NOTHING LASTS - FADE TO BLACK

NOTHING LASTS, IT ALL FADES TO BLACK:
by brian zelley

It was three long years of producing news in
a regular publicationon Vancouver Island boxing
and then BC boxing. Countless hours
researching, communicating, attending events but
it all ended in January 1986 when the Executive
of the BC Amateur Boxing Association wanted
more control over the content and micro-managing.

Prior to that, arrangements were made to produce
a BC BOXING GUIDE
and the cost would have been covered by advertising.
But, some coaches in boxing thought that advertising
for a guide may take away from their opportunities
to get advertising dollars, so the time and money
investedin the venture went south and the prelim
stuff and outlines were trashed.

So, without support, the writing was on the wall
and it was time to say goodbye concerning the future
publications of the BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS.

BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS - January 1986
My last publication of THE NEWS happened to
be at a time when numerous pro and amateur
boxing cards were being cancelled in places
like Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria while the
insiders of Boxing in BC were pumping up the volume
that good things were going to happen. In some cases
a few good things did happen, but the best thing
for the future would be Victoria obtaining the
1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES and the rest is history.

BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS - January 1986

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
George Armson, Sid Knopp, Larry Krangle, Marg O'Reilly,
Bink Bakkan,Jean Bayne, Dave Thompson,Brian Zelley,
Bert Lowes, Larry Carney and Terry Copeland.

AREA REPS:
Dick St. Louis, Mike Moore, Don McDonald,
George Shiels, Cliff Ivers and George Angelomatis.

CABA Executive and Committee Heads
Herbert Embuldeniya, George Goff, Bill Starr,
Dick MacLean, Jerry Shears, Stuart Charbula,
Denis Bradley, Taylor Gordon, Ken Johnson,
 and Matt Mizerski.

CLUB SHOWS and TOURNAMENTS
1985 Emerald Gloves, Silver Gloves and
Comox Valley Boxing club show.

Silver
The Champions:
Bruce Flack, Rick Funk, Dylan Mulder, Rob Dellapenna,
 Randy Galler, Johnny Belfry, Al Bayne, Geronimo Bie,
 Mike Marrello, Doug Thomas, Todd Lynch, Lee Demarni,
Jason Broad, Brad Bergette, Terry MacLauley.

Finalists:
Stewart Brown, Tyler Piddocke, John Margetts Ben Fecht,
 Jeff Janco, Damion Guibault, Brian Lumsden, David Flack,
 Mike Cleary, Robb Garrett, Jim Saunders, Reno Pinetto,
 Pat Solderholme, Pat Liddy, Dirk Erickson.

1985 Emerald Gloves

A sample of the boxing Champions
***Eddie Lee, Daniel McGarvie, Tony Duffy,
 Troy Taylor, Terry Copeland, Gary Wood, 
John Margetts and Pat Palmer.

COMOX VALLEY CLUB SHOW - November 23, 1985
Best Bout - George Mercredi vs Glen Moyles.
Best Comox Boxer TODD GOOD


As 1985/1986 faded into the dust there would be many 
interesting times ahead for BC boxers including
Olympic Games and other International tournaments.

BC BOXING NEWS - February 1985

BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS - February 1985
News Director - Brian Zelley, President - George Armson

Front Page -Photo from "Upper Islander"
- RAY ABRAHAM (Astoria) VS JIM HUNTER (CR Eagles)

Page 2 - included recipients of the
Harold Mann Boxing Achievement Award (1971 to 1984)
Elio Ius, Bert Lowes, Ed Williams, Pat O'Reilly,
Walter Boyce, Stan Smith, Tommy Paonessa, Irving Mann,
Marg O'Reilly, Mike Moore, Fred Fuller, Tommy Yule
Lindy Lindmoser, and Sylvia Gallagher

Page 3 - 1985 Diamond Belt Tournament -
January 19, 1985 - Victoria, BC
Diamond Boy - RICK ALBRECHTSEN of Williams Lake.
Al Harper, Diamond Boy runner-up and the best bout
Alex Bankier (Astoria) - Tim Cessford (Parksville)

Page 4 - LOWES LOWDOWN and STOP,BOX & BREAK
- Bert Lowes reported on Ladner coach Len Barker and
John Kovak, Jim Fair, and Dr. Raj Sandhu, and George Shiels.

Page 5 - Coaches' Corner with JOHN KOVAK. Elk Valley club.
Also, golden oldie photo from 1954 with boxer EDDIE ROBERTSON
and coach NICK LYSTAR

Page 10 and 11 FLASHBACKS - Profiles of
Danny MacDonald, Harold Handlin, Paul Calve,
andJack Snaith then a "Between Rounds on
boxing news and views from the Comox Boxing Club and
boxer PAUL DODD to the likes of Art Smith and Brian Sacho.

