Nanaimo and Victoria Boxing

NANAIMO BOXING STORY: by brian zelley


George Nepper and boxers

It would begin in 1964 

Gilles Nepper and Brian Zelley winning
Island championships, then Mike Lazare
would win back to back titles in the
novice bronze gloves and the open
junior emeral gloves.  And, others
would follow in 1966 and 1967 such
as Ken Stant and Rick Johnson.

NANAIMO BOXING HISTORY

* The link above covers about 50 years of history (1963 to 2012)
The story begins with the Newcastle Boxing club and the Nepper family,
and then the formation of the Nanaimo Boxing Club in 1971 and blastd
through years of history with many names and faces including some
detail of  some of the early members such as Jack Snaith and Mickey Griffin,
and Bob Pegues to Barry Creswell.

MY VICTORIA BOXING


Photo: November 1974
by Jim Ryan for the old
"Victirian" newspaper
and a story by writer
Patty Pitts with the title
"Boxing Back From Ropes"
Ian Weir, Mike Caird and
Brian Zelley.

 The story tells hou the
sport was revived  when
Brian Zelley, Dan Wright
and Ian Weir  joined with Mike Caird to revive amateur boxing in 
Victoria, BC, Canada and was published on November 22, 1974.
)this copy of the photo courtesy of the Greater Victoria Sports
Hall of Fame in 2009.  Following this story, the old London
Boxing Club contacted us to sponsor amateur boxing again.
In 1976, the London Boxing Club would be replaced by the
Victoria Athletic Association to begin the new season in
September 1976 with coaches Mike Caird, Brian Zelley and
Lou Budjoso.  Others that helped would be
Larry Montgomery, Don Shaw, Bob Perry and various 
members of the Victoria Athletic Association such as
Ian Duddy and Brian Turnbull.

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