GREATER VICTORIA AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION

THE 1990 REVIVAL OF THE GVABA: By Brian Zelley

Introduction
The Greater Victoria Amateur Boxing Association was revived in the Nineties,
as a result of the expected 1994 Commonwealth Games and was first considered
as an important starting point for Games' volunteer organization by the boxing
committee comprised of Hassan Sunderani, Brian Zelley, Mike Sartori and BVABA
president Glynn Jones. This idea was later approved by the commmittee and other
interested persons at a public meeting held in April 1990 which included others
such as former Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Commissioner Rick Brough.

FOUNDING MEETING OF THE GVABA,May 13, 1990
With the assistance of then Executive Director of the Victoria Commonwealth
Games Society, JIM STOTHART, the meedting took place at the Princess Mary
Restaurant on May 13, 1990 which was attended by 23 individuals including
Commonwealth Games Committee member Sunderani, Jones, Sartori and Zelley.

The founding meeting was completed and the first official meeting of new group
was commenced with the election of directors, officers, committeees etc.

TIMES-Colonist news:
The following was reported in Victoria's Times-Colonist:
Brian Zelley was named president of the Greater Victoria Amateur
Boxing Association during the group's organizational meting held Sunday.

the association has been formed to help rebuild amateur boxing in the area
and to create a strong awareness of the sport in Victoria prior to the
Commonwealth Games coming her in 1994.

The rest of the group's executive are:
J. R. Smith, Wes Byrnell and Ian Duddy.

The first vice-president, PUD SMITH



The group's directors are Tom Duncan Mike Caird, Mike Sartori,
Ian Weir, Rick Brough, Etsel Ross, Dr. Dan Buie, Hassan Sunderani,
Bert Wilkinson and Tom Black.

RICK BROUGH, Director

Prior to attending various meeting in the Nineties, Rick had been
active in Vancouver Island Boxing in the Seventies and Eighties.
He was one of the officials at the "Bathtub Capital Golden Gloves
at Nanaimo in 1978 and one of the organizers for the 1984 V I
Amateur Boxing Championships, and a co-founder of the Ladysmith ABC.
Rick Brough is an inductee of the British Columbia Amateur Boxing
Hall of Fame.





Glynn Jones, president of the B. C Amateur
Boxing Association, was present at Sunday's organizational meeting.

THE NINETIES BOXING REVIVAL GREATER VICTORIA

THE HEADLINES: by Brian Zelley

It was May 11, 1990 and the story in the "Times-Colonist
by JEFF RUD, Times-Colonist staff was titled
"Approaching Games to lift amateur boxing's profile".

"Amateur boxing ..., is about to receive a shot in the arm from the
Victoria Commonwealth Games Society. ..."We want to increase
the popularity of the sport" said JOHN STOTHART, executive director
of the Games Society.

"One objective of the Games is to 'strengthen sport', Stothart said.

"The first step towards that goal will be a meeting to re-establish the
Greater Victoria Boxing Association... The last major event
held here was the 1987 Diamond Belt tournament", recalls organizer
MIKE SARTORI."

"Sartori, who has been involved in the sport since his teenage years in Italy...
believes boxing can make a comebck here. So do other Victorians including former
British Columbia Amateur Boxing Association director BRIAN ZELLEY?.

"Zelley is one of several Victorians with strong boxing backgrounds who are
planning to form the Greater Victoria Boxing Association. Besides
serving as a BCABA director, he has also been an official and a coach in the sport"

(Note both I and Sartori were also former boxers but that reference was not included
in the story by Jeff Rud,)

" 'We have people here in Victoria" Zelley said..."The thing we need to do is to get some of
these experienced people involved to build on the positives of all the different
decades. You need a combination of these veterans along with some new blood.' "

THE OTHER WORLD, RING ACTION IN 1990

By the time the action of 1993 rocked into the history books, a few of the boxers
would be part of the 1993 and 1994 action in Victoria.

BC BOXING NEWS April 1985

BC AMATEUR BOXING NEWS, April 1985.  Brian Zelley, editor 


(Note - the two key areas to be covered were:  1985 Senior Nationals and
Flashbacks 1975 to 1979, club shows and other issues)


THE FRONT PAGE
On the front page were two photos:
Main photo:  Tim Hunter, Rick Brough and Mike Murray
(selected as the best bout in a Victoria Jaycees boxing card)
The other photo was boxer Dave Walter of Vancouver vs
Hamid Ismail of Ladner from the 1981 BC Golden Gloves.


CLUB SHOWS - March 1985


For Vancouver Island , it was three club shows:
March  9th.  Host Club, CROFTON
Heavyweight bout featured RON YOUNG  in a split decision
over JOHN HUNTER.

March 16th. Host Club, CAMPBELL RIVER
an interesting bout featured GARY WOOD  vs JACK SNAITH


March 24th. Host Club, VICTORIA JAYCEES
In the Jaycees card, Tim Hunter of Campbell River was picked as the
best boxer. Mike Murray vs Tim Hunter was the best bout.
The main event had KIT MUNRO over PAUL DELUCA.


TEAM BC - 1985 SENIOR NATIONALS
Boxers:  Augusto Dos Reos. John Henry Wilson, Tim Cessford,
Joe Pendry, Joe Martin, Andrew Riley, Terry Dermott, 
Alex Bankier, Gary Serko, Wayne Welsh and Brian Lansing.
Coaches: Ken Marjoram and Mike Sartori, Manager:  Dave Thompson.


OLD and NEW CLUBS


Some clubs highlighted were:
North West Eagles, East Vancouver Optimists
 and Astoria Boxing Clubs.


The EVO began in 1958 and operated until the early Seventies.
Two of the early persons involved were LARRY KRANGLE and JOHN WYLIE
The net two to operate the club were JOHN BALLAM and JIM WILSON.
There were other coaches and managers of the club such as Don Cowan, 
Fred Fuller, Stan smith and Earl Thompson.


A lot of young boers passed through the club from one club to another 
such as Dave Wylie,  Freddy Fuller and Colin Coleridge.  Two of the last
 boxers to represent the club were Joe and Lou Cooke.  And, of interest
for the 1967/1968 season Dick Findlay left the Vancouver Firefighters
and Les Vegas  left the London Boxing Club of Victoria to be part of the 
EVO experience.