BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS

Photo: Alan Brown

BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS (November 1983 to January 1986) - Editor, Brian W. Zelley, B. Com, C A

It all began following the production of two issues of the Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing News for the Spring and Fall of
1983, when I was elected to the Board of Directors of the British Columbia Amateur Boxing Association and served as the
newsletter editor. The first issue in November 1983, featured a variety of current stories, past events, and a few pictures
such as the pictures of past president Fred Fuller, Director of Referees & Judges and former coach of the South Hill and
the Vancouver Firefighters boxing clubs H A (Bert) Lowes and past president Walter T. Boyce.

But in reality, the boxing writing began in 1967 when I was a boxer with Nanaimo's Newcastle Boxing Club and took over
from founding coach George Nepper to write boxing reports for the "Nanaimo Times", that was a good introduction to
journalism which was much different than school essays. Later when I formed the Nanaimo Boxing Club along with
former Vancouver Firefighters boxing club member Dan Wright , we realized it was important to have effective and accurate news and contact with the News Media, so I quickly visited the sports editors of the Nanaimo Times and Nanaimo Daily Free Press.

Even after leaving the Nanaimo club to work on the revival of boxing in Victoria, I continued to communicate with the
the Nanaimo print media. But in Victoria, from about 1974 to 1981, I was in contact with members of the print media,
radio and CHECK TV to keep them aware of the boxing beat.

Another couple of important tests in sports reporting was having a report of a BC Bronze Gloves Tournament reported in
the bible of boxing "The Ring" magazine, and a piece in Lee Kerr's "Boxing Bull" column in "Boxing Illustrated".
A local Greater Victoria weekly sports newspaper called "The Sportcaster" was also an important avenue to spread
the word of amateur boxing in Victoria and other locations in Brtitish Columbia.

NOVEMBER 1983 "BC Amateur Boxing News"

The first issue of 1983/1984 included numerous photos of boxers, officials and coaches
such as Darryl Olson (Ladner Boxing Club), Fred Fuller (past BCABA president),
Richmond boxeer Lyle Hendrickson and Parksville boxer Dave Hendrickson,
1967 BC Diamond Boy Dave Wylie, former Canadian champion Fred Fuller Jr.,
Sample of top boxers at the junior level Cliff Ballendine, Chris Ius, David Ius, John Herman, and others.

JUNE 1985 "BC Amateur Boxing News":

"AT THE BELL" - By Brian Zelley

Remembering those members that supported the "Vancouver Island Boxing News" for the Spring and Fall of 1983:
Alex Riley and Niel Garda (Crofton Boxing Club), Dave Alton (Ladysmith), Art Smith & Brian Sacho (Parksville),
Island officials Rick Brough, Howard Curling and Bob Perry and on the Provincial scene Bert Lowes. (page 3)...

RING ROUND-UP:

1985 BC Golden Gloves - Golden Boy, RON PASKIE - Golden Boy Runner-up, GARY SERKO -
Best Intermediate, Scott Bannink.

Special Award Winners (page 5)
Best boxer Junior Provincials - TROY TAYLOR
Harold Mann award - RUDY BIANCO
Jimmy Syme award - MANNY SOBRAL
Harry Twist award - JOE PENDRY

Maple Ridge Club show - April 1, 1985 (page 6)
Maple Ridge coaches - Glynn Jones and Mike Allen
- two standout boxers on the card were: TONY DUFFY (lightweight) and GORDON JONES (Welterweight)

JUNE 1984:

Primary topic was the 1984 Junior Nationals with such champions as:
Norman Tynes, Corey Burton, Aaron Wolfe, Eric Grenier, Scotty Olson,
Mario Bergeron, Jeff Beliveau, Jaimie Sparks, John Walker, Stewart Hilton,
Tom Glesby, Mike Reuter, and Willy Curry,

Some other competitors from British Columbia -
Curtis Peterson, John Turner, Suraj Jaswal, Tony Francis,
Tony Duffy, Manny Sobral, and Clint Dumais.

An interesting bout was the final between Stewart Hilton and Ray Downey.

The Road to 1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

THE WINDING ROAD

If one looks at the details of the Commonwealth Games regarding Canadian Boxers,
it is a very bright picture with assorted medal winners, But, in 1989 the road was
long and winding, and each stp of the way was not filled with visions of Gold, Silver
and Bronze or the Red & White of Canada's colors.

At times, the path ahead looked bright with a rainbow of color, but then again
nothing is always bright and glittering. Along the way, there were dark days
along the twisting turning path.

Difficult to say what was the first big roadblock, was it the organizing of
volunteers, the side trip to the Seattle Goodwill Games, or the voices of
darkness calling for a boxing ban, or later some members of the public
screaming for the sport of rowing to be in the Games with direct attacks
on the sport of boxing with all the usual talking points.

THE BEGINNING:

Before this game of musical chairs began and long before the opening
bell of the first boxing bout, a boxing committee was established in 1989,
It was to part of the sports committee of the
VICTORIA COMMONWEALTH GAMES SOCIETY.
The first four members of the boxing committee were:
HASSAN SUNDERANI, BRIAN W. ZELLEY, MIKE SARTORI and GLYNN JONES.
At the time J. STOTHART was the contact person and the Executive Director
of the VCGS.

