Brian Zelley
01-28-2009, 08:24 PM
Aside from World or International Boxing Halls of Fame, an important area for recognizing the service
and dedication of the builders including coaches,
promoters and administrators, or the elite performance
of the boxers are the various "Sports Hall of Fames"
from a city to a region or a country.
As one looks into sports of fames, sometimes we will
find very few persons inducted from the sports of
amateur and/ or professional boxing.
For instance, the Canadian Sports Hall Of Fame has some obvious inductees such as George Dixon, Sam Langford, Jimmy McLarnin, Lennox Lewis and Tommy Burns, and others including George Chuvalo, Bert Schneider and Sammy Luftspring.
It is likely, very few today could recall the deeds of
a boxer such as Sammy Luftspring.
In the Province of British Columbia, only seven names
appear including Bert Lowes, Harold Mann, Tommy Paonessa, Billy Townsend, Jimmy McLarnin and the
father and son team of Lenny and Dale Walters.
Of interest the Walters names also appear in the
Municipality of Burnaby's Sports Hall Of Fame
along with an old time coach Harry Twist. If we were
to review amateur boxing alone in BC from 1939
to 2008, there have been good folks involved in the
boxing and building of the sport from Vancouver
Island to the Alberta border. It is most unfortunate
that so many have been left on the sidelines by the
decision makers.
Looking at individual locations such as Greater
Victoria, boxing come up almost empty. One
of the three folks included with some involvement
in the sport of boxing was boxer Eddie Haddad.
As we shift east a few more names are included
in various halls of fame such as Al Sparks in Manitoba,
and Gale Kerwin in Ottawa, and Walter Arsenault in PEI.
It would be interesting to hear from others concerning
there own region be it Portland, Oregon or
London, England, or Australia.
and dedication of the builders including coaches,
promoters and administrators, or the elite performance
of the boxers are the various "Sports Hall of Fames"
from a city to a region or a country.
As one looks into sports of fames, sometimes we will
find very few persons inducted from the sports of
amateur and/ or professional boxing.
For instance, the Canadian Sports Hall Of Fame has some obvious inductees such as George Dixon, Sam Langford, Jimmy McLarnin, Lennox Lewis and Tommy Burns, and others including George Chuvalo, Bert Schneider and Sammy Luftspring.
It is likely, very few today could recall the deeds of
a boxer such as Sammy Luftspring.
In the Province of British Columbia, only seven names
appear including Bert Lowes, Harold Mann, Tommy Paonessa, Billy Townsend, Jimmy McLarnin and the
father and son team of Lenny and Dale Walters.
Of interest the Walters names also appear in the
Municipality of Burnaby's Sports Hall Of Fame
along with an old time coach Harry Twist. If we were
to review amateur boxing alone in BC from 1939
to 2008, there have been good folks involved in the
boxing and building of the sport from Vancouver
Island to the Alberta border. It is most unfortunate
that so many have been left on the sidelines by the
decision makers.
Looking at individual locations such as Greater
Victoria, boxing come up almost empty. One
of the three folks included with some involvement
in the sport of boxing was boxer Eddie Haddad.
As we shift east a few more names are included
in various halls of fame such as Al Sparks in Manitoba,
and Gale Kerwin in Ottawa, and Walter Arsenault in PEI.
It would be interesting to hear from others concerning
there own region be it Portland, Oregon or
London, England, or Australia.