Back Page - photos - JOE SANDULO. CURTIS FIDDLER and RONNIE JOE.

The passing of Paul Calve, July 2014

RECENT NEWS

BOXING NEWS - March 1985

BRITISH COLUMBIA AMATEUR BOXING NEWS - March 1985
-News Editor - Brian Zelley, BCABA President - George Armson

Page two - AT THE BELL focused on the SPIRIT of CO-OPERATION

Page three - STOP, BOX & BREAK covered some of the BOXING CANADA rule changes.

Page four - BETWEEN ROUNDS - included a brief look at JERRY SHEARS,
the founding president of BOXING CANADA.

also mention of the Ladies Auxiliary to the
BRITISH COLUMBIA AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION.
Names mentioned in 1985 were Jean Baine, Nadine Bayne,
Maria Carriera, Sabrina Carriera, Audrey Wilson,
Roxanne Montgomery, Cheri Miner, Bette Leon, Stella Fuller,
Carole Brown, Ida Smith, Shirley Knopp and Marg O'Reilly.

Page eight - 1972 list of clubs and club officials.

Page nine - RING ROUND-UP
.Sparwood Club Show with referees Alan Stockdale and Billy Watson.
.Queensborough Boxing Club show with some of the stars being
AL HARPER of Port Kells, Manny Sobral, Scotty Scott and Tim Howie.

Page five - COACHES' CORNER - focus on BOB DECKER.

Page six - FLASHBACKS
.look back at a 1956 VICTORIA OPTIMISTS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
boxers included Johnny Phillips, Mickey Mazur, Gary Oakden,
Brian O'Hare, Skimp Williams, Rip Kirby, Bobby Hicks,
Norm Jorgenson, Richard Murickami, Tommy Delveccio,
Harold Mann, Jimmy Walters and Lindy Lindmoser.
Some of the officials - Paul Calve, Tom Crabbe,
Vic Simmons and Howard Curling.

.1975 and 1976 events Emerald Gloves and a 1976 list
of executive, clubs. coaches and officials.

Page seven - look back at 1978 Edmonton and BC Golden Gloves
and 1978 BC Junior Golden Gloves. DERRICK HOYT was the
BC GOLDEN BOY.

Page ten - BC NORTHERN WINTER GAMES (Boxing) and list of
boxers in 1985 BC WINTER GAMES at Osoyoos some names to remember
MIKE MURRAY (Nanaimo Boxing Club) and RUSS LYON (Crofton)

.Also, the 1985 Senior Team Challenge (six bouts).

BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS

B C AMATEUR BOXING NEWS: February 1984, editor brian zelley
HIGHLITES
FRONT COVER
.Williams Lake boxer and coach
.BCABA Honorary Life Members - 21

PAGE 2
.BC Winter Games purposes
.BCABA president's message - Appreciation to Fans

PAGE 3
.SHORT JABS - message from JERRY SHEARS
on the BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS.
.Qualifications for admission to
CABA list of Certified Coaches

PAGE 4
.Coaches' Corner by BOB DECKER
.Focus on former coaches
Jim Hills and Skimp Williams
.DALE WALTERS - 1971 TO 1976
.The first 21 Golden boys
Phil Vickery to Al Curtis

PAGE 5
.1984 Intermediate and Senior BC GOLDEN GLOVES
January 21, 1984.
.Photo of Jamie Ballard -
1982 Junior Canadian Champion and recipient of
the Jimmy Symes Award

PAGE 6
.Kelowna boxing club show - January 14, 1984
.Kent Security Institution - Special boxing show

PAGE 7
williams Lake Boxing show - January 14m 1984
.Medical Inspections prior to competitive bout

PAGE 8
.Message re. 1984 BC Winter Games - Fort St John
.Flashbacks - 1983 BC Winter Games - Revelstoke, BC
.photo - 1979 BC Winter Games Nanaimo boxer
RON WILLIAMS

1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES BOXING Story: By Brian W. Zelley, B.Com., CA -

.As I look back into the past and revisit the 1994 Commonwealth Games boxing event that took place
in Esquimalt, BC (Greater Victoria), I remember seeing Prince Philip sitting in the audience observing the
action, I remember seeing one of my old coaches BERT LOWES from 1968 volunteering as part of security
(in earlier years, he had been an referee and judge at International events and local club shows),
Then there was Gold River coach MONTY BROWN helping in the corner for one of the foreign boxers.

But the real story for amateur boxing begins in 1989 with the appointment of a boxing committee as part of
the sports committee - the original committee was comprised of Hassan Sunderani, Brian Zelley,
Mike Sartori, Glynn Jones and later Ian Weir and then others such as Bert Lowes and George Armson.

