoriam (Part 6) Brief Sketches of Those We Lost in 2026

By Eric Bottjer

TOMMY KACZMAREK, 96, longtime New Jersey judge, passed in April. Kaczmarek was a first-class judge from 1981-2009, working such fights as Leonard-Hearns 2, Duran-Barkley and Holyfield-Foreman. In less than one year, Kaczmarek was judging fights involving Leon Spinks, Roger Mayweather, Azumah Nelson, Michael Dokes and Howard Davis Jr. Tommy had a two-year pro career as a featherweight, going 11-5-3 (1 KO) before retiring in 1949. He did two years in the Army during the Korean War and was in the children’s shoe business until retiring in 1976. He also was a life-long local government servant, including stints of Mayor of Clark, New Jersey, a city councilman in the same city and a governor appointee to a state board reviewing violent crimes compensation.

SEMISI KALU, 40, Tongan heavyweight, drowned in Tonga in November while on a family vacation. Kalu jumped into the ocean to save two sons, who had been snared by riptides. The eldest son made it to shore; the younger son was trapped for minutes by strong currents. Kalu held his youngest son above the water for as long as possible, before he slipped into the ocean. Kalu’s son survived and told authorities of his father’s effort to save he and his brother. Kalu was 4-0-2 (1 KO) from 2018-2020, all of his bouts in New Zealand.

MICHAEL KATZ, 85, premier boxing writer from the late 20th century, died in January at a Brooklyn nursing home. Katz was one of the “Big Four” in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, when each of the city’s four newspapers had a fulltime boxing writer. Katz started his boxing career at the New York Times and later moved to the Daily News, where his column was required reading. He was colorful and combative. When provoked, Katz would barrel into Thunderdome with anyone. A physical fight with Boston Globe columnist Ron Borges resulted with Bob Arum as collateral damage, the promoter being knocked from a chair. Unrelated, Arum sued Katz for defamation after Mike pounced on Bob in print for promoting a show on Yom Kippur. Fightnews.com editor Scott Pope (aka “Flattop”) threatened Katz’s life after a colorful phone conversation. Katz swung his trusty cane at a fellow writer once in Vegas. At that point, in 2001, Katz was writing for a website. His 15-year run at the Daily News ended the previous year, the last of the Big Four to grace the New York papers with boxing news. Katz moved to Vegas in the early 2000s and he basically retired, the sport – and print journalism – passing him by. He returned to New York several years ago.

MARK KAYLOR, 64, British light-middleweight contender, died in November in his sleep. Kaylor was 40-7-1 (34 KOs) from 1980-1991. While he never won a British or European pro title, Kaylor was always a player in British Boxing in the 1980s. His grudge match with Errol Christie in 1985 (won by Kaylor) is still one of the most talked-about matches in UK boxing history. Kaylor won plenty of amateur crowns and he represented England in the 1980 Moscow Olympics (he lost in the quarterfinals). No cause of death was revealed, although multiple sources wrote that Kaylor had “health” problems during his final years. Kaylor moved to California after his boxing career finished and worked as a trainer for white-collar folks looking for authentic boxing workouts.

ROYT KEMPF, 77, Kentucky amateur boxer and pro judge, passed “peacefully” in October. Keppf was an amateur boxing while in the Army in the 1960s and later worked as a judge for Kentucky pro shows in the 1980s.

AUSTIN KILLEEN, 82, New England pro boxer and later New Mexico boxing writer, died “peacefully” at his Albuquerque home in May. Killeen, a school teacher, loved boxing since watching Ezzard Charles-Joe Louis at age 8 and had sporadic amateur matches as a youth. As an adult, Killeen trained at a boxing gym in Massachusetts and often sparred with pros. At age 34, when promoter Sam Silverman offered Killeen a pro fight on less than a week’s notice in Fitchburg, Austin stepped in, scoring a first-round KO. He won five of six fights over the next two years, finishing a KO winner in 1979. Killeen moved to Albuquerque in 2011, endearing himself to the local boxing scene with scores of fight reports on pro and amateur cards.

RICHARD KONDRACKI, 85, Florida welterweight, died in November. Koindracki, who ran a service station in Sanford, was zero for five in his pro fights, which he had from 1968-1974 in Florida.

SHIGETOSHI KOTARI, 28, Japanese jr. lightweight, died in August from injuries suffered in his 12-round draw with Yamata Hata in Tokyo. The pair were contesting the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation championship. Kotari, who was ahead on points after eight rounds, but noticeably tired late, collapsed shortly after the match and was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He passed six days later. His record was 8-1-2 (5 KOs) heading into that match. On the same show, another boxer also suffered fatal injuries – the first time in boxing history this has happened. The Japanese Boxing Commission announced it would shorten regional title fights to 10 rounds.

WLADIMIR LAPTEV, 79, Russian WBC supervisor, died in October after a long illness. Leptev was a longtime boxing official for the Baltic and Slavic countries.

CECILIO LASTRA, 74, former WBA featherweight belt-holder from Spain, passed in September in his hometown of Santander. Lastra had been in poor health during his final years and underwent the amputation of his left leg during that time. Lastra turned pro at the end of 1975 and went 30-13-2 (24 Kos) in just 6-and-a-half years. A southpaw who punched in volume, Lastra won his title in 1977 in his home country by outpointing Rafael Ortega. He lost the belt four months later when future Panamanian legend Eusebio Pedroza stopped him in 13 rounds. The Pedroza match was only one of three times that Lastra fought outside of Spain.

JORGE LEO, 72, Dominican bantamweight, died in May. Leo had two fights in the early 1970s (both losses).

ARTURO LEON, age unknown, Mexican bantamweight, died in October. Leon was 23-10-1 (20 KOs) from 1969-1974, fighting out of Tabasco.

GREG LESCHISHIN, 69, Massachusetts amateur referee and judge, passed in May. Leschishin officiated numerous U.S. national amateur tournaments in the Masters division from 2022-2024. Leschishin was out for a routine Friday evening walk when a carjacking suspect hit him and left the scene. The 30-year-old suspect was later arrested, but Leschishin died three days after the hit-and-run from his injuries.

TONY LICCIONE, 76, founder of the Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame, passed in February. Liccione founded the local group in 1990.

MICHAEL LOEWE, 56, Romanian welterweight, died in July from colon cancer. Loewe was 28-0 as a pro and won various WBO regional titles, but had to retire in 1988 due to a hand injury. After boxing, Loewe became a successful race car driver.

BOB LOGIST, 82, Belgian boxing judge, died in June. Logist was head of the European Boxing Union from 2006 to 2022. Logist was an excellent judge, tabbed for major title fights in his long career, including the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson mega-fight. His one “controversy” was tabbing Felix Trinidad a one-point winner over Oscar De La Hoya.

CALIXTO LUNA, 65, Mexican middleweight, died in March after he was struck by a train in Navojoa. Luna was well-known in town as a street person who would shadowbox for coins. He won two pro fights in 1980, both in Tijuana and both against opponents who had not won a fight. Luna blamed drugs for curtailing whatever potential he had as a boxer.

PASCAL LUSTENBERGER, 57, French welterweight, died in February of a heart attack. Pascal was 20-15-2 (11 KOs) in a 10-year career that began in 1987.

VALERY LVOV, 72, former Soviet amateur, died in May. Lvov fought (and lost to) Ray Leonard and Aaron Pryor in the 1970s as a lightweight. He did score a win over Cuban star Andres Aldama in 1978 on his way to winning the world amateur championship as a light-welter.