PROFESSIONAL BOXING IN BC:
Introduction:
* Professional boxing in
British Columbia has always
been a hit and miss affair.
But, despite the many low
points, there have been
some interesting moments
when we go back in time.
* Some may argue, that the
last great pro boxing card
was the one in 1972 that
featured Muhammad Ali
and George Chuvalo in the main event and Clyde Gray and Manuel
Gonzalez in the semi-main event with other bouts that would lead
to the two key bouts.
Looking beyond 1972, there have been various pro cards in places
like Nanaimo, Vancouver, Victoria and elsewhere. Two that
cover the eighties and nineties include the following two:
These two pro cards were a decade apart, but the one
common name in both of them was boxer TONY PEP.
Some of the other boxers include some former good
amateur boxers from British Columbia and other locations
in Canada. Some old familiar names include:
Manny Sobral, Donny Lalonde, George Sponagle,
Shane Sutcliffe, Michael Olajide, Al Ford, and
Jamie Ollenberger. Ollenberger was one of the few
amateur boxers to be named BC Golden Boy twice.
