Portal:Hudson Valley/Selected biography/17

Boyd "Rainmaker" Melson is a West Point graduate and light middleweight boxer, born in White Plains, New York. As an amateur, Melson won the 48th World Military Boxing Championship gold medal in the 69 kg. weight class. Melson was a four-time United States Army champion, a three-time NCBA All-American boxer, a four-time West Point Brigade Open Boxing Champion, and also won gold medals at the All Army Boxing Championships twice, and at the Armed Forces Boxing Championships twice. He made it to the quarterfinals in the welterweight 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships, and won a bronze medal at the 2005 US Amateur Boxing Championships.

As a professional, Melson remains undefeated, 5–0–0, with two of his wins coming by knockout. He is 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall, and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). Melson donates all of the money that he earns in his boxing matches to stem cell research.