2010 BC GOLDEN GLOVES - By Brian W. Zelley For British Columbia, the 2010 BC Golden Gloves takes a new turn. Hopefully it will be in the right direction. In past tournaments starting in 1939, the location has primarily been on the mainland in the Vancouver - Burnaby - Richmond area. But, for 2010 the Golden Gloves boxers will invade Vancouver Island on April 16 and 17th. and participate in the Greater Victoria Community of Langford. Special guest will be GEORGE CHUVALO. Of interest, the tournament marks the 50th. year since Esquimalt boxer ALAN CURTIS was selected as the Golden Boy. For Island boxing folks it will truly be a "Golden Anniversary" for our "Golden Boy" Alan Curtis. The event will be co-hosted by the Capital City Boxing Club and Boxing BC.:happy:bbbpartytime. Photo - Golden Gloves Alumni - 1940's, 1960's and 1980's
Photo: Alan Brown (1980's) - Vic Murdoch (1940's) - Brian Zelley (1960's) 1984 Photo taken at the Training centre of the 1984 Canadian Olympic Boxing Team in Burnaby, BC - July 1984 - with the sun shining in our eyes - Canadian boxers Willie DeWit, Shawn O'Sullivan & Dale Walters were medal recipients in Los Angeles.
1939 - the first B C Golden Gloves champions: Kenny Lindsay, Henry Devine, Bob Hickey, Eric Burnell, Phil Vickery, Alan Dunn, and Wayne Morris. Some may recall the subsequent pro journey of Kenny Lindsay or subsequent boxers that turned pro such as Stan & Frank Almond and Jackie Turner and as the years faded away there would be others such as Harold Mann. Fast forward to 1950, and some may remember MIKE McMURTRY. Or in the 1951 Diamond Belt tournament there were Mike and Pat McMurtry.:bbb:hi::hammertime
A selection of a dozen names from the Forties at random: Tado Kato, Norm Dawson, Izzie Rubin, Jackie Turner, Vic Murdoch, Gordon Grayson, Jimmy Crook, Terry Doyle, Jerris Jamel, Leo Logan, Earl Cook, and Len Walters. Sometimes for past tournaments, at best the most that we can discuss with first hand experience are the tournaments that we attended as boxers, coaches, officials or fans but it never will be the full story. Take the case of 19 boxers from British Columbia that participated in the 1968 Seattle Golden Gloves. It is easy to list the names as: Dave Johnson, Frank Scott, Derek Austin, W. Boyce, Brian Zelley, John Carr, Danny Gontes, Dick Findlay, Nick McDonald, Freddy Fuller, Dave Wylie, Les Vegas, Larry Sinitsin, Glenn McGee, Billy Taylor, Rick Fleck, Earl McLeay, John Amos and Nafiz Ahmed. The difficult challenge is to tell their individual full complete boxing story. But, if I was to pick four then I would likely pick: FRANK SCOTT - DICK FINDLAY - FREDDY FULLER - DAVE WYLIE Four aces that put the sizzle into the SIZZLING SIXTIES and beyond.:happy
A sample of more names from the Sizzling Sixties: Tony Lalitch, Tommy Black, Winnie Schelt, Roger Adolph, Billy Adams, Skimp Williams, Frank Jordison, Keith Scott, Larry Cardinal 1974 Photo - Three BC Golden Gloves alumni Ian Weir - 1975 - Mike -1960 & 1963 - Brian Zelley - 1967 & 1968 Working in 1974 to rebuild boxing in Greater Victoria home of the 2010 BC Golden Gloves - :bbb
I attended the Capital City Boxing Club last Wednesday to watch and chat with coach Chris Jones who is the chief organizer for the 2010 tournament. Funny how time flies, a chap who was there with his son mentioned that I was the first person that he had ever sparred with and that was back in the Eighties, That is amazing how anyone could remember the first person that they ever sparred with. I will remember that comment because he said he did not land a punch, Although not an official coach since the Seventies I could not resist showing the young boxer some offensive and defensive footwork.
