The unbeaten super bantam is no longer flying under the radar following an outstanding 2022 campaign which turned heads everywhere
If a twelve-year-old Michael Angeletti hadn’t wandered off from basketball practice to take his first peek inside a boxing gym, he may have never fallen in love with the sport that would change his life forever.
Inspired by his father’s Roy Jones Jr. highlight tapes, the little kid with the big ambition set about making his name in the toughest of all sports professions. As amateur achievements piled up, he eventually earned his way on to Team USA. Although his Olympic dreams didn’t pan out, the lessons learned along the way not only seasoned him as a fighter but strengthened him as a young man.
Angeletti would make his professional debut in December of 2020, in the odd and off-putting bubble world necessitated by COVID-19 protocol, fighting in empty venues, without an audience. None of that, however, stopped the New Orleans native and Houston-area resident from excelling and turning heads. Despite getting a late start in the pro game at 24 years of age, the young man who’s described his fighting style as a mix of Roy Jones and Floyd Mayweather, with a touch of Canelo thrown in, has made up for that with scorching performances and an all-around beyond-his-years mature ring presence.
Blessed with whipping power showcased behind a jarring jab, the emerging star makes for an impressive blend of raw talent and high-end skill. Sparring work with the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and O'Shaquie Foster has also helped add depth to an already-advanced game fine-tuned under the guidance of longtime head trainer Jeff Schlitte.
This past year firmly established the junior featherweight as a “for real” prospect with three impressive victories on high-profile Premier Boxing Champions undercards.
In March, Angeletti stopped 25-fight veteran Angel Luna in the fifth round on the Tim Tszyu-Terrell Gausha undercard at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He then blew away Rafael Morel in one round at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida in August, underneath the Omar Figueroa Jr.-Sergey Lipinets main event.
In October, he would score his biggest pro win to date, on the biggest stage of his career, when he dominated fellow unbeaten prospect Jeremy Adorno and forced a fifth-round corner stoppage on the Deontay Wilder-Robert Helenius pay-per-view undercard.
Angeletti, currently 7-0 with 6 KOs, would’ve fought a fourth time in 2022, on the Frank Martin-Michel Rivera card, but a late opponent withdrawal ruined his December plans.
Future propositions involve a possible drop to the 118-pound bantamweight division, where his lanky 5-foot-8 frame would work to even greater benefit, and a continued push to up the level of his opposition.
Supremely grounded for a young man, Angeletti is taking his boxing accolades in stride and working just as hard for success outside the ring as he does inside it. A licensed real estate agent since he was a member of Team USA, the married father of two has his eye on life outside of boxing, just as he pushes his way towards boxing stardom.
With two beautiful young children, a loving wife, and a supportive family circle behind him, he’s already a winner at life. A second-to-none work ethic, meanwhile, makes boxing stardom seem just a matter of “when” and not “if.” He certainly displays the patience of a man who knows what he wants and is secure in what he brings to the table.
“I knew that as long as I capitalized on the opportunities, my name would get bigger and bigger,” Angeletti recently told The PBC Podcast. “Still, I don't think my name is as big as it should be right now, but I know with each and every opportunity I get, as long as I make the most of it, it'll come.”
And “it” is indeed coming.
Congratulations to Michael Angeletti, the PBC Prospect of the Year for 2022.
For a closer look at Michael Angeletti, check out his fighter page.
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