Mike Evgen’s Rice Street Rise: Minnesota’s Boxing Champion
Mike Evgen, the St. Paul boxer known as “The Rice Street Rocker,” built a following in Minnesota through a six-title amateur run and a professional career that included an International Boxing Organization (IBO) championship. The nickname tied him to the city neighborhood where he became a local favorite, but his route into the sport began with family and community boxing rather than a ready-made professional path.
Six Golden Gloves titles and a local following
Evgen’s amateur career developed under the guidance of his uncle and trainer, Jay Pelzer. By age 21, he had won six Upper Midwest Golden Gloves championships across four weight classes. He also boxed internationally: in 1986, he was selected for a U.S. team that traveled to Ireland. That same year, longtime St. Paul Pioneer Press writer Don Riley gave him the “Rice Street Rocker” nickname, connecting the boxer’s public identity to his home neighborhood.
Those local achievements built anticipation for his professional career. Evgen turned pro in January 1989 under managers Joel Montpetit and Jim Rodgers. He stopped Rick Caldwell in the opening round of his debut, then fought frequently during his first year, winning nine times and capturing the Minnesota junior-welterweight title against Walter Cowans Jr.
A hometown fight for the inaugural IBO belt
Evgen’s biggest professional victory came on April 9, 1992, at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. With a 19–1 record, he faced Louie Lomeli for the inaugural IBO light-welterweight title. The twelve-round bout went to the scorecards, where Evgen won by split decision: two judges scored it 115–113 for him, while the third had Lomeli ahead 118–111.
Winning a world title in front of a hometown crowd was a milestone for the Minnesota boxer. Evgen later relinquished the belt without defending it. His career continued through the 1990s, but the championship night remained its defining professional achievement.
Life beyond the ring
Evgen retired in 1997 with a record of 31 wins and six losses, including 13 knockouts. He was inducted into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. Years later, he helped co-found Rice Street Old School Boxing Gym in St. Paul, carrying his connection to the neighborhood into a new generation of local boxing.
That community work is part of Evgen’s public story, but it sits alongside a clear athletic record: a six-time Upper Midwest amateur champion, a professional titleholder, and a familiar figure in St. Paul boxing. The “Rice Street Rocker” name lasted because it reflected both his neighborhood roots and the crowds that followed his fights.
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Mike Evgen, Minnesota Boxing, IBO Champion, Rice Street Rocker
