Canada, boxing - Amateur - history

[Zelley]

The last significant amateur boxing event to take place in BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada
was the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.

Over the years there has been some interesting activity in Canada, but amateur boxing
appears to be on the ropes, so can it survive :??

[Canada]

If it keeps going the way it is now it wont. Canadian Olympic Committee would only pay for 1 of Adam Trupishs coaches to go to the Olympics, his other coach they borrowed from the Irish team. Canadian boxers are not getting what they need to achieve the goals of high results and medals. Boxing Canadas budget went from $850,000 to $450,000 annually and the results could be immediatly seen. In 2002 we won 7 medals at the Commonwealth games in 2006 only 1 and they wont start putting in more money unless they see results. But how are Canadian boxers going to get those results without any funding?? Trupish has said that he is broke and cant even afford a cab because he had to quit his job to train for the Olympics. If he can hardly pay his rent he is not going to be able to concentrate on winning a medal. I remeber the days when Canada was winning multiple medals even Gold and it has slowly decreased from 7 boxers in 2000, 5 in 2004, now 1,going by that trend we might have 0 in the 2012 games. You have boxers like Kevin Bizier winning all their fight at nationals by stoppage only to be outclassed in the qualifers by three boxers who lost in the first round of the Olympics, we are so subpar internationally its just ridiculous. I think Canadian boxing needs alot more $$$$ and a national coach from Russia,Cuba, or a strong boxing nation, but that is a mere fantasy at this point and unfortunetly no one in Canada cares about boxing compared to other sports. I will always remeber Lennox Lewis running around the ring after winning Gold in 88, those were the days in Canadian boxing!! Maybe the new AIBA Academy in Quebec will help somehow, lets just hope!

[Canada]

Prior to the Bejing Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee boosted funding for swimming and hired international coaches, and at the Olympics 26 new Canadian swimming records were set. CANADIAN BOXING NEEDS THIS!!! lol

[Zelley]

Prior to the Bejing Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee boosted funding for swimming and hired international coaches, and at the Olympics 26 new Canadian swimming records were set. CANADIAN BOXING NEEDS THIS!!! lol

It seems one of the key persons making decision re the excellence programs is an ex swimmer.
Fairness and equality in sports has never been a high priority. BOXING has always been
low priority.

In 1991, I was the interim boxing chairman of the Commonwealth Games Society
in preparation for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. In 1992, some Dr. of something
stated boxing should be replaced by rowing. He then rambled on about the so called
evils of boxing.

I had a detailed article in the local newspaper titled "Counterpunch for boxing".

My first line was:
"Despite many obstacles, the bruised and battered sport of amateur boxing survives.
Boxing will maintain the traditions of the Commonwealth Games and the boxing community
will take pride in its small contribution to the success of the 1994 Games in Victoria."
- Brian Zelley, 1992 as printed in the Victoria's "Times-Colonist"

My closing line of the 11 paragraphs was:
"The anti-boxing zealots would better serve society by putting their negative energy
into building society by reducing poverty, racism and crime."

And the beat goes on!

[boxmel]

My 2 cents 8)

When I was coordinating the Blue & Gold tournament in So. Calif., we yearly had some of Canada's elite boxers from the western part of the country participate. I met the first of the clubs to come (Astoria from B.C.) in 1987 and it sounds like nothing has changed with CABA. I remember (may have been Donnie Orr) many of the boxers and coaches telling me that in order to keep their elite status they had to compete internationally - and that CABA did not fund the opportunities for the required competitions. I believe, at one time, the Blue & Gold was approved as a qualifying international event. I've met some really wonderful Canadian boxers and coaches, from BC to Sask, over the years and I'm really sorry to hear the struggles continue.

My thoughts on the AIBA academy - I met a team of Quebecians at a Junior Olympic invitational in Marquette, Michigan some years ago. All were very rude and arrogant and only the team manager spoke English, and not fluently. I feel sorry for any boxer or coach who isn't from Quebec if that's the attitude that will prevail at the new Academy.

[Zelley]

[quote="boxmel"]My 2 cents 8)

When I was coordinating the Blue & Gold tournament in So. Calif., we yearly had some of Canada's elite boxers from the western part of the country participate. I met the first of the clubs to come (Astoria from B.C.) in 1987 and it sounds like nothing has changed with CABA. I remember (may have been Donnie Orr) many of the boxers and coaches telling me that in order to keep their elite status they had to compete internationally - and that CABA did not fund the opportunities for the required competitions. I believe, at one time, the Blue & Gold was approved as a qualifying international event. I've met some really wonderful Canadian boxers and coaches, from BC to Sask, over the years and I'm really sorry to hear the struggles continue.
[/quote

Thanks for your input. Donny Orr was from Victoria. After competing in the Olympics
he turned pro.

