NANAIMO BOXING in 1975

NANAIMO BOXING CLUB 1975: By Brian Zelley
Looking back, by January 1975, the club had been in operation
for just over three years with some of the original members gone
and plenty of new trainees to fill the gym.  And, every year there 
would be a core group of boxers that would engage in bouts whil

other trainees were in the beginning stages, and others were there
for just recreational purposes.  In that first three plus years, there
had been a number of volunteers helping with the training and
some that would help at club shows and tournaments.

*The boxers in the photo above in January 1975 included:
Rickey Evenson, Dale Creswell, 
Dwayne Evenson, 
 Mickey Griffin and Bob Pegues.  Bob was the
most experienced of the boxers at the time as he had been one
of a select group of boxers from Nanaimo that would participate
in the first boxing club show that was held in the spring of '72
with Bob Pegues, Dan Wright, Brian Zelley, Darren Lussier,
Wayne Peace and Fred Thornhill.  Jack Snaith, another original

member, had left the club and was training at another club.
Another former boxer was Alan Toth who had several
bouts in the early years of the club.  

*During that time period of 1971 to January 1975
there would be other boxers engaged in activity 
including Clark MacLellan who had a few fights
but would become one the trainers, and in recent
years, Clark has also engaged as a ring official in
various club shows and tournaments such as the
2010 BC Golden Gloves held in Langford which 
is part of Greater Victoria.  Other  trainees that
would have some success in the ring was
Barry Creswell, Wayne Morgan and Lee Ranger.

BRONZE GLOVES in NANAIMO

VANCOUVER ISLAND BRONZE GLOVES: By Brian Zelley
(the original photo of the poster was provided by Kevin "Booper" Maughan

+The tournament was hosted by the Nanaimo boxing club and the early months
of it's fifth years since it's formation.  Without getting into whom won what it
was another excellent show hosted by the club with seven nanaimo bouts s winning
seven of the 11 bouts.  Some of the Bronze Gloves boxers from Nanaimo were
Kelly Gourley, Ray Philp, Marvin Denton, Ricky Evenson,  Malcolm Elridge,
Dwsyne Evenson, Lee Ranger, Kevin Maughan, and Leslie and Steven Varro.

A SPECIAL BOUT with the first step for the end of the road for  one boxer:
*Having a main event in a Bronze Gloves tournament that featured one of
of Canadian Olympic boxers from 1972 may not have been a good idea as
it would be one more door that would see the end of Nanaimo boxer
MICKEY GRIFFIN.  The problem  with the pre-fight hype was about how
great Mickey was but at the end of the bout with Olympic boxer  Chris Ius
was the bout ended in a split decision for Chris.  

Despite the split decision loss, by January 1976 Nanaimo Daily Free Press
sports editor Don Retson wrote the following article with the headline: 

"Griffin given 'excellent' chance making Canada's Olympic team.
Then in February 1976, Mickey announced that he was quitting
boxing because of "unfair decisions" from BC boxing judges.

NANAIMO BOXING CLUB in HALL of FAME

NANAIMO BOXING CLUB (1971 to 2012): by Brian Zelley
*For the Nanaimo Boxing Club it has been 40 years of activity and
achievements since 1971.  With the help of fromer Newcatle Boxing
Club's George Nepper, steps were taken to revive amateur boxing 
in Nanaimo.  After the start in 1971, the club never looked back and
at one time in the mid-Seventies, the Nanaimo Boxing Club was
rated as one of the best clubs in British Columbia.

There are many former and current members to thank for the
long journey.  So it is with great pleasure, that I announce the
selection of the Nanaimo Boxing Club has one of those 
selected for the BRITISH COLUMBIA AMATEUR  BOXING
HALL of FAME.

NANAIMO BOXING CLUB is a 2012 nominee for BCABHOF

NANAIMO BOXING CLUB:
The Nanaimo Boxing Club that has been operating for 41 years is one
of 18 nominees for the British Columbia Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame.
Another club nominated for 2012 is the Prince George club called the
Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing Club.




British Columbia Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame (BCABHOF)

2012  Nominees 
*Allan Bayne
*Bert Lowes
*Charles John
*Cooke Family
*Donnie Orr
*George Armson
*George Shiels
*Geronimo Bie
*Harry Twist
*Laurie  Mann
*Mandy LaPointe


*Michaele Olajide Jr. *Roger Adolph * Tony Duffy * Wayne Sponagle
*Nanaimo Boxing Club *Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing Club, and
*the 1984 Junior Nationals and Senior Olympic  team box-offs.

THE LAST ROUND

BRIAN ZELLEY VS CLARK MACLELLAN

MY LAST FIGHT:  BY Brian Zelley

Based on the result, I could of continued to box

but I was living in Victoria, and I wanted to spend

time helping to rebuild the sport and help to train

boxers, also being an acountant did not leave much 

time for being a fighter on a regualr basis.

I am pleased that my last fight took place in

Nanaimo and was hosted by the 

Nanaimo Boxing Club.

For all of my active years between 1963 to 1968

all of my fights took place in  locations other than Nanaimo

from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, BC, 

from Victoria to Port Alberni

and other places such as

Seattle and Tacoma.

So in 1973, it was well worth the wait

and to win that fight was a bonus.

And, it was one of my best fights due

in part to former top ranked welterweight

boxer MANUEL GONZALEZ

MANUEL GONZALES

Welterweight Contender - Sixties

NANAIMO BOXING CARD, April 13, 1985

THIRTEEN YEARS BEYOND THE FIRST CARD
- by Brian Zelley


April 13, 1985: Nanaimo hosts another card.


I remember the card well, as I refereed the first bout
that had Mark Hartell of Kamloops earn a
unanimous ddecision over Rick Davidson.


In the second bout  Paul Dodd of Courtenay earned
a split decision over Paul Frasca.


Other boxers in the bouts were:
Harry Kliener, Mark Harmeston, Scott Sinclair, Scott Cessford, 
Ralph Torrie, Chris Rathy, Alan Brown,  Marton Zupan, 
Barrie Howardson, Ed Lee, Claude Cipellethe, Ken McCrilles,
Dave Fiddes, Dave Leahy, Denis Kent and Randy Dorman.


Referee and Judges:
Bert Lowes

Bert Lowes, Rick Brough, Brian Zelley, Dan Wright, 
Cliff McNabb, and Ken Punt.  Medical:  Dr. Sandhu.
Also, Paddy Nelson from Gold River assisted in judging duties.
Announcer:  Stan Smith
Timekeeper:  Frank Ballane 


Recordings:  Julie Brown and Charlene Nelson
(clubs helping clubs, one show at a time) 

*over the years, be it Nanaimo, Gold River,
Campbell River, Comox, Parksville,  Ladysmith,
Port Alberni, Crofton and Victoria, there have been
hundreds of volunteers that often are never remembered, including the
many cornermen that often make a difference in the ring results.

A COLLECTION OF NANAIMO FACES ON THE WALL

FACES ON THE WALL:  by brian zelley

JULES NEPPER

                                           NANAIMO BOXING CLUB CO-FOUNDERS
                                                             Dan and Brian

ALEN BROWN 0 VIC MURDOCH - BRIAN ZELLEY

Vancouver Connections

Vancouver South Hill and Firefighters

Fuller, Findlay, Wylie

Zelley, Lawson, Walters

Gamble, Scott, Lindmoser