AAU Champ Dennis Milton, Middleweight Contender Known as The Magician, Dies at 64
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
New York, NY (January 29th, 2026)– Four-time New York City Golden Gloves champion and two-time National AAU champion Dennis ‘The Magician’ Milton of Bronx, New York, who decisioned future world champion Gerald McClellan, and who challenged Julian Jackson for the World Boxing Association World Middleweight title, passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2026, at age 64.
Milton won a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games and compiled a professional record of 16-5-1 with five knockouts between 1985 and 1995. During a six-month period in 1989, Milton defeated Gerald McClellan, Robbie Simms, and Michael Olajide. Subsequent wins over Jose Antonio Martinez and Pat Brennan propelled Milton into a title bout with Julian Jackson, who defeated him at Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in September 1991 in a World Boxing Association World title bout. Ironically, Jackson would lose his title to McClellan in Las Vegas in May 1993.
Milton attempted two comebacks, first against Bernard Hopkins at Blue Horizon in Philadelphia in 1992, and again against Aaron Davis at Convention Hall in Atlantic City in 1995. After both comeback attempts were unsuccessful, Milton retired. Milton continued to work in boxing afterwards, training amateurs, leading future welterweight contender Arnold Gonzalez to second place in the 2015 New York Golden Gloves. Gonzalez has a professional record of 18-1 and is ranked 137TH in the world at welterweight today. Milton also maintained a job as a front desk security guard for an office building in New York City for many years. Milton was bedridden with dementia for the past year.
Milton outboxed future WBC and WBO World Middleweight champion Gerald McClellan for the biggest win of his career in 1989. McClellan entered the bout with Milton having won all ten of his professional fights by knockout, seven in the first round. Milton later said of the G-Man, “Gerald McClellan was the most dangerous guy I ever fought in my life. You couldn’t fall asleep on him.”
Milton had the bizarre superstitious habit of wearing a black sock up to his calf only on his right foot, but no sock on his left foot. This odd habit was created when he forgot to wear one sock in his 1981 Empire State Games final bout. Milton later explained this habit to the Associated Press by stating, “It’s really just my trademark in boxing, because you make your own luck.”
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Robert Brizel – Head Boxing Correspondent