23-03-2025
‘In Stanley's Corner:' Local group working to restore graveside monument of GR boxing legend
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Stanley Ketchel may not be the biggest name in boxing history, but he's a champion nonetheless and a celebrated member of the West Michigan Polish community. That's why the wants to restore his graveside memorial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
The marble monument was dedicated in December 1912, and 112 years later, it is in dire need of help.
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That's where Matthew Gryczan enters the picture. Gryczan serves on the Board of Directors for the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids. The group was working on a project at Holy Cross in 2023, to soldiers who fought in World War I to deliver independence for Poland. That's when they noticed the monument to Ketchel.
'We noted how it had really fallen into disrepair,' Gryczan told News 8. 'The descendants of Stanley Ketchel, they have tried to maintain the monument over the years, but it's well past any sort of repair.'
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He noted several problems, including a giant crack in the monument's concrete base and some discoloration thanks to nearby trees. A caulk seal is also peeling away, allowing moisture into the rock.
'(It's a) matter of time before … the monument may suffer some irreplaceable damage,' Gryczan said.
The Grand Rapids native — known as — is one of boxing's forefathers. He started as a small-time fighter in Montana before moving to California and eventually breaking into the national scene.
Between 1904 and 1908, Ketchel had a during which he didn't drop a decision. He also traded the world middleweight title back and forth with Billy Papke, winning the belt, losing it and then winning it back in a matter of months. All of the success made him a household name across the country.
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Ketchel also played the role of 'white knight' — figuratively, but also somewhat literally. In 1909, he agreed to fight heavyweight champion , arguably the biggest fight of the year.
The dominant Johnson was struggling to find challengers, while many parts of America seethed over a Black man holding the heavyweight title.
Ketchel and Johnson were friends and had a lot in common. They were elite boxers who lived a lavish lifestyle and were notorious womanizers, drinkers and gamblers.
The two fought in California on Oct. 16, 1909, and by all accounts the fight lived up to the hype. But it now comes with an asterisk after many historians uncovered details that the fight was .
The fight was allegedly supposed to go a full 20 rounds to ensure replays were shown in local theaters, making even more revenue. But it appears Ketchel broke script in the 12th, caught Johnson by surprise and knocked him down. Johnson got up and caught Ketchel with a one-two combo that knocked him out, leaving two of his teeth wedged into Johnson's gloves.
Ketchel's story can't be told without its . He was murdered on Oct. 15, 1910, while taking a break from boxing and working on his friend's ranch in Missouri. His premature death shocked Grand Rapids and triggered a huge outpouring of support.
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More than 5,000 people turned out for Ketchel's funeral at the Basilica of St. Adalbert in Grand Rapids, the second largest in city history behind only President Gerald Ford.
According to Gryczan, the ranch owner, Rollin 'Pete' Dickerson paid $5,000 for the Vermont marble monument at Holy Cross Cemetery, which took more than two years to design and install. The 112-year-old monument is a part of Ketchel's story and Gryczan and the PHS want it to live on for future generations.
The organization has been doing the legwork to renovate the monument, getting quotes from contractors and coordinating with cemetery staff.
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Gryczan says the project is expected to cost $2,000, which will cover a new concrete base and having the monument resealed and professionally cleaned. The Polish Heritage Society hit that goal early last week.
Concrete work on the base is set to start Monday.
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