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.

CANADIAN BOXERS invade QUEBEC CITY

MAPLE RIDGE BOXING CLUB

TEAM BC

DYLAN BISHOP

light-welterweight division

THE CANADIAN LIGHTWEIGHTS

BOXING CANADA - The 2010/2011 Senior open Boxing Championships: by brian zelley

For some Canadian boxers it will be an early Christmas when they receive a gold medal
and have their names listed on the wall of the National boxing champions.

Expectations would be high for current, past Canadian champions and those few
that participated in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, but past achievements
are not sure guarantees that a boxer will be the last man standing in the middle of the ring
with his or her arm held high.

The invasion of Quebec City by boxers, coaches and officials will be an opportunity for many
but only a select few will prevail.


THE LIGHTWEIGHTS
In the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the lightweight division was one of the dream divisions.
With the line-up of talent it appears that the lightweight division will be the one to watch
for action and possible upsets.  ALEX RYNN of Alberta was part of that dream division in Delhi.
Now he has an opportunity to repeat his excellent performance, but there are no guarantees
with the other Alberta boxer CAM O'CONNELL and ERIC TAYLOR.  Then there are the
pair from BC - JAG SEEHRA and ROBBIE CUSINE.  Not to be forgotten is the
boxer from the east named MITCH CORMIER and the strong team of boxers from Quebec and Ontario.

... ,boxer,,Jag Seehra and coach Bob Pegues                                          ( photo - April 2010 Dorothy Zelley)

THE CANADIAN LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHTS

For the light-welterweights, Quebec boxer YVES ULYSSE will be trying to top the rest.

From the far west, three BC boxers that will be trying to upset the lad from Quebec will be the

likes of DYLAN BISHOP (2010 BC Golden Boy)  and the double threat from MARCUS HUME and DAVE FUNK.  Not to be forgotten is ALONZO JOHNSON from Nova Scotia.

THE FLYWEGHTS to FEATHERWEIGHTS

Throughout the history of amateur boxing in Canada, we have produced an excellent group of flyweights to featherweights such as those that were there in the Sixties including WALTER HENRY and FRANK SCOTT, then came the Seventies with IAN CLYDE and many others.

DALE WALTERS

Bronze Medal - 1984 LA OLYMPIC GAMES

FRANK SCOTT

Bronze Medal - 1966 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

WALTER HENRY

In the eighties, we had SCOTTY OLSON, DALE WALTERS, STEVE BEAUPRE, COREY BURTON and many others. 

IAN CLYDE

1976 - OLYMPIC GAMES

SCOTTY OLSON

GOLD MEDAL - COMMONWEALTH GAMES

1988 OLYMPIC GAMES

IBO FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION

In recent years, two boxers of interest have been Canadian champions KENNY LALLY of British Columbia and JOEY LAVIOLETTE of Nova Scotia.  In the prior year competition, Joey earned a decision over Kenny,  but for the December showdown they will be in different 

joey laviolette

boxing nova scotia

weight divisions.

FACES & PLACES

ALEX RYNN - Alberta, Canada

2010 - DELHI COMMONWEALTH GAMES

DYLAN BISHOP  - 2010 BC GOLDEN BOY

Dylan Bishop of the Maple Ridge Boxing Club has stepped-up the skill level in recent years and has been recognized by the BOXING BC officials in recent tournaments with the 2010 BC Golden Boy award

in April and has followed this up with his latest achievement at the Provincial Championships.  Of interest, two of the BC boxers that he has faced in recent years DAVID FUNK and MARCUS HUME are expected to participate in Quebec City in the light-welterweight division.

For the front runner YVES ULYSSE, he is back from the Commonwealth Games where on 10/10/10 he dropped a decision to the English boxer BRADLEY SAUNDERS.

STEVE ROLLS was expected to attend  the 2010 Commonwealth Games, but he missed the training camp and was eliminated from the team.  So the question is can he bounce back

and be the last man standing in the competition.  And how will the boxers from BC do following the setbacks in the previous year.  The two BC boxers that will try to be part of the BC comeback will be THOMAS SPIERS and ROBERT TAYLOR 

WOMEN'S BOXING 

STEPHANIE WALKER of Nova Scotia is expected to be the one to beat
 in the women's lightweight division.

THE MIDDLWEIGHTS - WOMEN's CHAMPIONSHIP

The two opponents are no stranger to each other as they have faced-off before.

The are MARY SPENCER and ARIANE FORTIN

TEAM SASKATCHEWAN CHAMPIONS

RING OFFICIALS - cross country