BOXING CANADA and PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATIONS

Whose who of Boxing Canada: by Brian Zelley

Ranking the boxers and builders

RANKING THE MANY NAMES:
*  Over time there will be changes in the 
rankings.  But, as of June 15th. the rankings
list has ANDREW KOONER at number one.  

http://www.ranker.com/list/boxing-canada-2000-to-2013/bzelley

July 5th.  Andrew is still in the top five at 4 spot.

Boxing Canada - 2000 to 2013

Canadian Amateur Boxing - the here and now:
  By Brian W. Zelley

Boxing Canada - 2000 to 2013  - The Link to the names
The above link gives a list of some of the names that created
 the buzz.  The beginning of this new era took began at the
2000 Candian senior nationals that took place in late 1999
in Campbell River.  But, many of the names listed in this
story were active in prior decades.

Beyond 2013:  the road ahead:  

The road beyond 2013 is now being carved out by the many
boxers from coast to coast in the Provincials as they 
prepare for action in October 2013 in the Nationals where 
the senior open boxers will be trying for a shot to make the
Canadian Commonwealth Games boxing team to engage in
medal hopes in 2014 in Glasgow.  Members of the current 
A and B teams will also be engaged such as Kenny Lally
Alex Rynn, Custio Clayton and Brody Blair.

 Brody Blair, Custio Clayton and Kenny Lally
will be ready willing and able to regain the title,
but the question that will fall on the shoulders of 
Prince George's Ken Lally will be what division will
he challenge to make the Commonwealth Team. 

THE ROAD WILL BE  A ROAD OF GLORY and PAIN 
And how many can be expected to survive the demands
and the ordeal, the rules and the regulations, 
the demands and the setbacks to be the
one to claim  "Gold in Glasgow"

The Rules before the free ticket is distributed:
* Boxing Canada lays down the challenge to one and all:

The Twisted Highway where only the strong of body and spirit
will survive to fight another day in Glasgow 2014.

Beyond the training camps and competition and they have not
even reached the starting gate for  Canadian team selection
to travel down the boxing highway to  glory and/or gold, or the
that much used path of broken dreams along the road to nowhere.

Step By Step to the open door or standing on the sidelines saying goodbye:

Then comes Christmas and will it be coal dust and a cloth to
wipe away the tears, or a two way ticket to glory and fame.
November 19 to 23rd. 2013 will be what we call the last chance.
But, even victory in the great box-off parade will not be a solid
guarantee for selection to the team, and some winners know 
very well how that sometimes plays out be it 1984 or any other
year.  And, that last cut, if any, is the deepest cut of all
and could send some to a new journey in a dark dark
place when the lights slowly fade to black. AND, WHO 

will be there to pick up the pieces of the broken heart
and a damaged spirit???

BOXING CANADA 1990 to 1999

BOXING'S SUCCESS JOURNEY -
 for Canadian Boxers: by Brian Zelley
 The link: BOXING CANADA 1990 to 1999

One of the threads on the tapestry of Canadian amateur boxing
 in the nineties was thevarious teams holding the medals from
 one of the many international tournaments, and the
nineties journey would include the individual tournaments
 from the late 1989 National championships for 1990, and
the box-off action, past the Goodwill Games and the
Commonwealth Games of 1990 to the process of
building a team for the 2000 Olympic Games.

Between those two points of action and success there are
hundreds of stories along the journey of each boxing club,
each event, eah team  and each player in the game.

*  Every decade has a story, and every name on the page
 has a story,  and for many names on the page, they have 
some common clubs, events or stories.  To begin the story
of the nineties, we must also  go back to 1969 when Boxing 
Canada called by the name of Canadian Amateur Boxing Association
began and the road to glory and success was built by 
one boxer, coach and official at a time.

Back to the early days of the post 1968 eras takes us
to 1970 with the faces  on the wall of the many that 
were a part of the change from the old to the new.

BacK to the Nineties for the story:
There are a 1,000 different stories of Canadian
amateur boxing in the Nineties.  Each thread on
the tapestry tell a different part of the story
and like the stars in the sky at night
each one shines but they all have a
different glow.  And, when we  see that 
shooting star that is just another 
lost warrior saying goodbye.

The Champions of 1990
* Domenic Filane Figlioment, Graham McIntosh,
Michael Strange, Billy Irwin, Jim Worrall, 
Chris and Greg Johnson, Raymond Downey,
Pat Jordan and Vernon Linklater.

Some of the other names of those engaged in
the Nationals or the box-off competition were:
Marc Leduc, Ron Paskie, Curtis Hatch, 
Randall Thompson, Lyndon Linklater,
Gary Wood

1990 Commonwealth Games:
* the Canadian medal winners:
Domenic Filane Figliomeni, Vernon Linklater
Geronimo Bie, Greg Johnson, Ray Downey,
Dale Brown, Patrick Jordan and Chris Johnson.

The other Canadians on the 1990 team were:
Graham McIntosh, Billy Irwin, Michael Strange
and Jim Worrall.

1991: Another step in the Journey

For 1991, there would be those 
returning champs from 1990 but
also some faces from the past 
such as Steve Beaupre and others
Marc Leduc and Tom Glesby.

The main tournament for some of 
the members would be the 1991
Pan Am Games with medal winners:

Billy Irwin, Greg Johnson,
Chris Johnson, Dale Brown,
and Tom Glesby 



1991 Canadian Winter Games action:
There was also some interesting amateur
boxing on the National front with the
"Canada Winter Games" and some were:
Steve Lowry, Jason Towns, Jason Adair, 
Ward Fleming, Henry Valdez, Bryan Mackie,
Billy Joe Bjornson, Stephen Gallinger, 
Sylvain Leblanc, Gale Shannon, 
Hank Doherty and Gerard Penney