PAST & PRESENT BOXING in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST: By Brian W. Zelley
Throughout the decades, the Pacific Northwest including parts of British Columbia, Washington State
and parts of Oregon has had an interesting past and an active present with amateur and professional boxing.
Key amateur boxing includes the various Golden Gloves tournaments in British Columbia, Tacoma, Seattle,
and Portland. The BC Golden Gloves began in 1939 in Vancouver and the last one took place in Langford
(Greater Victoria) at the Eagle Ridge Community Centre. From the mid-Fifties, some names to remember
from Golden Gloves action in places like Tacoma include Canadian boxers Lindy Lindmoser and
Tommy Delvecchio and Seattle's BOBBY HICKS of the Chemeres Boxing Club.
In professional boxing there have been some world class champions and contenders such as champions
TODD MORGAN, DENNY MOYER, FREDDY STEELE, and AL HOSTAK, and top contenders such as
RAY LAMPKIN, FRASER SCOTT, EDDIE COTTON, SUGAR RAY SEALES and BOONE KIRKMAN,
and many others such as Vancouver's KENNY LINDSAY, JACKIE TURNER, FRANK and STAN ALMOND.
A sample of others include: Vic Foley, Doc Snell, Billy Townsend and Leslie (Wildcat) Carter.
During the current time period, there are a number of promoters in places like Vancouver and Seattle.
The Pacific Northwest has also been the site of some National and International boxing tournaments such as the
1954 British Empire Games, 1990 Seattle Goodwill Games. 1994 Commonwealth Games and the 1967 BC Diamond Belt
Tournament.
