1975 Boxers In Western Canadian Games

WESTERN SUMMER GAMES:  by Brian Zelley

It was the mid-Seventies and in August 1975, BC 
amateur boxing would field a winning team to 
compete in the Western Summer Games held 
in the city of Regina.


Team members expected to compete were:


Mickey Griffin, Ed and Joe McCaffrey, David Ius,
Jim Stevenson, Mike Wilson, Jamie Ollenberger,
Steve White, Buddy Hutchinson and Brian Jones.


At the completion of the tournament, BC boxers
won a number of Gold medals including:
 Nanaimo boxer Mickey Griffin, it was one of his best
showings in the featherweight division.

Also earning gold were  Ed McCaffrey, Joe McCaffrey,
David Ius, Jim Stevenson and Brian Jones.

Six months later in February 1976, the amateur
boxing journey of Nanaimo's Griffin would come to
and end with the announcement in the Feb. 26, '76
"Nanaimo Daily FreePress":
"BOXER GRIFFIN IS QUITTING SPORT"
Griffin cited unfair judging by BC boxing
officials as the reason for his decision.

 A Nanaimo coach spoke about a
bout  between Griffin and Chris Ius as an
example of unfair judging by BC officials.
The local news stated:

1976 Some Golden Moments in 
Vancouver and Victoria 
despite the shadow cast over boxing
in Nanaimo boxing continued to improve
with the June 1976 staging of the 
two tournament affair between the Select
junior boxers of BC and a team of English
schoolboys.


The Victoria tournament was hosted by 
the London Boxing Club on June 6 th,
The Vancouver tournament took place
June 4th. at the PNE Exhibition Gardens.
In the various programs there was a 
"Welcome" message by WALTER BOYCE,
prsident of the BCABA.  Also, there was a
message from JOE WEBB, boxing co-ordinator
and a message by BERT LOWES, the director
of regerees and judges for C. A. B. A.


Some of those assisting in the affair in Vancouver 
Jim and Sylvia  Gallagher, Pat O'Reilly, John Connolly,
Kurt Wold, G. Cote, J. McCaffrey, Peter Froloff,
Key Victoria help came from Howard Curling,
Mike Caird and Brian Zelley and various 
members and executive of the London Boxing Club.


THE BC BOXERS:
Dale Walters, Billy Hardie, Barry and Wayne Blatter
from the Burnaby Boxing Club,
Steve Gallagher and Mike Cote - Cloverdale Boxing,
Derrick Hoyt, Peter Blair, Leonard Halm,
Jim Blair from the Cranbrook Boxing Club,
Mike Bonneau, Alan Price, David Hodgkinson 
from the "Duhamel Boxing Club, 
Edie McCaffrey and John Herman, Richmond,
Kurt Lang, and Hamid Ismail of Ladner Boxing,
Danny Neal , Alex Bernard and Thomas Bernard
of the Ringside Boxing Club.

1968: THE TWISTS AND TURNS FOR BC BOXERS

 REVISITING 1968 WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED

THE END GAME FOR BC BOXERS:  by brian zelley

When all was said and done, only one BC boxer  made it

into the 1968 Olympic Games and that was DICK FINDLAY

who joined MARVIN ARNESON,  WALTER HENRY
 and DONATO PADUANO.

But, there were other BC boxers that started the journey

beginning in September 1967 including some that made

the 1967 Pan Am games Canadian boxing team such

as FREDDY FULLER, FRANKIE SCOTT and 

                   Zelley (Firefighters) vs Boyce (Astoria)

                 . compete in the 1968 BC Olympic trials in May 1968
                 (but by a twist of fate neither one of the two active boxers
                         would make it into the finals of the Olympic trials.
                           That distinction would fall on the shoulders of 
                               Ron McEachern who would drop a decision
                                       to boxer Ted Billinsley. 



The other Canadian champions were:
Frank Scott, Ted Billinsley, Marvin Arneson,
Jim Titley, Gordon sinclair, Rick fleck and Earl McLeay.


RON MCEACHERN.  Ron lost to Billinsley in the 
finals in the featherweight division.




Some of the BC boxers eliminated in the 
preliminary action were:
Ken Henderson, Dave Allerdice, and Les Vegas.  

                                Donato  Paduano  and Dick Findlay
                                                   Walter Henry

THE SIXTIES and SEVENTIES REVISITED

BOXING IN THE SIXTIES and SEVENTIES;  by Brian Zelley

To-date, I have not worked on this site but will attempt to recap the
history of this period in the near future.

