BC's CANADIAN CHAMPIONS & CONTENDERS

THE HERE & NOW and CANADIAN FLASHBACKS: By Brian W. Zelley

THE 2010 SENIOR NATIONALS

For the 2010 Senior Nationals, the BOXING BC came up short with no Canadian Champions. One 2009 senior champion.,
KENNY LALLY from Prince George dropped a decision to Nova Scotia's JOEY LAVIOLETTE, and 2009 Cadet champion
STEFAN MELIDEO of Nanaimo stepped up to see action in open senior competition and lost. Then there was Prince George boxer MARCUS HUME who dropped a controversial decision. Other BC boxers also lost in early competition.

The various BC boxing clubs have received a wake-up call that they all need to step-up to meet future challenges
and reawaken the achievements of past decades when BC boxers did well such as the Seventies with such champions as
Chris Ius, Darryl Olsen, Derrick Hoyt, Frank Scott. Freddy Fuller, Jack Meda, Jack Snaith, Joe Cooke, and Les Hamilton.

In the Eighties we had the likes of Dale Walters, Wayne Welsh, Joe Pendry, and Manny Sobral
then came the likes of Jason Heit and Donny Orr.

Donny Orr was the Victoria warrior that despite injuries came back in 2000 to defeat the Canadian champion
twice in box-off competition to earn a spot on the 2000 Canadian Olympic Boxing Team, then followed-up with
the Canadian title in 2001.

Looking at those champions such as Fuller, Scott and Olsen, they were products of the Sixties,
and earned their accomplishments through a lengthy process with many actual bouts from numerous
club shows and tournaments including Golden Gloves activity in places like Vancouver, Portland, Seattle
and Tacoma. For instance between all of the heavy tournaments in 1968, they took time to travel with others
to engage in high level club shows such as an All-Star club show in Seattle which included some top level USA
competition.

Looking back from 1966 to 1984, in the lighter weight classes, how could we forget about the many boxers, fighters and warriors with the two brightest shining stars being FRANKIE SCOTT and DALE WALTERS.

HALLS of FAME - Canadian Boxing

Photos: Mike Caird (Victoria), Jack Meda (Prince George),

HALLS OF FAME - AMATEUR BOXING in CANADA

The year 2009 has seen a number of former boxers entered in a local, provincial of international sports or boxing hall of fame.
Names of interest include - Lennox Lewis, Steve Beaupre, Scotty Olson and Mike Caird

MIKE CAIRD - Former amateur boxer and coach - Victoria, BC, Canada

Caird will be inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame on November 21, 2009
at the Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence along with a number of others such as the late
Jack Short known by many as "The Voice Of The Races", golfer Bill Wakeham, fastball builder
Herb Bate, olympic medalist Jesse Monroe-Gonin, Moe Elewonibi and
the Victoria Lawn Bowling Club.

Some of the sponsors include:
IBM, Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence, Save On Foods, Pacific Sport Victoria,
Pemberton & Holmes, Little & Davies, Mann Moulson & Co., Joe Frenette.
Brian Zelley, Times-Colonist, Chek News, C-Fax 1070 and Outside The Box Info.

CAIRD's JOURNEY:

For Mike Caird, his boxing journey began in the mid-Fifties as an amateur boxer
in Victoria with numerous bouts including his victory in the 1963 BC Golden Gloves
and participation in many club shows and tournaments including the
1964 Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Championships.

His coaching journey began after 1964 until about 2001 when boxer Donny Orr Jr.
won a senior National Boxing Championship and in 2000 Orr was in the Summer Olympics
as part of the Canadian Olympic Boxing Team that included Michael Strange, Scott MacIntosh
and others (See listing).

Some of the other coaches that worked with Mike throughout the years were:
Gordie McGaw, Larry Montgomery, Brian Zelley, Lou Bujdoso, Jim Ballendine,
Ian Weir and Don Orr Sn.

Some of the boxers were:
Geoff & Gary Robinson, Wayne Crowe, Dan Wright, Ian Weir, Danny O'Sullivan,
Matt Montgomery, Paul Panke, Cliff Ballendine, Jason Heit, Theresa Taylor and Orr.