Stanley Ketchel, his real name was Stanislaw Kiecal. He was the son of Polish immigrants, Tomasz Kiecal and Julia (née Olbinska), born in 1886 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The family came from areas of what is now central Poland.

Little Staszek grew up in a working-class Polish community, where from an early age he was distinguished by his temperament, strength and propensity for brawling. He left the family home very early. At the age of barely twelve, he found himself out west, in Montana. He wandered the streets, trying to earn at least a few cents. There, he began a boxing career that developed rapidly.

Stanley's beginnings were typical. He fought amateur fights in bars, back rooms and outdoors. He became known as an aggressive, relentless and extremely strong fighter. He knocked out most of his rivals, building a reputation as a dangerous and unbeatable fighter. It was probably during this time that his nickname ' Michigan Assassin' was born . It was meant to reflect the character and manner in which he dealt with his opponents.

Perhaps Staszek's breakthrough year was 1908, when he defeated Mike "Twin" Sullivan . The duel ended in a first-round knockout. Ketchel was declared middleweight champion of the world. Later, he also defeated the second of the Sullivan twins. He defended the belt several times in the following years and his rivalry with Billy Papke went down in boxing legend. Papke stripped him of the title after a controversial fight in which he was said to have attacked Ketchel even before the gong, but in the rematch Kiecal proved his superiority by knocking him out and regaining the championship.

The most memorable fight of Stanley Ketchel's career was against Jack Johnson , the heavyweight champion of the world. Despite the fact that Johnson weighed several tens of kilos more and was naturally a heavyweight fighter, Staszek accepted the challenge. He hoped that a possible victory would open the way to even greater recognition and money. To the surprise of fans and experts, he even sent Johnson to the boards in the twelfth round. So much so that the moment upset the Galveston giant. Johnson got up and knocked out the young Polonus with a powerful punch. Reportedly, two teeth were later found in Jack's glove, which were said to have fallen out of Ketchel after the blow.

In his private life, Stanislaw Kiecal was a violent, somewhat unpredictable man who loved fights and guns, women and nightlife. He remained an extremely popular figure among the American Polish community, for whom he was a symbol of success. He was treated as the first true boxing star with Polish blood flowing through his veins.

Stanely's sporting career and life were tragically cut short in 1910. While on a ranch in Missouri, he was shot dead by Walter Dipley , a ranch worker. The motive for the crime was said to be jealousy over a woman, money and strained relations on the farm. The boxer was only 24 years old at the time and his death shocked the public.

Stanley Ketchel was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and recognised as one of the greatest middleweight fighters in history. At Holy Cross Cemetery in Grand Rapids, fans enthralled by his story, including those with ties to Polonia, erected a sizeable memorial to him.