At the time of my appointment, I was a School Trustee with the Greater Victoria School Board,
but my term was coming to an end and there would be more time to get involved with the organizing
process. One of the first requirements was for chairman Sunderani to put together a report. As part of the report,
I put together a mini-history of boxing from Greater Victoria, but much of the data was from my previous work
when I was the editor of the "BC Amateur Boxing News" and publicity chairman for the 1984 Vancouver Island
Amateur Boxing Championships which was a big deal as it was a revival of a tournament that last took place in 1964
with one of the boxers being FRED DESROSIERS who would be one of our 1964 Olympic boxers.

As 1989 turned into 1990, the boxing committee needed to build a volunteer base that would make things happen.
To begin the process of reaching out to ex-boxing folks and supporters of the sport, a public meeting was
arranged in the boardroom of the Victoria Commonwealth Games Society - April 21, 1990.

The first public meeting:
Attending the first public meeting were John Stothart of the VCGS, and boxing committee members
Hassan Sunderani, Brian Zelley and Mike Sartori, and others including Dr. Dan Buie,
Wes Byrnell, Pud Smith, Ian Duddy, Bert Wilkinson, Rick Brough, Ian Weir.

(photo: Pud Smith)

From the first wave of volunteers, Victoria had a good cross section of experienced folks including two
former Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Commissioners in BERT WILKINSON and RICK BROUGH.
Also, MIKE SARTORI was a boxing coach and at one time he was one of the Team BC coaches for
National competition. Dr. Dan had been a ringside doctor at some pro boxing cards. IAN WEIR
was one of the Victoria boxers that would be part of the revival of amateur boxing in Greater Victoria
in 1974. IAN DUDDY was one of the founding directors of the Victoria Athletic Association in 1976
and would serve for a couple of years as the manager of the VAA boxing program along with coaches
Lou Bujdoso, Brian Zelley and Mike Caird. Lou would later spin-off and form the Victoria Jaycees
Boxing Club of which Sartori and Zelley would join as coaches. Sartori would also continue to host
the BC Diamond Belt tournament after a revival in 1980 into the mid-Eighties such as the 1985 tournament.

GOALS & PLANS
1. Establish a training Centre,
2. Revive the Greater Victoria Amateur Boxing Association
3. Spreading the Word - A general public meeting for volunteers.

A GREATER VICTORIA VOLUNTEERS MEETING - May 13, 1990

The earlier meeting with 11 bodies was important, but there was work to do to reach out to more
potential volunteers at a public site. On May 13, 1990 the group of eleven picked a perfect public site
at the popular Princess Mary Restaurant . By the start of the 10:00 a.m. meeting the list of potential
volunteers was raised to 25 with more in future days.

Some of the additional persons with a backgound in boxing included:
Don Orr, Tommy Black, Alan Curtis, and Mike Caird.

JOURNEY TO SEATTLE - 1990 GOODWILL GAMES

Members of the various Sports Committees were given the opportunity to send at least two members to observe
the International event. For boxing, two of us were set to go but the boxing chairman didn't go. So, I went alone
but it was for the finals and not the beginning which would have been more of a learning experience. But it was kind of cool going to the event and running into folks like MONTY BROWN and RON WHALLEY. But due to the timing on the last day

photo RON WHALLEY



it was too late to get the proper ID to move freely and speak with official and competitors. And unless you get the right access
and freedom of movement, it is reduced to a moment of entertainment rather than an information gathering process to help
future planning.
C

                                             The Canadian Team some of the members.

THE NINETIES - Old Faces & the New Breed

CANADIAN AMATEUR BOXING-NINETIES: By Brian Zelley

Photo: Mark Leduc, Olympic Games Medal winner and Eddie Haddad

Looking back to the Nineties in Canadian Amateur Boxing created some new stars and a return to action by some veterans
in the ring wars. Also as in previous decades there would be action in the Pan Am Games, the 1994 Commonwealth Games
in Greater Victoria in 1994 and Games in other locations, plus the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games with some interesting
results.

Some of the stars of the Eighties that would see action in the Nineties would include
BILL IRWIN, MARK LEDUC, RAYMOND DOWNEY and GERONIMO BEI. But, as in past decades
there would be many new champions such as Domenic Filane Figliomeni, Michael Strange
and Robert Dale Brown. Along the way other names would appear such as Jason Heit and Shane Hinton.
In the closing years of the nineties some of the champions would compete in the 2000 Olympics in Australia.

1984 Senior Box-off & Olympic Team Training

Photo: STEPHEN NOLAN
Photo: SHAWN O'SULLIVAN
Photo: ALAN BROWN, VIC MURDOCH, BRIAN ZELLEY (1984)

SENIOR BOX-OFF COMPETITORS:
Steve Pagendam, Stephen Nolan, John Kalbhenn, Sylvain Thibeault, Peter Britt, Dennis Lambert,
Shawn O'Sullivan, Lawrence Rolfe, Rick Duff, Darrell Flint, Ken Johnson and Wayne Welsh.