Charles Messina grew up listening to boxing matches on the radio — iconic fights like Muhammad Ali versus Floyd Patterson — and sparring with his brothers in the back yard. The sport of boxing has been part of his life ever since, and he’s been a driving force behind the boxing scene in Delaware.

“I went through all the stages of boxing,” Messina said. “I was a boxer, a trainer, a manager of professional fighters, and then a promoter.” Among his proteges was Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Milligan, a Princeton graduate who became an amateur national champion in 1983.