As it relates to BC boxers of the Sixties and Seventies, it is also
important to remember the coaches, trainers and officials.
This site will also look at the boxing clubs that existed.

There are some boxing clubs in British Columbia that
have existed for 40 plus years such as the
CAMPBELL RIVER EAGLES BOXING CLUB
(now called the Campbell River Boxing and Fitness Club).
Also, the Nanaimo Boxing Club that started in 1971.
Some other old clubs would be the Spruce Capital Club
in Prince George and the Cranbrook Boxing Club.

1968 SEATTLE GOLDEN GLOVES

THE SEATTLE GOLDEN GLOVES:  by Brian Zelley
.Northwest AAU Championships - February 23 and 24, 1968
Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, Washington

                                         alumni of 1968  Golden gloves' tournaments
                                                     Brian Zelley, Ray Lampkin
                                                     Wayne Boyce and Frank Scott

                                     THE BOXERS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA

AAU REGISTRATION;  DICK FRANCISCO.
CHAIRMAN:  FRANK GILMAN, Canadian AAU Rep. DAVE BROWN

SAMPLE OF OFFICIALS:
Joey Velez,Pat McMurtry, Freddie Ward, Clay Nixon, Dick Stokes

REGISTERED BOXERS;
Lee Thode, Neil Knight,, Dave Johnson,Joe Cooke, Steve flajole,
Frank Scott, Derek Austin, Larry Richards, John Alstine, Lloyd Cole,
Ray Lampkin, , Jim Anderson, Wayne Boyce, Brian Zelley, Gary Dowling,
Georgr Mankin, Rick Hamilton, Charles Hilyard, Dave Allerdice, John Carr,
Pat Arnardi, Buddy McKay, Mike Fisher, Clarence Hammick, Paul Hohman,
Dick Findlay,  Nick MacDonald, Freddy Fuller, Chico DeJackson,
Mike Colbert, Alva Smith Jr., Pete Salgot, Dave wylie Les Vegas,
Steve Brigadeen, Fraser Scott, Ernie Ivery,  Larry Sinitsin,  Ted Kallenger,
Richard Barbee, Steve Beaugadine, Ramone Benneditti, Fred Elbel,
Curtis Johnson, Glenn McGee,  Harry Chamberlain, John Howard,
Bill Cross, Larry Davidson, Bill Taylor, Rick Fleck, Bob White,
Earl McLeay, John Amos, nafiz Ahmed, and Blaine Olson, .(note
( some of the boxers such as Dave Allerdice did not make the tournament
and other boxers such as Danny Gontes served as replacements.
- see The "Vancouver Sun" report re. changes to BC Team.)

BC BOXERS IN THE FINALS and OPPONENTS
DEREK AUSTIN vs LARRY RICHARDS
BRIAN ZELLEY vs RAY LAMPKIN
FREDDIE FULLER  vs DICK FINDLAY (both BC team)
DAVE WYLIE vs MIKE COLBERT
BILL TAYLOR  vs BLAINE OLSON

                                NEIL KNIGHT, Seattle Boxing Club

Note: some  other winners were Neil Knight,
Mike Fisher, John Howard, Fraser Scott and Bill Cross

1968 results for BC boxers in finals

THE SIXTIES

BC GOLDEN GLOVES BOXERS , SIXTIES; by brian zelley

                                                    JACK MEDA - HEAVYWEIGHT




JACK MEDA, was one of many boxers of the Sixties that was overlooked,
but despite these setback, he shined in the Seventies as Heavyweight 
Amateur Champion of Canada.  Also, the other Canadian heavyweight
champions from the Sixties that were overlooked were BILL TAYLOR
and EARL MCLEAY. 


Another overlooked boxer was MARIJAN KOLAR, a light-heavyweight 
champion.  Then there was bantamweight star JIMMY MACMILLAN.

LOOKING BACK TO THE SIXTIES


Some of the boxers in the Sixties fought in the Fifties and some fought in the
Seventies, and some followed up the active boxing with coaching and/or
officiating.  But, the main issue still is that far too many are forgotten,
overlooked or ignored.  Of the above list only 24 were remembered in a
piece that appeared in the 1971 BC Golden Gloves program hosted and
sponsored by the BRITISH COLUMBIA AMATEUR BOXING 
ASSOCIATION and the producer of the program was the Vancouver
based Murray Cameron Enterprises.