THE END GAME

By the time the last flag was lowered and the teams departed,
Canadian boxers shared in a half dozen of medals
due to the efforts of our boxers and the coaches,
The boxers were:
DOMENIC FIGLIOMENI, CASEY PATTON, MICHAEL STRANGE,
WALD FLEMING, R. DONALDSON, DALE BROWN. and ALLAN
BAYNE.

EVERYONE HAS A ROAD TO TRAVEL

Step back to 1989, and none of the 1994 medal winners were sitting upon
any senior Canadian title throne, that would come later when the likes of
Scotty Olson, Geronimo Bie and others would step aside and slowly
the boxers from Domenic Figliomeni to Robert Dale Brown
would appear to travel along the boxing highway towards 1994.

In 1990, Michael Strange would replace WESLEY SUNSHINE as
the featherweight champion, but by 1993 he would replace
BILLY IRWIN as lightweight champion. Also in 1993 we would
see the arrival of Casey Patton and Rowan Donaldson.

TEN NAMES & TEN STORIES

A FOOT IN THE DOOR - GREATER VICTORIA BOXING ASSOCIATION

Take four committee members and six medal winners and you end-up
with ten stories. But between 1989 and 1994, there were many others
involved  with the planning, organization and execution.

During 1989, it was a lot of meetings to decide the direction that we
would take. One of the first areas was to work on a guide to Boxing
in the Commonwealth Games. Hassan would primarily handle that
job, but I would deal with a brief overview of amateur boxing in
Greater Victoria.

Then in 1990, steps would begin to organize a community of boxing
volunteers. The first official public meeting took place on
April 21, 1990 at the "Victoria Commonwealth Games Society".
The official title of the meeting was
"Meeting of Victoria Boxing Enthusiasts".

It comprised of VCGS's John Stothart, boxing committee members
Sunderani, Zelley, and Sartori, and various interested persons
including:

past Island Commissioners RICK BROUGH and BERT WILKINSON,
Ian Duddy, Ian Weir, Dr. Dan Buie, Wes Byrnell and Pud Smith.

The primary decision reached by the members present was to
formally re-establish the "GREATER VICTORIA BOXING ASSOCIATION"
as a primary vehicle to formally organize a group of volunteers under
a structured organization. Also, all the boxing folks present would
agree to invite interested boxing enthusiasts to the meeting.

2014 Update:

Some of the volunteers:

Rick Brough

BOXING EDITOR

VANCOUVER ISLAND AMATEUR BOXING NEWS

In 1982, in a discussion with former Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Commissioner HOWARD CURLING,
and the then Island Commissioner RICK BROUGH, we talked about getting all of the clubs working together
in a formal manner by having an Island Newsletter, and revising the Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing
Championships that last took place in 1964 in Victoria.

These issues were discussed at a number of coaches and officials meetings
held in the home of Brough.
At that time there were clubs in Gold River, Campbell River, Parksville,
 Nanaimo, Crofton, Ladysmith, and two in Victoria.

Before the end of the year the wheels were in motion
 for both the "News" and the "Boxing Tournament".

In 1983, there was a Spring 1983 issue and a Fall 1983 issue.
 It not only covered current events, but also had
a Flashbacks section, and a boxing skills section. The Flashbacks
 section in the spring included someold fight cards hosted by the
London Boxing Club in 1965. The boxings skills section included the following:
"EFFECTIVE PUNCHING: The B.L.A.S.T Plan" - By Brian Zelley.

The opening editorial began with the words:
"The current members of amateur boxing on Vancouver Island
have a mutual interest to ensure the long term growth and improvement
 of our sport. It is the purpose of this newsletter
to be part of this of objective for the future of amateur boxing." - B Zelley

Of importance to the sport of in British Columbia, there was a report on the 1983
"BC Winter Games" boxing activity featuring the Vancouver Island boxers and
coaches that participated.There was also reference to the performance of
 island boxers competing in the Canada Games
Gary Wood of Campbell River and Augusto dos Ries of Victoria.

BRIAN ZELLEY - Amateur Boxing

ZELLEY's ROUND

The term Zelley's Round is a term used by the Sportcaster sports paper published in Victoria, BC, Canada
in the Seventies and Eighties. During this time period, I belonged to four different boxing clubs in Victoria.
To cover events that were not covered in detail in the local daily paper, I wrote numerous articles on boxing
with a Greater Victoria connection. In the early years, the term "Zelley's Round" was not used.

An example of the early years was:
BOXING
"A Tournament Of Champions" - By Brian Zelley, "The Sportcaster", November 14, 1974

This article covered Victoria boxers engaged in a "tournament of Champions" that took place
in Nanaimo, BC on November 2, 1974. The event was hosted by the Nanaimo Boxing Club.
The three boxers engaged in activity were DAN WRIGHT, TERRY ORR, and IAN WEIR.

The article also touched on a bout by boxer Ian Weir on October 26, 1974
when he faced Del Morgan of North Dakota.

It also, commented on a Canadian bout that featured University of Victoria studen Wayne Crowe
on Wild World of Sports television show in November relating to a May 1974 Championships.