Tributes flood in for boxing legend

TRIBUTES have poured in to legend Mike Joyce  who died suddenly at the weekend.

The 53-year-old was recovering from a coma in Rotherham Hospital after collapsing and hitting his head last month.

Mick, of Schofield Street, Mexborough, appeared to be getting back to full strength but on Sunday he suffered a haemorrhage and passed away with his brother Tommy by his side.

Tommy (65), also of Mexborough, said: “He was doing great. He’d come out of the coma and was laughing and joking with me which is why we are all so shocked.

“No end of people had been coming up to me to ask about him and how he was after his fall and everyone is very upset by the news. He was very popular and really well-known across the Dearne Valley. We are expecting a lot of people to attend the funeral.”

Tributes on Mick’s Facebook page included: “Mick, you’re gonna be so missed but we will not forget you, we’ve got some really good and happy memories, love you always.”

Another post said: “Goodbye to a truly good lad. No one can replace him, he was a one off and to leave so many people grieving, shows what an impression he made. He lost the fight, but not the friends.”

Mick was one of five children and was raised in Conisbrough by his older brother Steven Joyce and his wife Irene who Tommy said did a “brilliant job”.

He attended Pope Pius School as well as Mexborough Comprehensive School and went on to coach at a number of gyms including as head coach at Conisbrough Boxing Club. In 1998, as Denaby Tom Hill Amateur Boxing Club’s senior coach, has was appointed a national coach for the English Schools’ Amateur Boxing Association (ABA).

The following year, the highly-qualified ABA coach opened his own gym, The Joyce School of Boxing, which produced a number of success stories.

Among his triumphs was coaching Mark Brookes to two national finals, Dean Booth to a national title and Glen Symonds to a national final. In 2008, he left Rotherham for Cyprus to take up a 12-month post with their national boxing team.

As well as his success in the ring, Mick took part in a number of fund-raising events and treks with his brother Tommy for local causes.