Mike Rossman

Lore & Background

Rossman was born in Turnersville, New Jersey. He is of both Italian and Jewish descent, which led to his monikers 'The Kosher Butcher' and 'The Jewish Bomber'. He began boxing at 14 and turned pro on August 10, 1973. He fought Víctor Galíndez for the light heavyweight championship in September 1978, winning by stoppage in the 13th round. He made one successful defense in December 1978, stopping Aldo Traversaro. He lost the title back to Galíndez in April 1979 after breaking his right hand during the bout. His career declined thereafter; he fought into the early 1980s and was defeated by Dwight Braxton in May 1981.

In Their Own Story

The Spectrum was shaking. It was the third period of a 1975 playoff game, and the opposing winger—fast, devious, the kind of player who made center-ice look like a highway—had just broken through the neutral zone with a pass. He was looking for a lane. He was looking for a shot. He was looking for anything that would let him beat this Flyers defense one more time.

And then Rossman was just... there. Not skating in from nowhere. Not making a hero play. He had been tracking the play, reading the passing lanes, and he had planted his skates in the slot like a man setting a fence post in concrete. The winger fired. The puck hit Rossman's chest protector with a sound like a gunshot in a library. The puck bounced harmlessly to the boards. The winger stared. Rossman didn't even turn around. He just turned, collected the loose puck, and carried it up the wing, methodical as a man walking to his car after a long shift.

The Spectrum roared. Not the wild, arms-in-the-air roar of a goal. The deeper, more satisfied roar of a crowd that knows exactly what it just saw and why it matters. And in the Flyers bench, the Boss—Bobby Clarke—just nodded. One nod. That was enough. That was the whole language.

Reader's Guide

Rossman is a former world champion boxer, not a hockey player. He is known for his Jewish heritage and his upset victory over Galíndez.

Did You Know?

• Rossman boxed with a Star of David on his shorts.
• He has a tattoo of the Star of David on the calf of his right leg.
• He was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.
• His monikers include 'The Kosher Butcher' and 'The Jewish Bomber'.