Over the years,it was always great to attend boxing competition in the Pacific Northwest.
I participated in the 1968 Golden Glove tournaments in Tacoma, Portland and Seattle.
The best boxer that I faced twice was Portland's Ray Lampkin.

In 1967, while competing in a Diamond Belt tournament in Vancouver I shared a room with a boxer from Fortuna, California. Of interest, Rocky Marciano was a guest at the tournament.

[boxmel]

Thanks for your input. Donny Orr was from Victoria. After competing in the Olympics
he turned pro.

Yes, he did. He turned up at a local show in So. Calif. a year or so ago and I got the chance to see him again. He's living in Las Vegas. Geronimo Bie, Bruce Carrington are also some of the many who competed in the tournament.

[Zelley]

Thanks for your input. Donny Orr was from Victoria. After competing in the Olympics
he turned pro.

Yes, he did. He turned up at a local show in So. Calif. a year or so ago and I got the chance to see him again. He's living in Las Vegas. Geronimo Bie, Bruce Carrington are also some of the many who competed in the tournament.

I knew Donny's father, and belonged to the same boxing club has his uncle Terry.

[boxmel]

Don came to the Blue & Gold one year and won the championship in his weight class. He celebrated by getting quite drunk at the hotel bar. His dad was there - great people! I had a lot of fun with them.

[Zelley]

Thread changed to represent all of Canada and not just BC

The 2008 Olympics was a great setback for Canadian Amateur Boxing
with only one boxer entered, And he took a fast exit after one bout.

It seems the last great years for Canadian boxing was 1984 to 1988.
In the abbreviated Games at LA, Canadian boxers won three medals.
In 1988, Lennox Lewis won gold for Canada. Twenty years later, we can often see Lennox
commentating about pro fights on TV.

Sad to say, in many cases, those involved in high positions from the Canadian Association to Provincial bodies often miss the big picture and focus on small things. When it comes to recognizing those that have been involved in the sport, it is likely to be "a small circle
of friends" that get recognized.

A case in point, is the 1970 BC Golden Gloves program had a special section called
"GOLDEN GLOVES - One of BC's Oldest Annual Sporting Events. In the report. 57 past boxers from the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's were selected for special recognition. Now that is always nice to recognize former boxers, but why 57. Anyway, to add insult to injury, the same report
appeared in 1971 and 1972 programs with the same old group of 57.

As editor of the BC Amateur Boxing New in 1984, I raised this issue in May 1984
and aasked why there were no changes from this group of 57 and stated the hundreds
of other boxers that have participated in the Golden Gloves were delegated to the -
NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE HAVE NEGLECTED TO MENTION THE NAMES OF MANY BOXERS
WHO DEFINETLY DESERVE SOME MENTION- category.

To make a point, in the same issue of the newsletter, I named 111 boxers
that had competed in British Columbia between 1970 to 1974 the names ranged
from Anderson to Zimmerman. Some of the boxers were medal winners in International
Tournaments, and some were just novice junior boxers.. But, naming novice boxers is
not such a bad idea considering all boxers go through the novice stage of boxing.

Food for thought:
"Many heroes lived before Agamemnon.but they were all consigned to Oblivion,
because they had no bard to sing their praces." - HORACE

[Zelley]

Don came to the Blue & Gold one year and won the championship in his weight class. He celebrated by getting quite drunk at the hotel bar. His dad was there - great people! I had a lot of fun with them.

I have been in contact with Donny through "facebook",
I will let him know about your comments.

[boxmel]

I have been in contact with Donny through "facebook",
I will let him know about your comments.

I saw him a year or so ago - he came out to So. Calif. with some amateur boxers from Las Vegas. Haven't seen him since. I'll look on Facebook.

[ogii3]

Anyone to know what happends to Adam Trupish? I check boxrec he still din't turn pro?

[Blackeye 84]

Look for Trupish to go Pro in Spring or Summer in Edmonton, Alberta.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Egerton, Lennox, Otis and Howard Grant, Asif Dar, Danny Sherry, Dewith Frazier..., Wayne Gordon, Troy Ross, etc etc ...Canada DEFINITELY has had some very strong amateur boxers over the years...