In Bakersfield, California – a town where the sun hangs heavy and time moves a little slower – the legacy of Mike Dallas Snr endures, rippling through the Bakersfield Police Activities League (PAL) gym. It was here that Dallas Snr molded generations of fighters, leaving an impact with some still boxing, but a lot just being better for having met him.
Dallas Snr wasn’t just a coach; he was a builder, a mentor, a father figure. He was also the father of professional boxer Mike Dallas Jnr. When Dallas Snr passed from leukemia in November 2012, at just 45 years old, he left a void not just in his family’s life but in the sport itself, especially in his hometown region. His fingerprints, though, are still visible on fight cards today.
A former professional fighter with a 12-13-1 (9 KOs) record, Dallas Snr seamlessly transitioned into coaching. Maybe it stemmed from his roots in college wrestling, or maybe it was just in his blood, passed down from his father, Willie Dallas. Either way, he didn’t just coach fighters; he built a program, turning the PAL gym into a powerhouse that won national tournaments.
“My dad started boxing because his father was a fighter,” Dallas Jnr told BoxingScene. “I came up the same way, watching my dad train and learning from him. The PAL program hasn’t been the same since he passed.”
Now 37 and a truck driver, Dallas Jnr, who retired with a record of 23-4-2 (11 KOs) reflects on those early years with a mix of pride and longing. He began boxing at five, mimicking the fighters in his dad’s gym and soaking in the praise about how good he’d someday be.
“He knew the game,” Dallas Jnr said. “Everything I learned about boxing came from him. He had a way of making everyone better – whether it was a kid in the gym or a pro fighter on the national stage.”
But as quickly as Dallas Snr built a nationally respected program, illness struck just as fast. By 2011, as Dallas Jnr was navigating a promising but turbulent pro career – losing to Josesito Lopez and Mauricio Herrera five months – his father’s health deteriorated. Even as he battled leukemia, Dallas Snr stayed in his son’s corner, offering wisdom and a calming presence.
One of his final acts of love came in September 2012 when, despite his illness, he left the hospital to watch Dallas Jnr defeat Francisco Javier Castro with a sixth-round knockout.
“I’ll never forget that fight,” Dallas Jnr said. “He was so sick, but he came to watch. Afterward, he went straight back to the hospital. That’s who he was – always there, no matter what.”
Five months later, Dallas Snr passed away. In January 2013, just weeks after burying his father, Dallas Jnr took on Lucas Matthysse in a high-stakes bout. It ended in a first-round knockout loss, a result that reflected more about his emotional state than his skills, and a fight that sadly has overshadowed a lot of his career.
“I wasn’t in the right headspace,” Dallas Jnr said. “My dad had just passed. I was breaking down in practice, taking my frustration out on sparring partners. I shouldn’t have taken that fight.”
Though Mike Dallas Jnr’s career had its highs and lows – most notably a controversial draw with Dusty Hernandez-Harrison that many felt should have gone his way – he never fully realized the promise he once showed in the gym. Yet, the legacy of his father, Mike Dallas Snr, continues to resonate, particularly through rising prospect Joel Iriarte, a 5-0 (5 KOs) junior lightweight signed with Golden Boy Promotions.
Iriarte, who began boxing at the same Bakersfield PAL gym that Dallas Snr once led, even sparred with Dallas Jnr in preparation for his final fight against Yordenis Ugas in 2020. Now, Iriarte carries the expectations of a community steeped in boxing tradition, shaped by the lessons passed down from a local legend.
“Joel is talented – really talented,” Dallas Jnr said. “He might be the one to take Bakersfield boxing to the next level. It’s like my dad’s legacy lives on through him.”
For Iriarte, the influence of Mike Dallas Snr is deeply personal.
“Mike’s one of the best this town has ever seen,” Iriarte told BoxingScene. “Growing up, watching him in the ring was inspiring. Sharing the ring with him was an honor. His work ethic and heart drive me to be better.”
Dallas Jnr finds himself passing down lessons in his own way now, though with a sense of irony and humor as he raises his own children.
“I have two sons – they don’t want to fight, they don’t even like boxing,” Dallas Jnr said, laughing. “But my daughter, she’s the one who wants to box. At first, I was pushing her away from the gym, telling her, ‘Nah.’ But now, she’s training. It’s funny how it works out.”
Mike Dallas Snr’s impact wasn’t just measured by wins or trophies. It was reflected in the lives he touched, the fighters he mentored, and the values he instilled – a legacy that continues to shape Bakersfield boxing with Iriarte being the latest fighter to have ties to him. The story of Mike Dallas Snr isn’t over. It lives on in the fighters who train at the gym he built, in the son who continues to honor his memory, and in young prospects like Iriarte who carry forward the torch of the Dallas family’s boxing tradition – even if they don’t share the name.
“He wasn’t just a trainer,” Iriarte said. “He was a mentor, a pillar of the community. His legacy is still shaping fighters today.”
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