COUNTERPUNCH FOR BOXING

COUNTERPUNCH for BOXING: by Brian Zelley

http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16640

The above link will show several paragraphs from

a 1992 op ed piece that I did in Victoria's

"Times-Colonist".

EMILE GRIFFITH, champion boxer

EMILE GRIFFITH - an Elite world champion

By Brian Zelley

The March 1964 issue of 

Boxing & Wrestling" magazine
was just one of many magazines 
that would have Emile on the
front cover in the Sixties.

There was also a feature article
by John F. X. Condon titled
"A Tiger In The Closet"
which was one of the early
articles that would  look at
the three time welterweight
champion looking at the
middleweights and the
champion DICK TIGER. 

Looking back to those mid
Sixties, Emile was likely
my favorite boxer but 
former champion Floyd Patterson was also on the top of the like list
along with other champions and former champions such as Willie Pastrano,
Eddie Perkins and Eder Jofre.  But, I believed Emile to be the best 
champions.  Years later, another magazine "Boxing Illustrated"
woul pick Emile Griffith as the best of the Sixties, and in the
early Seventies, he was also my choice.

His last Welterweight Title Fight

Emile's last welterweight title fight would be against the slick

boxer from Houston, Texas by the name of Manuel Gonzalez,

Manny had defeated Emile in a non-title fight but in the title

fight. Emile would not be denied.  

                   EMILE GRIFFITH vs MANUEL "Manny" GONZALEZ

                      *the last welterweight title fight for Emile Griffith

Manny Gonzalez:  A slick boxer

It would be a few years

after the Griffith fights

that I would have a 

chance to meet with 

Manny along with

trainer Billy DeFoe.

We would talk about

such boxers as Emile,

Joe Brown, Cleveland

Williams and others.

*At the end of the day

and likely forever 

EMILE GRIFFITH

and GONZALEZ along

with FLOYD PATTERSON

will always be in my top 

ten "like" list of boxers.

BOXING CHAMPIONS of the COMMONWEALTH

COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONS : by Brian Zelley

Introduction:

Commonwealth  Champions which

were at first the British Empire Champions

have a rich history over the decades of in

all the weight divisions including the

new ones that have been added from 

time-to-time.

Looking far and wide they have come

from all regions of the world from Encland, Canaada, Ausralia

and other parts of the Commonwealth.  Take the bantamweight

division that had the likes of Alan Rudkin of England and

Lionel Rose of Australia and the many others.

The Bantamweights
1969 to 2013"
Lionel Rose
Alan Rudkin
Paul Ferreri
Sulley Shittu
Johnny Owen
Ray Minus
Johnny Armour
Paul Lloyd
Adey Lewis
Tommy Waite
Nicky Booth
Steve Molitor
Joseph Agbeko
Tshifhiwa Munya
Jason Booth
Jamie McDonnell
Stuart Hill

THE HEAVYWEIGHTS:

One could go back to the earlier days with heavyweights

that were also world stars such Henry Cooper and George Chuvalo  

but looking back to the eighties there have been some standouts
on the world stage:

The Heavyweights:
1981 to 2013
Trevor Berbick
Horace Notice
Derek Williams
Lennox Lewis
Henry Akinwande
Scott Welch
Julius Francis
Danny Williams
Michael Sprott
Matt Skelton
Martin Rogan
Sam Sexton
Dereck Chisora 
Tyson Fury
David Price

Lennox Lewis

The Lennox Lewis  story is 

of interest to both the

Canadians and the English.

English born Lewis would

move to Canada has a chile

and begin amateur boxing

in the Province of Ontario.

He would have an excellent 

amateur record which 

would include two trips to

the Olympic Games 

in 1984 and 1988.  In the

'88 Games,  Lennox would

win gold.  But, to begin his

professional journey, Lewis

would return to London,

England to work his way

up the ladder to win a 

Commonwealth  title 

and then he would earn a world heavyweight title.

THE LINKS amd THE STORIES:

http://zelleysround.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/commonwealth-professional-boxing-champions/

The above starts with a brief introduction and then touches on the first boxer being
ALAN RUDKIN.  Alan had an interesting boxing journey, and won the 
British Empire/Commonwealth bantamweight title with a victory of 
JOHNNY CALDWELL  who had won the vacant title with a victory over
GEORGE BOWES in 1964. An earlier champion of the bantamweight title
was FREDDIE GILROY.

MARCUS HUME, Prince George boxer

THE MARCUS HUME BOXING STORY: by brian zelley

A New Beginning

photo of coach 

Wayne Sponagle, 

and

Marcus Hume

prior to the 

new beginning

Introduction:

Marcus Hume is an amateur boxer from Prince George, who 

has left the British Columbia Amateur Boxing Association and

will be trying a new version of amateur boxing through an

alternative group.  Alos, the long running club which he has

been a part,  the Prince Georgre "Spruce Capital Warriors"

boxing club, now under the direction of Wayne Sponagle

have not renewed their membership with Boxing BC  and

will be part of an alternative group.

To appreciate the previous journey of Marcus, we need to step
back in time to to about 2006 to 2008 to follow his journey.

