BC - CLUBS & COACHES

CLUBS & COACHES - ELIO IUS

Looking back through the years, ELIO IUS, - BC Golden Gloves Alumni was a very active boxing coach
at North Vancouver North West Eagles boxing club in the Sixties and early Seventies and would later
coach at the Astoria Boxing Club on Hastings Street in Vancouver

A couple of others that helped Elio was Mel Ius and Terry Cooke at the North West Eagles.
During the Sixties, the club was a force behind the BC Bronze Gloves tournaments for novice junior boxers.

NANAIMO'S NEWCASTLE BOXING CLUB

FLASHBACKS:  NEWCASTLE BOXING CLUBm NANAIMO, BC (1963 - 1968)

By Brian W. Zelley, B. Com., C A

(Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing News - Fall of 1983)

September 1983 marks the 20th. year since the Newcastle Boxing Club was formed by 

GEORGE NEPPER.  In September 1963, Nepper obtained the use of the basement 

of the "Newcastle Hotel" from Jim Clark.  

By January 16, 1964, five boxers were ready to compete in the blue and gold of the newly formed club.  The first boxer to lace on the gloves was Roger Nepper who defeated 

Al Robinson of the London Boxing Club in Victoria.

In the 1964/1965 season, the club moved to the basement of  "Harvey Murphy Men's Wear".  

In the "1964 BC Bronze Gloves" four of five Nanaimo boxers won titles including

Rick Tait, Keith McPherson, Ken Stant and Mike Lazare.  Lazare also won the 135 lb.

title in the "BC Emerald Gloves".

In the 1965/1966 season, the club moved to the Madill building by Nanaimo's Civic Arena.

Again the club moved in 1966/67 season to the home of George Nepper.  In that season.

Rick Johnson punched his way into the finals of the Bronze Gloves then defeated

 L. Harding of  Richmond.  Brian Zelley entered the 1967 BC Golden Gloves and 

defeated Vern Fouth (Calgary) and Steve Flajole (Seattle), then lost in the finals.

(Vancouver).  Brian then entered the 1967 BC Diamond Belt tournament where he

defeated Brian Gray (Burnaby) and Ted Webb (Oregon), but lost  in the finals.

Due to the fading health of George Nepper, the 1967/68 season was the last.

In that year, Rick Johnson, Tony James and Bob Lewis were finalists in the

1968 Silver Gloves in Richmond.  James then entered the 1968 BC Golden Gloves

but lost a decision to 1967 Canadian featherweight champion Wayne Boyce.   

BEYOND NEWCASTLE The Nanaimo Boxing Cub

Beyond the Newcatle Boxing club, out of the ashes rose the
NANAIMO BOXING CLUB which has produced two
Canadian Champions:
1973 - Senior champion JACK SNAITH and in
2009 - Junior champion Stefan Melideo

History - BOXING BC

In understanding the history of amateur boxing, a good place to start is the history of the Golden Gloves in places like Vancouver from 1939 to 2009.

The first Golden Gloves tournament in British Columbia was in 1939.

At the end of the action PHIL VICKERY was named Golden Boy,

and the rest is history.

Sadly,  Radio Officer Philip Arthur Vane Vickery died on
June 22, 1943.

His name can be found on the Ottawa Memorial and in the 

Commonwealth War Graves records.

Throughout the decades, other boxers would be declared Golden Boy

such as Ray Lampkin, Neil Knight, Sammy May, Harold Mann,

Al Curtis, Kalman Santosi, Dick Findlay and many more.

In the Junior Golden Gloves activity, one boxer stands alone.

CLIFF BALLENDINE was declared BC Junior Golden Boy for
three straight years in 1979, 1980 and 1981.