TRAVERSE CITY - Three Northern Michigan boxers are traveling to Las Vegas to compete in the Masters Boxing tournament at the Silverton Hotel and Casino.
The Masters division of USA Boxing is a highly regulated platform for registered athletes ages 40 and older. The upcoming two-day competition will feature 300 boxers who are matched into brackets based on their age, weight, and previous experience. All participants must pass vigorous physical examinations to compete, and former professional athletes are barred from the division.
Bustance brings more than 40 years of experience to the tournament, having been a part of Northern Michigan’s athletic culture since the early 1980s. He was previously a professional boxer himself before transitioning to coaching. He was a part of the training camp for preparation for the first fight between Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. Alongside his wife of 42 years, Robbin Bustance, he founded Trigger Boxing in 1985 and has since produced more than a dozen state champions and two national champions.
The couple also hosted training camps for former undisputed World Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson.
While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed local boxing activity, Bustance continued to teach classes at a facility located at 1713 Park Drive. The gym has since been rebranded as Iron House Gym, where the three athletes currently training for the Las Vegas tournament prepared for their first sanctioned bouts.
The three local competitors come from various professional backgrounds in the Traverse City and Gaylord areas. Jason Idziak, a 42-year-old senior director at Morgan Stanley, will compete in the super heavyweight division. Jamie LeFerriere, 54, is the owner of Dave’s Garage and the lead singer of the band “Knee Deep.” He is scheduled to box at 157 pounds. The oldest member of the trio is 60-year-old Mike Weitschat, a semi-retired insurance agent who will compete in the 198-pound weight class.