2007/2008: The sign on the wall:

* There were two fights that Marcus had with a boxer

by the name of Ledger from the Peace River Shamrock

boxing club which would demonstrate the range and 

ring ability of the Prince George ring warrior Hume.

Marcus would show great versatility with the use of the

jab, uppercuts and body punching and the ability to 

execute good combinations.

High Expectations:  A Coaches view:

Coach of Marcus Hume and Thomas Speirs

is not afraid to tell it like he thinks it is as

demonstrated in the recent story in 

"Prince George Citizen" in a March 6th. 

story by Jason Peters:

Well the positive views of an old coach to support

his two boxers should not be a great big shocker,

but a departure from reality often gets in the way

of story telling and could lead us into the world

of fiction and fantasy far from the documented

facts and records.   

THE STORY of a Boxing Photo's 39 year journey

THE LONG JOURNEY of a PHOTO: by brian zelley

by Jim Ryan
It was taken for
a story about 
boxing in 
Victoria in 1974.
The story was by
Parry Pitts that 
was published on
November 22, 1974
in a newspaper called
"The Victorian".





(Ian Weir,  Mike Caird, Brian Zelley of Victoria Boxing Club.)
The headline of the Patty Pitts story: "Boxing Back From Ropes".

Patty was a staff writer for the publication and would begin the 
story with the opening:
"After being down on the mat for several years, boxing has sprung back
and is showing a slow but steady climb in Victoria."

Patty then touched on some highlights of the past such as Billy Taylor
winning the 1967 Canadian amateur boxing heavyweight title. Then
went on to describe the sudden and quick decline of boxing.  

Patty then introduces the current folks involved in this great but
gradual comeback in growth and popularity.  The names of the
individuals were Mike Caird, Brian Zelley, Ian Weir and Dan Wright.
She then went on to describe my background in boxing and then 
mentioned how Brian and Dan had revived boxing in Nanaimo with
the formation of the Nanaimo Boxing Club and the success of Jack Snaith
winning a Canadian title in 1973. Then she mentioned how Ian Weir
had come from Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Also, mentioned was 
boxer Wayne Crowe.

Had a boxing tournament that we were all looking forward to was the
"BC Festival of Winter Sports" boxing tournament that was expected
to take place in Nanaimo.

The Immediate Effects of the Photo and Story:

The initial benefit of the story was it triggered and interest in boxing

and had directors of the London Boxing Club visiting us to see if 

they could re-sponsor a boxing program and that happened, and 

boxer Wayne Crowe would go on to compete along with the 

Robinson brothers, Wright and Ian Weir.

The long hibernation of the photo and the new beginning:

After the initial benefit of the story and the photo in late 1974,

activity would continue over the many decades but in 2009, 

thirty five years later, the photo would have a new beginning

through the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and was included

on a video presentation for Mike Caird at his induction ceremony 

in 2009.  In 2011, in a display of Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame

photos and stories in preparation of the 2011 ceremony would have the

photo displayed along with many others relating to former inductees.

THE STORY of a Boxing Photo

The Vancouver Island Boxing Story

Back To Vancouver Ilsland Boxing: by brian zelley

http://bzbox.blogspot.ca/

Part of the history

of boxing on 

Vancouver Island.

The objective of 

the link is to give

folks an opportunity
to understand and to
appreciate the history
and the names of the
many that kept it
alive over the years.
From local stars to
International action
they cover lots of
history but that is
only a drop in the
bucket.
There were many
many folks that
would serve the
sport in various locations such as the Brown family of Gold River, the many
folks such as Howie, Walker, Hunter, Shiels, Wood and Charles John
of Campbell River.

There was the  Nepper family of Nanaimo along with others such as Harry Pollitt,
Skimp Williams, Gerry Sorensen, and many others  including the coaches
and trainers of the Nanaimo Boxing club from Clark MacLellan to Joe Preston.

The Comox, Parksville and Port Alberni moment:

Be it the Comox Boxing Club in the eighties with Lloyd Anderson and Jack Snaith,
the Port Alberni club in the sixties with Jim Hills, Sammy May and others, and
the Parksville Boxing club under the direction of  Art Smith and Brian Sacho.
They all contributed with a cross section of boxers such as:
Paul Dodd, Richard Watts, Bob Scharff, Lee Gibson, Scott Cessford and more.

The Ladysmih and  Crofton Boxing Clubs

There was some good times with the Crofton and Ladysmith clubs

in the eighties with the likes of Alex  Riley and Niel Garda hosting

club shows in Duncan, and boxing official Rick Brough helping with

the formation of the Ladysmith boxing club with boxers like Tony Willis.

But, some may remember the early Sixties with the Ladysmith/Chemainus

team with Nick Lystar one of the coaches and boxers such as

Bruce Bailie, Brian Ordano, Skimp Williams, Terry Eastman and the

Nepper brothers Leon, Jules, Roger and Gilles before the formation of

the Newcastle Boxing club in 1963 that saw the likes of Mike Lazare,

Ted and Chris Balatti, Ken Stant, Murray Glover, Tony James, 

Rick Johnson, Bob Lewis and many others.