BRITISH COLUMBIA BOXING HALL OF FAME

BOXING in BC - The Forties: By Brian Zelley The importance of amateur boxing in British Columbia during the Forties can never be under estimated.In many ways it laid the foundation for future decades and carried the traditions of the Golden Gloves beyond the initial year of 1939. A look back at some of the early clubs gives us names like ALBERNI BOXING with folks like EVERETT BIGGS AMBASSADOR which got it's name from the Ambassador Hotel operated by F M Crowther and Abe Weston at 773 Seymour, Vancouver, BC some of the boxers were JACK CROOK and JIMMY CROOK and BUS LINDSAY BLUEBIRDS with such boxers as JACK BROOKE Cumberland Boxing Club with such boxers as BUDDY WELSH. EAGLETIME BOXING CLUB with many boxers such as Len and Ray Walters, Don Harrison, Reg Simpson, Chester Orr and Stan Zokol KIMOUNT BOXING with Ken McPhee, Lyle Kehoe, and Russ Gurniak WALLACES with the likes of Jack Hamilton, Jerris Jamel, and Eric Dmith WESTERN SPORTS CENTRE directed by Johnny

There have been a few boxing clubs in Burnaby with one of the first be the South Burnaby Boxing club operated by HARRY TWIST with such well known  boxers as Johnny Phillips, Frank and Keith Scott, Freddy Fuller and Brian Gray.

FIREFIGHTER BOXING CLUB - 1968 Some interesting names with a rich history of boxing in British Columbia. Two of the many include Frank Scott and Freddy Fuller. The two main coaches in 1968 were Bert Lowes an Pat West. Then we have the 1967 BC Diamond Boy - Dave Wylie. Not all competition was Golden Gloves tournaments, but a generous number of club shows such as the one in Seattle where Five boxers from the Firefighters competed against the likes of Fraser Scott, Neil Knight, and Billy Gray and others. Photos - Includes Zelley & Knight, Scott, Wylie & Fuller

WHY A BC BOXING HALL OF FAME - bY brian W. Zelley Before an actual BC Amateur Boxing Hall of fame is introduced, the question why needs to be asked with some logical and reasonable answers given as to why. If we were to focus just on the period from 1939, thia would cover the history of the GOLDEN GLOVES in British Columbia. Past Golden Gloves boxers would be obvious candidates to be considered for induction, but the important objective would not to consider Golden Boy staus. Logic would require a broad focus on past boxers including their involvement as coaches and officials and/or directors of a Provincial or Regional Boxing organization such as BOXING BC or the Greater Victoria Amateur Boxing Association, or as a zone or regional representative. FORMER MEMBERS in other Halls of Fame - A reasonable source of obtaining potential names of members from decades ago would be the inductees of various other Halls of Fame, but it should not be the only source as some towns or r