well now the tournament is history, so thanks to all the boxers, officials, coaches, volunteers and fans for making it happen. A special moment was during the intermission the first night when some of uS Golden Gloves alumni were invited into the ring along with GEORGE CHUVALO. some of the boxers included 1960 Golden Boy ALAN CURTIS, and 1960 Champion TOMMY BLACK and others such as Sixties boxers Les Vegas, Brian Zelley and others such as Don Orr, Bob Pegues, Ian Johnstone,and Barry Creswell. etc. In the second night others were introduced such as Derrick Hoyt who was serving as an official. Special tribute is due cOAch BARRY CRESWELL and the Nanaimo Boxing Club for providing the ring and the 2 Rivers Boxing Club for coming from Quesnel with nine boxers and coach Wally.
AFTER THE LAST BELL & THE LIGHTS FADE TO BLACK Now that the tournament is over, what now? Well for a brief moment in time the winners can enjoy the moment, but for all boxers, coaches and officials the tournament should now be seen as a learning experience and a teaching opportunity. The wise one will see the 2010 BC Golden Gloves as a chance to evaluate the performance and draft a plan to fine tune the positives and minimize the weaknesses. For the host club "Capital City Boxing", they are now in position to host future club show or tournaments. Maybe, a regional club show for Vancouver Island and Powell River would be a good choice. For the boxers and their coaches it is an opportunity to evaluate the performance and prepare a team plan and an individual boxer plan to fine tune strengths and minimize weaknesses.
Beyond the final BELL - For the host club CAPITAL CITY BOXING and BOXING BC they can take the best and throw out the rest and add other assets to plot the next course For boxers, coaches and officials it is now history so it is a learning experience and a teaching opportunity. There were no perfect players in this game and maybe there never will be but each and every boxer and coach in British Columbia must strive to get beyond the ordinary reach higher and climb faster to demonstrate excellence as they move forward No one expects perfection, but some of the boxers need to begin again and learn the basics from the ground up starting with the stance and moving along with effective footwork - dont expect a Willie Pep or a Tony Canzoneri, but improvements are mandatory if the boxers wish to become ring stars or Olympic medalists. Back to basics for some - throwing or reaching with left rights when an opponent is out of range wont win any prizes at a country fair, so it is back to the beginning to master the multi-uses of the left jab before unloading clubbing right hands or wide left hooks. There is a rule of thumb in boxing - defend yourself at all times - for some that is an impossible dream when the right glove drops below the shoulder or the only combination is a left-right. The use of a closing left hand for some appears to be an unknown safety device. FOOTWORK & FEINTING Once upon a time, there were masters of movement through good footwork and sometimes it was hard to second guess the blows when the art of feinting was used to deceive an opponent with tricky moves and pretend punches that made block or slip fresh air or slip into and be on the receiving end of the real deal. despite the barriers of time and resources.
SOME BC BOXERS IN SEATTLE, Flashbacks To expand on this BC amateur boxing piece, I wonder how many of those BC boxers that competed in the Seattle Golden Gloves are still out there somewhere. Some names to remember from the Forties are Lyle Kehoe, Freddy Steele, Vic Murdoch, Bobby Parker, Bert Lepitre Roy Burnell. Hank Egli, Joe Ashenbrenner, Jackie Turner, Norm Dawson, Tommy Symes, Robert Hickie and Gordon Grayson. Fast forward to 1968 and we had 19 BC boxers participate in the 1968 Pacific Northwest AAU Championships/ Seattle Golden Gloves. Of the 19, five made it into the finals" Derek Austin, Freddy Fuller, Billy Taylor, Dave Wylie and Brian Zelley,:bbb:happy
2012 BC GOLDEN GLOVE Well two years later and the 2012 Golden Gloves have now faded into history with two day of effort in Vernon. BC and the host club of Counter Punch. Two ex-boxers recognized and receiving awards were AL CHABOT and ROGER ADOLPH.
LOOKING BACK Looking back to 1939 and going through all of the years up to 2012, the Golden Gloves has always been an important tournament for most amateur boxers hoping to compete in open class boxing competition. And, the Golden Gloves will always be an important part of the history of boxing be it British Columbia, Washington State or Oregon.
