VANCOUVER ISLAND BOXING - Topix

VANCOUVER ISLAND BOXING - Topix

Island boxers of the eighties

ISLAND BOXERS of the EIGHTIES: by brian zelley

Looking back over the eighties there were many boxers from the
North of the Island in places like Gold River, Campbell River
and Comox, to mid-Island like Parksville, Nanaimo, Ladysmith
and Crofton, and then two clubs in Victoria: Victoria Athletics
and the Victoria Jaycees.  

A sample of north Island names of boxers include:
Alan Brown,  Gary Wood, Paul Dodd, Jim and  Tim Hunter,  and many more.
Some mid-Island boxers of the eighties include those such as: Lloyd Anderson, 
Tim and Scott Cessford, Russ Lyon, Mike Murray and many more.   And, in the
southern part of the Island there was Paul Deluca, Kit Munro, Kirt Ranneris, 
Augusto dos Reis, Ron Ogden,  Some may remember when new clubs were started
in Ladysmith and Comox.  Rick Brough had a important role in starting the Ladysmith club.

One interesting tournament was the 1985 Diamnond Belt tournament in Victoria
in January 1985.  Aside from bouts in the tournament there were some special bouts
One of the special bouts featured Comox boxer Paul Dodd vs Victoria's Augusto
dos Reis.  

BEYOND THE EIGHTIES:

Joe Bayley - Vancouver Island boxer and Canadian champion

JOE BAYLEY, a pioneer of Vancouver Island boxing"
By Brian Zelley
Joe Bayley - Boxer

Inductee of the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame:
Inductee of the British Columbia Boxing Hall of Fame

2022 Nominee * Vancouver Island Boxing Hall of Fame.

 Joe Bayley is a former Canadian

 champion and an inductee in the

                                        Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame

Kit Munro - Canadian boxing champion

KIT MUNRO, Canadian amateur and professional boxer
Kit Munroe - Boxer

Kit Munro began his amateur boxing journey in Saaanich, BC
at the Victoria Jaycees Boxing Club and was active in the eighties
* three of the coaches were Brian Zelley, Mike Sartori and Paul Deluca

he would later turn pro, and would win a Canadian super middleweight 
title in 1997 and a month later, he was fighting in England for a WBO
inter continental title.  

2013 BOXING BC PROVINCIALS

2013 BOXING BC PROVINCIALS ISLAND INVASION
By Brian Zelley

Breaking News:    The Island Invasion *** "May Day Weekend" ***

*Some recent news is the 2013 BC Provincials Boxing Championships
are planned for Vancouver Island in May.  This will be one of the places
that will document the build-up to "Boxing's May Day weekend of 
fistic action and participation".  

Expected to appear in the Provincials will be the recent 2013 Golden Boy
from the recent tournament that took place in Cranbrook which was
hosted by the Cranbrook Eagles Boxing Club.

                                         Coach  Mehran  and 2013 Golden Boy Sasan

Exoected not to participate will be Canadian champion Kenny Lally
who is expected to compete in an International tournament in
Saskatchewan.  There is no confirmation on where coach Bob Pegues
and boxer Jag Seehra will be, but Jag would be a welcome addition
to the tournament which should have some effect of the selection of 
Provincial teams for the National competition in about October 2013.

Boxing On The Island and the Club Shows

THE FIGHT CARDS: by Brian Zelley

Over the decades, the regular boxing cards from Victoria to Gold River

have been an important element in the growth and improvement of 

the sport of boxing, it also becomes a good learning experience for

novice boxers and a good tune-up for boxers preparing for the

many tournaments that may be available for them.  

Club Shows In The Sixties:

From 1964 to 1968 most of the club show would be held

on a regular basis in Victoria with some being held in 

Port Alberni.

1964:  "NanaimoBoxers Earn Split In Victoria Bouts"

The above was the headline in

the "Nanaimo Daily Free Press"

following one of the boxing cards

held in the early part of 1964.

The Nanaimo boxers in action were:

Leo Rock, Chris Balatti, Gilles Nepper, 

Leon Nepper, Roger Nepper and Brian Zelley

The opponents were:
Norman Williams, Tom Kelley, Andy Ross,
Charles Forscutt, Larry Hay and Pat Alwood.
In other bouts boxers were:  Gordon Harvey, Dave Way, Mike Miller,
Jim Fenwick, Rich Uche and Bill Pepper.

During the 1963/1964 season, there were many other club shows which
would end with the Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Championships.
Two of the boxers on the club card would be two of the champions from
Nanaimo in the later championships including Gilles Nepper and Brian Zelley. 

Fast forward from 1964 to 1968 and another all-star card hosted by 
Harry Morris and the London Boxing Club:

March 29, 1968:
* a 15-bout  which included
some top names of boxers
from British Columbia
including Victoria's 
Gary Van Buskirk and
Nanaimo's Tony James.
James had made a great
showing recently in 
the 1968 BC Golden Gloves
but lost a controversial and
disputed decision with 
1967 Canadian champion
Wayne Boyce.  

There would be other club shows after that all-star show but there was no
major tournament on Vancouver Island until the Seventies would unleash
many great shows in various locations including Nanaimo.

FIRE and ICE a cold cold day in Nanaimo 

Looking to 2014 BCABHOF Nominations

SEARCHING FOR NOMINEES:

* As the process of the British Columbia Amateur Boxing 

Hall of Fame continues in 2014,  there will be a need folks

that are past or present members of Vancouver Island to 

attempt to select some choices by September 2013 so 

they can be submitted in a timely basis.

*to begin this process a site has been established that 

will enable persons involved to review the list of over 225

names and reduce them to a smaller number of say about 25

and then review them for

C. A. P. - Contribuions - Achievements - Participation

in the sport of amateur boxing from boxing, coaching,

administration and journalism. 

A SAMPLE LIST OF POSSIBLE NOMINEES:

 

The above is a list of 28 names that covers many decades of boxing

on Vancouver Island, but there are many others that could be added.

Although some of those that would be considered builders have been

boxers, it is more representative that they would qualify as builders

and not boxer  Ones that would be strictly boxers or junior/youth

include: Alan Curtis, Billy Taylor, Gary Robinson,  and Kit Munro.

Two of the listed names have served as Vancouver Island Amateur

Boxing commissioners: Bert Wilkinson and Howard Curling.

Ones that are primarily coaches in the buiding area would be

Alex Riley, Art Smith,  Barry Creswell,  Bob Pegues, Brian Sacho,

Don Orr, Jason Heit, Jim Hills, Lloyd Anderson, Lou Bujdoso, 

Mike Caird, Mike Wood, Nick Lystar,  and Skimp Williams

The others listed would have been involved in various parts of  

the building process. 

   

Selected between 2010 and 2014 from above names:
Bert Wilkinson, Kit Munro, and  Bob Pegues.