Boxing trainer finds his calling

Michael Corleone works with disabled fighters

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When former professional fighter Michael Corleone hung up the gloves to become a trainer, he had no idea that “miracle work” would be his calling when he trained disabled fighters.

Corleone, who is from Franklin Square, opened his gym, Kayo Boxing, in 2004. The gym first operated at Gold’s Gym, and then in Synergy, both in Garden City Park. Kayo Boxing moved to its current venue in West Hempstead in 2018, and has remained there ever since.

Corleone and a dedicated team of USA Boxing-certified coaches teach boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, and the rigorous fitness training that accompanies these martial arts.

Corleone had a long and illustrious career as a fighter. His first fight was a kickboxing match in Puerto Rico in 1992 against National Puerto Rican champion Roberto Mercedes. Corleone knocked Mercedes out in the sixth round.

Corleone went on to compete in both boxing and kickboxing, fighting on the undercards of events featuring big names like George Foreman and Michael Grant.

He even shared the squared circle once with Mikkel Kessler, considered to be an all-time great super middleweight, and gave Kessler a tough match.

In addition, Corleone was a sparring partner for legendary boxers such as Arturo Gatti and Hector “Macho” Camacho. Corleone won countless titles in both sports, with his biggest achievement being the International Boxing Organization junior welterweight intercontinental champion.

“I was never an easy fight for anyone,” Corleone said. “Anybody who faced me could tell you that.”

He retired from boxing in 2008 and became a full time trainer. He has mentored numerous amateur and professional boxers since then, but in recent years, his passion has led him to train disabled fighters.

One of those he trained was Lorenzo Thomas, who lives in Suffolk County. Thomas was struck in the head by a stray bullet in 2013. He survived, but many of his motor functions were affected, and he had to learn once again how to walk.

In 2019, Thomas, searching for boxing gyms on Long Island, discovered Kayo Boxing and began training with Corleone. While Corleone was reluctant at first, not wanting to make any promises, training Thomas became what he describes as his calling.

“A lot of people with brain injuries somewhat recover, but then it gets stagnant,” Corleone said. “They plateau. But boxing activates every muscle in your body, and it makes improvements.”

After Thomas’ story of training was featured on ESPN, Corleone began training more disabled fighters, such as Donovan Maldonado, who was hit by a car in 2016. Like Thomas, Maldonado suffered a traumatic brain injury. His motor functions were damaged as well, and at one point he was legally blind. Maldonado’s father, Matt, saw Thomas’ story on ESPN.

“We saw ESPN’s Instagram post with Lorenzo, and we noticed that he walks exactly like Donnie,” Matt Maldonado said of his son. “And we figured this has to be in California, probably. But then we saw it was in Nassau County. We live in Brentwood. I asked Donnie if he wanted to try this out, and it was an instant ‘yes.’”

When Donovan Maldonado first arrived at Kayo Boxing, he had trouble walking on his own, his father said. Now he sprints into the gym when it’s training time, can box standing completely on his own, and even do pushups without any help.

“He had trouble walking and had tremors on the right side of his body,” his father said. “Now he can throw a great right cross and a great left hook, too.”

Maldonado has made great strides training with Corleone, and his father said that he no longer takes any medication -- only vitamins. Matt Maldonado said he is very grateful to Corleone for the work he does with his son.

“This is a workout from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet,” the father said. “It’s a blessing to have Mike. Twenty or 30 years ago, when someone got an injury like this, they’d be medicated and put in a facility. Now my son is here learning to box.”

Some days are better than others, and Maldonado said his son sometimes would rather stay in bed than train.

“I know that feeling myself,” Corleone said, “of wanting to stay in bed. But that’s what fighting is all about -- pushing yourself to the limits. And Donnie and all the other guys I work with show a true fighter’s heart.”

Corleone trains a number of other disabled fighters at Kayo Boxing, all making progress at various levels. Corleone said he plans to continue doing this miracle work.

“When I first started fighting in the ‘90s, of course I wanted to be the next great junior welterweight,” Corleone said. “But God had other plans for me. Training these guys and seeing their progress is worth more than any amount of money in the world. My father told me that, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work.’ I’ve been in business for almost 20 years, and I haven’t worked a hard day yet.”