ROAD TO GLORY and PAIN, Senior Open: by brian zelley
Starting with the senior nationals of '84 and then two box-offs, there would
be many players on the National stage with a small circle left to be part of
Canada's 1984 Olympic boxing team.
Of course to the senior Nationals, there were several paths to the competition
of which victory in provincial competition would secure a place on the
provincial teams, and then the champions and others from 1983.
1984 Senior Nationals:
*At the end of the competition, it would be STEVE BEAUPRE that would
remain the light-flyweight championship after a victory over team Ontario's
Andre Charlebois who had earned a victory over Quebec's
John Farinacci.
* Like the light-flyweight division, the flyweight division did not have
many entrants in the tournament. but at the end of the engagement
it would be Billy Dunlop of the National Team that would
earn victories over Gaetan Leclerc and Rick Rannelli
to be the '84 senior flyweight champion of Canada.
However, boxing being a sport requiring referees
and judges to control the action and the results, the
final bout between Dunlop and Rannelli would end in
controversy.
*In the bantamweight division, the defending champion
Dale Walters of British Columbia would have two bouts
over Robert Fortuna of Ontario and Daniel Paul of Quebec
to retain his title.
*the featherweight division would be one of those exciting
divisions that produced some solid effort by the boxers.
The competition would feature National A team member
Stephen Nolan and National B team member Steve Pagendam
faces various boxers. But, at the end of the competition it
would be STEVE PAGENDAM of Ontario that would win the
day and also be named best senior boxer for the '84 event.
*The lightweights would have some great competition with assorted
controversy with some of the decisions. The controversy would begin
with a prelim bout between National A team member JOHN KALBHENN
dropped a split decision to Team Ontario's GREG GAYLE while
Quebec's National B team member SYLVAIN THIBEAULT would moved
forward with victories over L. Blain of Quebec and Brad Hortie of Alberta.
In the finals, it would be THIBEAULT over GAYLE to move from the
B Team to Canadian lightweight champion of '84. But, for Kalbhenn,
all was not lost on the journey to be on the road to the LA Olympics.
British Columbia was represented by ROGER LAFLAMME who won
his prelim bout over the Yukon's GEORGE MASON, but Roger would
drop a decision to Ottawa's GAYLE force wind.
*For the ligh-welterweights, British Columbia's JOE PENDRY would
surprise a lot of folks with his performance with a prelim victory
over Russell Boucher of Manitoba and Dennis McNeil of Ontario,
to earn a shot in the finals to face National A team member
DENIS LAMBERT. But, at the end of the final bout, Pendry would
be on the wrong end of a 3/2 split decision, but we had not heard
the last of Pendry who would dazzle all Canadians in 1985. Alos,
in the '84 competition was PETER BRITT of the Maritimes.
*In welterweight action, it would be Alberta's KELLY PERLETTE
who would punch his way to the finals to face National A team
member WAYNE GORDON. At at the end of the action it would
be a split decision for Perlette, but Gordon would have his chance
to win the key to the '84 Olympic Team. One of the other
promising and dedicated boxers in the welterweight wars was
Ottawa's STEVE FRAME.
*In the light-middleweight division, BC's own LAWRENCE ROLFE
would rock on to the championship with victories over
Ontario's JOHN CLARK and Nova Scotia's R. THOMPSON.
*In middleweight action it would be Alberta's RICK DUFF who
would box and punch his way to victory. And in the
light-heavyweight division it would be WAYNE WELSH.
National B team member KEN JOHNSON of Manitoba would
drop a controversial 2/3 decision to Ontario's SHAWN DONNELLY.
*In heavyweight action WADE PARSONS would earn wins over
P. Patrick and Doug MacDonald to win the title, and in the
super heavyweight division LENNOX LEWIS would punch his way
into the finals to face National A team member VERNON LINKLATER.
Lewis would get the decision and begin his journey towards the
Olympic team and Vernon would bounce back as the years rolled by.
the Box Off Journey of '84
*During the month of May, there would be two box-off shows
that would decide the fate of the National champions, and
give some of the other boxers a chance to earn two wins
over the champion to earn the spot on the A Team and one last
chance to make the Olympic team. But, when it comes time to
select Olympic teams the road is paved with despair, pain,
frustration,depression coupled with blood, sweat and tears.
ROUND ONE: Halifax, Nova Scotia - May 4 to 6 of '84:
Those champions that won their first box-off bout and
secured their spot on the A team would be
Steve Beaupre, Billy Dunlop, Dale Walters, and Lennox Lewis.
But, the hard lesson is securing your spot on a team does not
guarantee a spot on an Olympic Team which has other twists
and turns with a generous amount of politics sprinkled into the
mix like too much pepper splashed about on all and sundry.
Willie deWit would cement his claim in Halifax with a victory
over champion Wade Parsons.
So those boxers that would get another chance to box in the
second box-off competition in Burnaby, British Columbia
would be Stephen Nolan, Shawn O'Sullivan, Darryl Flint, and
Ken Johnson.
Round Two: Burnaby, BC - May 25 to 27th. '84:
*the first champion to have to secure a victory in the
second box-off was Steve Pagendam who would have
to face Stephen Nolan. Steve defeated Stephen and the
rest is history with Pagendam making the Olympic team.
+For champion, Sylvain Thibeault, he would have to face
the determined JOHN KALBHENN who had reversed his
previous loss to GREG GAYLE to face Sylvain in Burnaby.
There would be no future shocks or controversy when
KALBHENN would fight hard and furious and stopped
the champion in the third round to bounce back from
controversy to earn his place on the Olympic Team.
*Denis Lambert was on the threshold of being replaced
due to the gallant effort of PETER BRITT in Halifax.
Britt earned a victory over Dennis McNeil and then
a splin decision over Lambert. But, in BC action, Denis
bounced back to win the bout by the decision route to
climb aboard the Olympic Team "travelling road show".
RICK DUFF would be challenged in Burnaby by DARRYL FLINT,
and Duff continued his winning ways with the decision and
his ticket punched for the LA Olympic Games and another
trip to British Columbia to train at the training centre in
Burnaby along with Pagendam and others and the various
coaches such as TAYLOR GORDON.
KEN JOHNSON of Manitoba would win his place in the
second box-off with victories in Halifax over Shawn Donnelly
and a walk over Welsh. In Burnaby, Johnson would stop
Welsh in the third round. However, Ken's spot on the
Olympic team was denied along with light-flyweight
STEVE BEAUPRE.
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