27 Facts About Boyd Melson

Boyd "Rainmaker" Melson was born on October 16,1981 and is a retired American light middleweight boxer.

Boyd Melson won gold medals at the All Army Boxing Championships four times and at the Armed Forces Boxing Championships three times.

Boyd Melson made it to the quarterfinals in the welterweight 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships placing 5th in the world, won a bronze medal at the 2005 US Amateur Boxing Championships, won a silver medal at the 2006 US Amateur Boxing Championships, and was an Alternate for the 2008 US Olympic Boxing Team.

Boyd Melson donates all of the money that he earns in his boxing matches to spinal cord injury research and his efforts have been profiled on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, ESPN.

Boyd Melson was recently selected to be inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in the 2018 class of inductees.

Boyd Melson is Jewish, and was born in Orange County, California as his father was stationed in Orange County while serving on Active Duty in the United States Army.

At 10 months old, Boyd Melson's father was stationed at Fort Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn, New York, where Boyd Melson spent the majority of his childhood.

Boyd Melson was born to an Israeli Jewish mother and a Louisiana Creole father.

Boyd Melson graduated from West Point in 2003 with a psychology degree, and a minor in nuclear engineering.

Boyd Melson graduated as a lieutenant, and was promoted to captain three years later.

Boyd Melson earned an MBA in business administration at Touro College.

Boyd Melson started boxing in National Collegiate Boxing Association competition while he was a cadet at West Point.

Boyd Melson was picked for the US Army World Class Athlete Program, and sent to Fort Carson, Colorado.

Boyd Melson was a three-time NCBA All-American boxer, a four-time West Point Brigade Open Boxing Champion, and received the Colonel Marcus Award, which is given to the best West Point boxer at graduation.

Boyd Melson was trained by former lightweight world champion Joey Gamache in the first half of his professional boxing career, and trained by Simon Bakinde in the second half of his professional boxing career.

Boyd Melson made it to the quarterfinals in the welterweight 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships, losing to future pro star Erislandy Lara of Cuba, the eventual gold medal winner.

Boyd Melson was an alternate on the 2008 US Olympic Boxing Team, but withdrew with an injury.

Boyd Melson became a professional in 2010 to raise research funds to honor a woman who had been his girlfriend.

Boyd Melson had been in a wheelchair for 17 years, since the age of 10, following a diving accident.

Boyd Melson worked tirelessly to educate himself on spinal cord injuries and stem cell research.

Boyd Melson traveled abroad with girlfriend Christan Zaccagnino so she could undergo experimental procedures that are not currently offered in the United States.

Boyd Melson donates all of the money he earns in his boxing matches to spinal cord injury research.

Boyd Melson is a very talented fighter and sets an example inside and outside the ring.

Since 2012, Boyd Melson has been training with head coach Simon Bakinde.

Boyd Melson was honored as the 2005 Marty Glickman Outstanding Jewish Scholastic Athlete of the Year by the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Boyd Melson serves as an Army Reserves Captain assigned to the 361st Press Camp Headquarters stationed out of Fort Totten in Queens, NY.

Boyd Melson spends much of his time volunteering for a variety of non-profits, mostly on Staten Island.