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WHEREAS, Michael Bayens was born in 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky and moved to Pittsburgh with his family in 1967; and
WHEREAS, Mike began his illustrious boxing career as a student, winning many city boxing championships through grade school and high school, and later became an assistant coach under the legendary Chuck Senft at Moore Park from 1970-1973; and.
WHEREAS, he left Brookline to serve in the Marines, where he picked up the gloves and fought for the All Marines Boxing Team as he traveled around the world, later reconnecting with Coach Chuck Senft while stationed in Pittsburgh between 1980 and 1985; and
WHEREAS, Mike Bayens retired from the Marines and returned to Pittsburgh for good in 1994, serving as Senft's assistant, and later replacement; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, at the insistence of Brookline Recreation Center Director Michelle Underwood, Mike took over as head coach of the Brookline Boxing Club, later to be rechristened the Pittsburgh Boxing Club; and
WHEREAS, under Mike Bayens' direction, the club expanded to locations in Mount Washington and Overbrook; and
WHEREAS, Mike decided to retire as the President of the Pittsburgh Boxing club in July of this year after 45 years with the program; and
WHEREAS, as a boxer, Mike Bayens maintains a record of 49 wins and only 8 losses, with 9 championship titles, and has served as head coach of the Western Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Junior and Novice teams on three occasions and the coach of the Allegheny Mountain Association team.
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh honors the incredible contributions of the Mike Bayens to the sport of boxing in the Pittsburgh region; and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 to be Mike Bayens Day in the City of Pittsburgh.