Now the problem with publications about amateur boxing in BC
that restricts the memory page to a select few often overlooks some
top quality boxers and adds names of  some local heroes that may 
or may not have been first class with high levels of skill and 
achievements and further divides the Provincial amateur boxing
into  groups of have and have not.


THE USA CONNECTION
From the early days of Golden Gloves action in 1939 to many 
decades of action in Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle and 
Portland there have been many top quality boxers from the 
USA compete in BC Golden Gloves and Diamond Belt Tournaments
Some key ones in the Sixties were  Gary Ferrari, Michael Colbert,
Neil Knight, Ray Lampkin and Wesley Craven.  Another name was
George Perez.  A regular from California was Larry Houseman.
Then throughout the decades, BC boxers would compete in 
USA tournaments such as EARL MCLEAY, a heavyweight 
that was overlooked in the highlights of the Sixties in 1971.

                                   NEIL KNIGHT - GOLDEN BOY

names from the Seventies

APRIL 1985 BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS

Page 7 "PARADE OF OFFICIALS, COACHES & EXECUTIVE MEMBERS
for he years 1975 to 1979.  A list of 105 names ranging from JIM AIREY and JEFF YULE.
Every 10th. one listed include:
Mary Bens, Ian Carmichael, Earl Elgie, Ian Gibson, Mel Ius,
Len Ludwikowski, Bram Melis, Gary Oakden, Art Shiels, Lennie Walters.


Page 6, Parade of BC Amateur Boxers (1975 to 1979)
Sample of names - every 10th. one:
Scott Bannink, Wayne Blatter, Wayne Crowe, Jim Fidler,  Tod Hatley,
Chris Ius, Kurt Lang, Tom McMurchie, Tony Morrelli, Paul  Panke,
Chris Sequeira, Dave Thornhill, and Ed Williams.

                         1976 BC GOLDEN GLOVES


Of the boxers the veteran of the above sample was ED WILLIAMS.
Some other long-term veterans still in the ring were:
Alex Angelomatis, Freddy Fuller, Gordie Lawson, 
Jimmy MacMillan, and Steve Tohill.

Victoria, BC - The club shows 1965

THE CLUB SHOWS IN THE SIZZLING SIXTIES;  By brian w. zelley

Throughout the Sixties there have been many club shows including those in Victoria
and Port Alberni.

Three of the 1965 boxing cards held in Victoria were  included as "FLASHBACKS"
in the Spring  1983 issue of the "Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing News".  A look back 
at the three shows held in the VICTORIA BALLROOM  took place on Febrtuary 18th.,
April 23rd and December 9th, 1965/

In the February card the winners were:
Gene Tait, Andy Ross, Darrel Danyluck, Dick Coulson, Bob Lohvin,
Howie Rabey, Dave Wylie, Ken Barker, Bob Pollock and Brian Zelley.
Their opponents were:
kevin Alexander, Ken Stant, John Gamble, Les Vegas, Ken Alexander,
John Cowan, Roger Nepper, Les Sluggett, Rick Cox and Bob Kacer.


HEADLINES: "NANAIMO TRIO FIGHT VCTORS"
."Gene Tait, Ken Barker and Brian Zelley of
Nanaimo's Newcastle Boxing Club..."

In the April 23, 1965 card the winners were:
Gene Tait, Bob Pollock, Rod Sluggett, Jindy Johl,
 Ken Barker, Ken MacDonald,Brian Zelley, 
Danny McDonald, Bob kacer, Fritz Breismeister, 
Jim Dixon, Howie Leeson and Dick Findlay. 
The opponents were:
Danny Crawford, Gerry Budzinski, Rick Tait, Len Glenfield,
Brian Martin, Howie Rabey, Barry Lowe,
Kalman Santosi, Roger Nepper, Doug Milletta,
Hank Lutters, Pete Key and Les Vegas.

December 9, 1965:

Winners were:
Dave Way, Bob Pollock, Rod Sluggett, Jindy Johl, Len Glenfield,
Brian Zelley, Jim O'Neil, Murray Gover and Les Vegas.
Opponents were:
Gene Tait, Gerry Budzinski, Larry McFadden, Mike Miller, Cliff Hitchcox,
Freddy Hughes, Jim Peacock, Gary Leech, and Ian Middleditch,