GOLDEN GLOVES

GOLDEN GLOVES - PACIFIC NORTHWEST & ALBERTA: by brian zelley

Sometimes all that glitters is just the shine from a Golden Gloves tournament. Stepping back in time. the first Golden Gloves tournament in British Columbia was in 1939,and has continued
for years except for 1943.

The first Golden Boys were PHIL VICKERY, TERRY DOYLE,
BOB HICKIE, JACKIE HAMILTON, CHESTER ORR
Others would follow such as SAMMY MAY, EDDIE HADDAD,   MANN 



Chester Orr was presented his Golden Boy trophy  by Sid Beech
with announcer Tommy Cruise doing his thing at the conclusion
of the 1945 Golden Gloves sponsored by the Vancouver Sun and
hosted by the "Vancouver Active Club" and sanctioned by the
"AAU of Canada" and "BC AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION'.

Some of the boxers in those early years were a who's who of
amateur boxing in British Columbia and some would return
in future years to participate as coaches, officials or fans
such as Victoria's VIC MURDOCH who was also the 1944 Seattle
Golden Gloves flyweight champion. Then there were the likes of
Lyle Kehoe, Freddy Steele, Jackie Turner, Bobby Parker,
Tommy Symes, Gordon Grayson, Art Burgess, Bus Lindsay,
Jack Herwynen, Kenny Lindsay and Jimmy Crook.

As the years flashed by, there would be many new boxers to
shine under the bright lights of the BC Golden Gloves.
Some that saw action in amateur boxing in the Fifties were there
to continue the action, excitement and the history into the Sixties.

A sample of the boxers are ALAN CURTIS, SKIMP WILLIAMS,
TOMMY BLACK. LINDY LINDMOSER, MIKE CAIRD, GORDIE McGAW,
BILL ADAMS, JACK STRAZA, BOB GINETTI and WINNIE SCHELT

As the Sizzling Sixties moved forward to 1968 there
would be many more such as FRED FULLER, FRANKIE SCOTT,
EARL MCLEAY,  BRIAN ZELLEY, KALMAN SANTOSI, MIKE SARTORI,

ROGER ADOLPH, DICK FINDLAY, JACK MEDA,BILLY TAYLOR,
TOMMY BOYCE, RICK FLECK, HAROLD HANDLIN, DEREK AUSTIN,
RON WILSON, TONY JAMES, JOHN AMOS and DAVE WYLIE.

                                       brian zelley and neil knight

                          Golden Boy of 1959 - Jack Straza


Also, BC would also see some outstanding boxers from
Portland,Seattle and Tacoma
uch as Ray Lampkin, Neil Knight, Wes Craven
and GARY FERRARI.

Ray Lampkin and Neil Knight

In BC Junior Golden Gloves action one of the outstanding
stars was Victoria's CLIFF BALLENDINE - three time
Junior Golden Boy, but in the Eighties there were
many more to shine such as:
TONY FRANCIS, TONY DUFFY, MANNY SOBRAL, MIKE WOOD
JASON DOWNIE, ALAN BROWN and MANNY SOBRAL, JAMEY BALLARD,
and WILLY CURRY.

Looking back from 2009 to 1969, there have been
hundreds of names, that on a cold winter night
somebody may remember some golden memory from
the past and recall a moment in time when the amateur
boxer such as Neil Austin, Willie Benallie, Lou Cooke,
Perry Demosten, Chester Douglas, John Gamble, Bill Gariepy,
Mickey Griffin, Les Hamilton, Derrick Hoyt, David Ius,
Gordie Lawson, Sid McKnight, Mike O'Reilly, Buzz Montour,
Jamie Ollenberger, Darryl Olsen, Don Orr, Gary Robinson,
Jack Snaith,Steve Tohill,Dale Walters Ed Williams, and
Dan Wright, Mike Kennedy and Matt O'Brien were STARS.

                                                         De La Hoya with Matt O'Brien


NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN
There are many names that did not get mentioned in the
above overview such as Glenn McGee, Wayne Crowe
and Mike Olajide Jr.

  A Freddy Fuller quick one minute video



The correction for one of the names"
Glenn McGee of the Astoria Boxing Club 1968
BEYOND 2009
2010 BC GOLDEN BOY, DYLAN BISHOP

The Golden Gloves story continues beyond the early narrative:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC_Golden_Gloves
The above link lays the groundwork for the Golden Gloves
stories with the names of the first BC Golden Gloves
champions in 1939 including boxers such as Kenny Lindsay.
Then it list a sample of boxers over the years, and then into
some specific tournaments

Expanded topics: 

Due to the involvement of California boxers in some of the
BC tournaments the Golden Gloves will be expanded to
include California golden gloves memories and moments.

Another link on the chain:
http://bzgloves.blogspot.ca/
*the above link covers a lot more detail of BC Golden Gloves action

YEAR 2000 - FRED WICKS jr., Nanaimo Boxing Club

      
A golden gloves video of various time periods.

BC AMATEUR BOXING HALL OF FAME
* one of the nominees for 2014 is one
WILLIAM J. FINLAY who was one of the
key names behind the Sun Golden Gloves
back in 1939 and into the fourties such as 1946
when he called for a Canadian Golden Gloves
 Championship.  And, "Billy's Dream"
was realized 67 years later in 2013 with the first 
Canadian Golden Gloves tournament held in Ontario.

             THE 2013 CANADIAN GOLDEN GLOVES buzz

More  Golden Moments

2014 Canadian Golden Gloves

Will take place in Cornwall

during the month of July.

Several boxers were repeat winners

from 2013 including 

Rodolfo Velasquez.