GRENIER, DOWNEY and PAGENDAM = The Best of 1984

THE BEST OF 1984 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS by Brian Zelley

As we look back to the National Championships in 1984, three boxers
would be declared the best of each of the three tournamens.
They were: Eric Grenier, Bill Downey and Steve Pagendam.

In junior National, eric grenier would edge out
Scotty Olson and Stewart Hilton.
The best bout was the Curtis Peterson - Dean Jeffries bout

In the Intermediateor Youth boxing, Bill Downey would
win the price. Some of the other Intermediate champions
would include boxers that would make a name in senior
competition in future years such as Howard and Otis Grant
and Eggerton Marcus. But, the best youth bout in 1984
was the Marc Menard - Greg Johnson lightweight bout.

But, in the senior nationals, STEVE PAGENDAM
would be a triple winner. His three victories would
earn him the Canadian senior featherweight title,
and the bout with Stephen Nolan would be the best bout.
And despite some top boxers, it was PAGENDAM that would
win the big prize of BEST SENIOR BOXER.

Stephan Nolan would win two box-off bouts at Halifax
over Tim harvy and Steve Pagendam. But, being one of
the reipients of the best fight award and to beat Steve
once was not enough to get picked for the Olympic team.
the final showdown would take place in burnaby.
And it would be Pagendam that would prevail.
But, Nolan's large body of achievements have not
gone unrecognized by the Saulte Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame.

BANTAMS and FEATHERS, THE BOYS OF ACTION

The fast and the furious feathers and bantams. The Eighties
-by Brian W. Zelley
The first name that comes to mind for those of us from
British Columbia is Dale Walters. But, in July 1984k,
I took time to sit with boxerSteve Pagendam an chat
about the team of 1984 and his brother Jamie Pagendam.

When we look back to the action of the Eighties, there were
a number of champions in the bantamweight and featherweight
senior open class. One of the champions late in the decade
was Saskatchewan boxer Wesley Sunshine. But,
travelling back to 1984, I remember him and all the other
competitors in the Junior Nationals. Not in the habit of
remembering every boxer in every tournament but for this
one, I was picked as one of the folks that had to pick
the best boxer of 1984 Junior Nationals, so it was a
case of watching every bout and coming to some fair
decision.

Some of the other bantams and feathers in the eighties
were Danny Thompson, Bill Ranelli, Stephen Nolan,
Bill Downey and Geronimo Bie. Each would follow his
own path, and some would be remembered while others
may be forgotten or only remembered by a small circle
of friends, but that's the way it has always been.

So this small piece is to try and recognize the boxers
from Bill Downey to Wesley Sunshine. And, thank them
for their contribution to the sport of amateur boxing
in Canada.