SPRUCE CAPITAL BOXING

THE SPRUCE CAPITAL BOXING STORY: by brian zelley


Introduction
Today in 2012 it is called the Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing
Club  coached Prince George sports hall of fame inductee
WAYNE SPONAGLE.  For the complete story, we need
to go back to the days and years of  IRVING and HAROLD MANN.
== JACK MEDA ==

In the late sixties and early Seventies 
on of the boxing starswas heavyweight
Jack Meda who is an inductee of the
Prince George Sports Hall of Fame. 
Along the way there would be many
other excellent boxers such as
Harold Handlin, Laurie Rorick, 
Sid McKnight,  Laurie Mann,
 Buzz Montour and many others
 in recent years such as 
2012 Canadian silver medalist
light-heavyweight boxer
Thomas Speirs and Marcus Hume.  In 1972, the 
listed club officials were Harold Mann and Doug Martin.
== ALLAN BAYNE ==
Some may remember boxer ALLAN BAYNE.  In 1984, 
Allan would take part in the Silver Gloves that were 
held Decenber 17 th.  Bain would fight his way into
the finals as a junior open boxer and win against a
boxer from Cranbrook, BC.  Some other well known
junior open boxers in that tournament were
Jason Downie, Tony Duffy, Paul Deluca, Manny Sobral,
Alan Brown and Troy Taylor.


But many more tournaments would take place over the
years.  Ten years after that Silver Gloves victory as a
junior boxer Bayne would be part of the Canadian
Commonwealth Games boxing team in 1994.

           Some of the Canadian boxers and coaches 
           1994 Commonwealth Games, Victoria, BC


*Some may remember Dennis Rorick when he boxed in the Sixties and
made it into the finals of the 1967 Diamond Belt tournament and 
faced Donato Paduano in the finals.


== SID MCKNIGHT ==

Sid is one
of the few 
former
BC based
Olympic 
boxers.




The Eighties:
During the eighties many Spruce Capital boxers engaged in 
club shows and tournaments including:
Curtis Mann, Steve Noel, Todd Hatley, Tyler Walker,
Tyler Piddocke, Vince Schryver and Wade Csntelope. 

In the 1984 Bronze Gloves, the Bronze Boy was
Tyler Piddocke of Prince George.  The Bronze Boy runner-up
was Trent Storey of Gold River.  

The Dawn of a New Age for Spruce Capital Boxers:
Fast forward to March 2013, and boxer Thomas Speirs
makes his pro debut with succes to begin a new journey
along the path of many Canadian professional boxers.
His long time club mate Marcus Hume  was on the 
Spruce Capital Boxing Club hosted card in an 
amateur bout which he won.

Coach Wayne Sponagle
and Marcus Hume joined
Thomas Speirs at a news
coference prior to the
boxing show to discuss
the journey of club 
member Thomas Speirs.