Remembering Bobby Tomasello: A Truly Tragic Boxing Story

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The story of Bobby Tomasello is one that hit home for me. See Bobby was a native of Saugus, MA, a town located about 10 miles north of Boston. Saugus is one of the towns in which I grew up. The Bobby Tomasello Memorial Gym is located exactly one mile from the house I lived in as a child. Now Bobby was a few years younger than I so our paths never crossed. But he probably walked the same streets, played in the same parks and went to some of the same schools that I did.

Like Bobby, I had dreams of becoming a professional prize fighter when I was younger. Unlike me, Bobby actually had the talent to pursue boxing as a profession. He grew up around the sport of boxing and began his amateur career as a teenager in 1991. While many of his contemporaries, including myself, were busy partying Bobby was disciplined about honing his craft. He had an accomplished amateur career which included back to back New England Golden Gloves championships in 1995 and 1996. Bobby turned professional in June 1997 with a decision victory over Miguel Ortiz.

By October 2000, Bobby had built an impressive undefeated record of 14-0, 6 KO’s. Little did he know he was entering the final month of his life. His next opponent would be the toughest of his career to date in Steve “The Destroyer” Dotse. Dotse represented his native country of Ghana in the 1992 Olympics and had faced elite competition as a professional, compiling a record of 18-3-1, 16 KO’s. On October 20th, Bobby squared off against Dotse at “The Roxy” in Boston. By all accounts this was a spirited nip and tuck affair with Tomasello giving his more experienced opponent everything he could handle. However, by the 9th, Bobby was tiring and Dotse rocked him with a hard right hand. Tomasello was dropped and nearly stopped in the 10th but his fighting heart allowed him to survive until the final bell. Bobby managed to come away with a hard earned 10 round draw.

Bobby had shown great courage and this was just the type of fight a young boxer could learn and grow from.

After the fight, Bobby experienced nausea and complained of a headache. Next he collapsed. Bobby Tomasello was rushed to New England Medical Center. He was now in a true fight for his life. Bobby underwent emergency surgery to address a blot clot and stop bleeding in his brain. The outlook was not promising but Bobby survived with the help of a respirator over the next few days. Unfortunately, Bobby lost this battle and passed away on October 25, 2000. He was just 25 years old. At an age where most men’s lives are just beginning, Bobby’s was at an end. Bobby would be celebrating his 41st birthday later this month.

His family, friends, and the town of Saugus mourned his loss. Unlike some other ring tragedies, there was no clear place to put the blame in this instance. Emergency officials acted quickly and I know from personal experience that New England Medical Center is as fine a hospital as one will ever find. The Bobby Tomasello tragedy is a sobering reminder of the risk all boxers take each time they step into the ring. In the larger sense, it is also a reminder that we are all mortal and our time on this earth is limited.