Mike Cleary

Mike Cleary was an Irish-American boxer.
Cleary was born in County Laois, and emigrated to the United States. He was known as a quick and "scrappy" fighter. On October 18, 1882 he defeated the Middleweight Champion of America, John Rooke, in 3 rounds. Rooke had promised to knock Cleary out before the fourth round.
Cleary suffered an accident which resulted in the amputation of a foot in 1893. He developed tuberculosis and died the same year. He was buried in Belfast, New York, but his body was moved next to his mother's plot at New [Cathedral Cemetery (Philadelphia)|New Cathedral Cemetery] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.