Niagara Boxing Legend Scottie Paul
The lessons Scottie Paul learned from boxing have stood the test of time throughout his life.
“It’s that you keep going. That is the No. 1 thing. That is what I tell the people I train and the kids that I train. There’s no ifs, ands or buts. You think you’re tired, you’e not tired. You have to keep going.”
That attitude resulted in the 43-year-old Niagara Falls resident being honoured Friday at the Niagara Legends Boxing Show at the Merritton Community Centre.
Also being inducted into the Niagara Boxing Legends as part of the Year of the Young Guns are Ryan Baulk, Steven Wilcox, Ryan Rannelli, Daniel Ryan, Ray Napper, Jr. and Stephen Ryan.
Born and raised in Fergus, Paul was a part of hockey history in Niagara Falls in 2001 when he was a member of the Niagara Riverhawks squad that won an Ontario junior C hockey championship.
He began boxing when he was 23 after graduating from Brock University with a sports management degree.
“I started at the Niagara Falls Boxing Club and I went from there. I picked things up quick and I kept going.”
He would end up having 40 amateur fights and 13 bouts as a pro.
He never won an Ontario title as an amateur but he did capture a Ringside World Championship in Kansas City.
“It was tough. I had some tough fights and the fighters that won Ontarios at that time were really good. I think I started a little too late and that’s why I went pro.”
He had a 5-8 record as a lightweight, including a stretch where he won five of six bouts. Paul’s top moment as a pro was a majority decision victory over Jorge Banos on April 2, 2009 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
He retired when he was 34.
“My last couple of fights I took some good hits and I decided it had probably taken its toll.”
Paul grew up a hockey player but quickly became a big fan of boxing.
“Boxing was totally different and like most individual sports when you are there the crowd is there for you. They are looking at you and not at a whole team. That is what I try to tell the other people I train in boxing. It’s not like hockey or lacrosse where if you are tired, you get to go off or if you don’t want to go on, you don’t have to go on. You can tell your coach that you are tired and that happens all the time. In boxing, if you say no, you lose. It’s simple. It’s a lot more involved and you have to do a lot more.”
Nowadays, Paul owns Driving Force Sports Performance which is associated with the Niagara Falls Boxing Club.
Scheduled to make guest appearances at the fight card Friday night are Gerry Cooney and Boom Boom Mancini.
St. Catharines boxers scheduled to fight on the card are Dylan Maisonneuve, Irish Gavin Freel, Bobby Haynes, Ray Adamyk, Pat Ryan, Alex Lindsay, Megan (Mad Dog) Reynolds and Aasher Raja.
Tickets are $25 at the door. For more information, call 905-988-1244.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and boxing starts at 7:30 p.m.
