About Coach Curt McCune

Curt McCune, right, and his friend Bill Meartz. Bill has trained a professional world champion (Stevie Forbes from "The Contender" reality TV show) and many amateur champions, nationally and regionally, at his gym in Portland, Oregon. Bill is a highly respected coach, a great guy and the current President of USA Boxing.

Curt, right, and childhood friend, John "Contender" Kennedy. John is a local martial arts instructor and MMA referee.

Curt's interest in boxing began as a child where he was trained by his father, a former US Army boxer. Due to the fact that boxing is about "as popular as Ice Hockey in Alabama", he began taking Karate for several years but continued to work on his boxing skills. The boxing training enabled him to win and place in several Karate tournaments.

Curt went to college at the University of Alabama after high school, where he was a walk-on member of the football team. Like many young men he was growing tired of the demands of this lifestyle and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1980. His interest in boxing grew while in the Marine Corps. Unable to get the time to box and train full time, he knew that he would begin an amateur boxing career when he got out of the service.

He began training for competition in 1983 and quickly gained a name as a tough competitor who was always in shape. Curt won several amateur state titles and continued to compete until 1988. Curt met with several professional boxing trainers over the years to discuss a professional career, but he wanted to graduate from college first. Curt had promised his father this shortly before his father's death in 1986.

Curt retired from active competition in late 1988 but returned to win an International Amateur title in 1994. Curt has trained with several trainers and gyms, most notably the Nevada Partners Boxing Gym in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The gym manager is Richard Steele, the former world class professional referee. Curt and Mr. Steele began a friendship which continues to this day. Curt has also been a judge at several professional boxing cards in Alabama. Curt is a registered Level II Coach with USA Boxing.

Boxing record of Curt McCune: 55-3 (plus over 25 exhibitions)

Titles and Awards won

1984 Alabama USA/ABF Runner Up: 178 lb.

1984 Alabama Sports Festival Champion: 178 lb.

1985 Alabama Sports Festival Champion: 201 lb.

1986 Alabama Sports Festival Champion: 178 lb.

1986 Named Best Boxer at Alabama Sports Festival

1987 Alabama Sports Festival champion: 178 lb.

1994 ILEG Champion: 193 lb.

2002 "Woody Dinning" award for Outstanding Coach at USA Boxing Southeastern Association Senior Championships

Curt appears in Boxing movie "Johnny Flynton"

Short film nominated for Academy Award !!

Curt was recently cast as an extra in a boxing movie filmed in Birmingham. Curt spent over 10 hours on the set filming a scene where he was working on the heavy bag, when the main character walks into the gym. The gym was actually a building at the Alabama State Fair Grounds. The movie, about a boxer named Johnny Flynn, was filmed in and around the Birmingham area. Champions Boxing lent the filmmakers, from Los Angeles, several pieces of boxing equipment for use in the movie. Also, Curt's brother Chris, a registered coach with USA Boxing, had a part in the film also. Brad Thompson and Demetrius Balls, two professional boxers from Tuscaloosa were also in the film. Buddy Acker ,a "semi retired" professional boxer, was another boxer who worked on the film as an extra. Buddy, also known as "The Road Warrior", was known as a tough pro and currently trains boxers. The movie starred Dash Mihok, who has been in such films as "Romeo and Juliet", "The Thin Red Line", " The Perfect Storm", and appeared on numerous television shows. Dash approached Curt during the during filming and told Curt how much he appreciated him taking time out to be in the movie. They also talked about Curt's boxing career and our gym. We have no idea on the release date but we understand that it is a short film and not a major full length movie.