"Iron Man" Schmidt Headlines Saturday
By Ben Tighe
1.11.09

Jon Schmidt is a lanky 6’1” super middleweight from Blaine, MN. His professional record is 6-1 with 5 kayos, and he has won four straight bouts since suffering his only loss, a four-round decision to Bobby Kliewer, in June ’07. Schmidt, who spent his childhood in Brooklyn Park and Blaine, began fighting at the age of 19 and as an amateur light middleweight compiled an amateur record of “something like 22-20 – I was just over .500.”

In advance of his January 17 fight with 4-5 Joshua Rodriguez at the St Paul Armory, "The Iron Man" took a few moments to introduce himself to fight fans of Minnesota. Asked for his thoughts on that match with Rodriguez, Schmidt says “I just know that he’s a tough guy and there’s no way in heck I can look past him.” (Rodriguez won his last fight, against Jesse Barbot, by first round TKO).

Schmidt, who had only two fights in 2008, attends Anoka-Ramsey Community College, where he is studying to be an R.N., and he drives a truck on a city route for Manning Transfer. Obviously Schmidt is a busy guy, and is trying to fit a pro boxing career into a busy schedule. Schmidt wants you to know that boxing does not define him as a person: “I’m looking to go with boxing as far as I can take it, but it’s not like I have nothing else going for me.” In this respect, he has something in common with ACR Gym stablemate Caleb Truax, of whom Ray Kilgore once wrote, “he’s able to put what the sport can and cannot offer him into perspective.” Says Schmidt, “I’d like to be a big success and attain world champion status, but if that doesn’t happen it’s not like I’m going to die.”

What Schmidt has accomplished so far is to build a reputation as an exciting fighter who can make things happen. That may be why, with just seven pro fights under his belt, he’s already co-headlining a local show. This will be his first time, and he admits that he’s aware of some pressure, “I don’t want to disappoint. But I don’t think I will.”