This year Local 449 retiree Rick Steigerwald was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. A milestone that is well deserved as Rick has been a part of the state’s boxing community since he was 10 years old. 

“I had tears in my eyes thinking about how proud my parents would have been of me,” says Rick of his recent achievement. 

For Rick, his Hall of Fame story started across the state, when a questionable judge’s decision cost him a shot at a National Championship. 

“In 77’ they robbed me in Philadelphia for the Golden Gloves State Championship. I beat this kid all over the ring. He was running from me half the fight” says Steigerwald about his fight almost 48 years ago.

All these years later Rick still thinks about that fight and how the unfair decision affected his destiny and purpose in life.

After the fight in 1977, Rick decided to join the family business: the Steamfitters. 

“There has been a Steigerwald in the Steamfitters since day one. My grandpa’s brother was a charter member,” said Rick about how deep his Local 449 roots run. 

Although Rick became a Steamfitter who excelled in the field, he continued to stay involved in the world of boxing. He worked as both a judge, trainer, and a referee while still welding and fitting pipes by day. He believes it’s his North Side roots that instilled a strong sense of hustle that allowed him to work full-time in two different careers.

“I would work seven 12s and take my gym bag with me…hop in the car, change on the drive up and go referee a fight,” says Rick of his schedule back in the 80’s and 90’s. 

 He remembered refereeing a fight on HBO one night and then being recognized on a construction job by a fellow Steamfitter the following morning.  

“I loved the work as a Steamfitter and refused to miss a day on the job. Honestly, my two jobs complimented one another well,” says Rick. 

Being successful in the Steamfitters and in boxing requires a lot of similar qualities including perseverance, passion for the work, and an ability to deal with different personality types. Over the last few years Rick’s two worlds have begun to collide with the Steamfitters Event Center hosting both Golden Gloves and Championship Fight Nights. 

“Before the event center even finished construction, Kenny mentioned the possibility of having fights. My answer was “Absolutely!” and I brought em fights,” said Rick about how eager Local 449 Business Manager, Ken Broadbent, was to have boxing on the Steamfitters campus. 

Even in retirement, there is no rest for a guy with Rick’s ambition. He currently serves as a PA boxing commissioner where he puts an emphasis on the safety of combat fighters. His involvement in combat sports has allowed him to brush shoulders with some of the greatest fighters in the world, like Mike Tyson and more recently MMA superstar, Connor Mcgregor. Rick may have hung up his hard hat years ago, but much like being a fighter, he still finds that he can never quit being a fitter.

“I went to the Technology Center for a quick visit to pick something up…didn’t leave for almost two hours because I found myself helping out two young apprentices with their training,” says Rick as a testament to the brotherhood. 

Rick’s helpful nature is apparent within the community as well. One day about a decade ago, Rick remembers seeing a kid about 7 years old standing in the corner of the gym alone receiving no attention from the trainers, so Rick intervened. 

“It took a bit to get him to speak, but then I realized that he wasn’t asking anyone for help because he had a stutter and was embarrassed. I began to work with him one day a week over the next few weeks,” remembered Rick. 

Years later, at a Golden Gloves event, he received a tap on the shoulder from a tall young fighter. Once he recognized him, he realized who the contender was in the Golden Gloves competition. 

“His mother came up to me and thanked me. She said I had no idea just how much I helped her son all those years back,” says Rick. 

Rick is a proud legacy Steamfitter, a Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Famer, and most importantly, a beacon of leadership in the community.