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t’s the summer of 1984, and the pride of Delaware—Henry Milligan—is heading to Texas on a quest for Olympic gold. At 25 years old, he is smart, fit, and ready to take on the world. It was almost three years ago that he had started on this journey. Having just graduated from Princeton with an engineering degree—and being someone who always seemed to excel at whatever he focused on—Milligan was looking for a new challenge. So he took up boxing. And he quickly found success, winning the national ABF heavyweight championship in 1983. As a white, Ivy Leagueeducated boxing champ, he is featured in People, Sports Illustrated and other publications throughout the country. Now, with a 40-5 record that included 30 knockouts, “Hammerin’ Hank” Milligan enters the Summer Olympic Trials at Fort Worth ranked as one of the top two heavyweights. SI calls him “[America’s] best hope for a medal in the 201-pound class.” But Milligan is thinking about more than just medaling. His dream is Olympic gold. On Saturday, June 9, 1984, he faces an up-and-coming 17-yearold from New York. After the first round, Milligan feels confident he can take down his opponent; but his trainer warns him: “This guy can punch.” The second round begins. Amid the cacophony of the crowd, Milligan can hear the nasally accent of famed announcer Howard Cosell as he calls the bout from ringside for ABC Sports. “Milligan can take a punch…” Despite just getting tagged, Milligan is landing nearly twice as many punches as his opponent. About mid-round, he delivers
a barrage of blows, then dodges the response. Cosell, who considers Milligan more of a puncher than a boxer, is impressed with the display of footwork. “Milligan has never showed the boxing skills to do that kind of thing, but right now he’s doing well…” Another series of body shots are exchanged, with Milligan adding a jab and then a right. “I can’t believe that Milligan . . .” Then it happens. The contender connects with a powerful right hand, catching the champ off guard. He looks stunned. The referee issues a protection measure known as a standing eight count. It’s only the second time Milligan has ever received one. After Milligan signals he’s okay, the ref readies him to fight. The crowd rumbles louder, and Milligan closes on his opponent. A few seconds later he’s hit with a second standing eight count. “And suddenly the whole tide of affairs has changed…” The champion is shaken. He turns toward his opponent, his guard lowered. Punches fly. Milligan is knocked off balance, his right glove and knee touching the mat ever so briefly. The ref stops the fight. “That’s it. Fight’s over!” In the blink of an eye, Milligan is eliminated. His dream of Olympic gold is done. Cosell sounds somewhat surprised by the outcome, but adds that this is exactly what boxers need to look out for when facing this power-punching teenager. His opponent’s name is one Milligan—and the country—will never forget: Mike Tyson.
I’m terribly lucky to have done a bunch of things in my life. I’ve been an athlete and I’ve worked on Wall Street. I’ve done a lot of good things. One of the best things I’ve ever done is teach. — Henry Milligan
FROM THE RING TO THE CLASSROOM Today, at 55, Hank Milligan still stays in outstanding shape. It helps that he maintains a training gym in the basement of his North Wilmington home, where he gives private fitness sessions to clients. “I’m so lucky,” Milligan says. “I get to work out with my clients just about every day. They love it and I love it. Been doing it for 20 years.” But punching bags aside, the former boxer has found a new calling: teaching. At Wilmington University, he teaches two classes a semester from a series of four specialized business courses. When he talks about teaching, his face lights up. The former pugilist resembles a younger Nick Nolte, his rugged profile softened by a pair of rectangular-shaped glasses, rounded slightly at the corners. He looks professorial, which is perhaps not such a stretch. Both boxing and teaching depend on being a performer to some extent. And, as Milligan argues, teachers who have applicable yet rare life experiences offer something special.
“I’m terribly lucky to have done a bunch of things in my life,” he says. “I’ve been an athlete and I’ve worked on Wall Street. I’ve done a lot of good things. One of the best things I’ve ever done is teach.” In his business leadership course, Milligan starts off by sharing the story of how he fought a man who would go on to become one of the best boxers ever. His brush with greatness represents his first lesson: Stay focused. In the retelling, Milligan sounds as if he can’t believe it himself: “I am listening to [Howard Cosell] as I am hitting Tyson. You can’t have your attention elsewhere when you are fighting the best in the world. “In those few moments, I made it all about how great I was and how I was going to be the best. I got away from myself. I got away from what got me there: discipline and hard work and concentration.” “I was never going to be the fighter that Mike Tyson [would become], and that’s okay,” he continues. “But that day, that moment, I was the better fighter. I just got caught up in myself. And you only get one chance at beating greatness.” ► APRIL JUNE 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM
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