Boxing keeps coach going
The day after running a boxing tournament in Niagara Falls in December 2011, Ron Gallen found himself in the hospital battling pneumonia.
Things went from bad to worse for the 65-year-old Niagara Falls native when his kidneys failed and he ended up in a month-long coma. It wasn’t until March of the following year — following rehab where he had to learn to walk again — before the 2019 inductee in the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame was released from hospital.
The long-time head coach of the Niagara Falls Boxing Club used his passion for boxing to push himself on the road to recovery.
“When I was sick in hospital, that is what kept me going,” said the former two-time president of Boxing Ontario. “All the time, I was thinking I had to get better so I could go to the gym.”
The former General Motors employee — he left with a medical disability in 2006 — continued to battle health problems afterwards, including a failed kidney transplant in 2013. He now has to go for dialysis three times a week, but his medical condition hasn’t stopped him from coaching boxing. He goes down to the club on Valley Way at the old St. Mike’s high school three times a week for two and half hours at a time.
“Mondays I can’t go because I am on dialysis,” he said.
It’s a love affair that started with him officiating in 1980 and moving on to coaching in 1986. His first event as an official was the Labatt’s Gloves in 1982 in Etobicoke and the first event he coached at was the Boxing Ontario provincial championships in 1986 in London.
“I love the sports and the young kids you get to work with,” he said. “You get to know them and you see them grow, and it’s great.”
The downside to boxing is the ones that get away.
“You get kids and they have problems away from the gym and you try to help them,” he said. “They end up on the dark side and it’s not good because they are like your own kids.
“You try to do as much as you can in the limited time you have them.”
Gallen loves the one-on-one aspect of boxing.
“There are no teammates letting you down,” he said. “You are letting yourself down.
“I have all the respect in the world for anybody who steps in the ring whether they are good or not. They find out in a hurry.”
Gallen’s first introduction to boxing came in 1980 when a friend persuaded to attend an amateur fight card in Fonthill.
“The fights were OK, but the officiating was terrible,” he said.
He complained to coach Hank Boone and answered yes when Boone asked him if he could do a better job. That let to a career in his officiating. Then when his son, Glen, decided he wanted to box, Gallen started helping John DeGazio coach at the Niagara Falls club. He would become president and head coach of the non-profit club in 1987.
The head coaching position is one he still holds today with the help of club president Lolly Gallen, his wife, and fellow coaches, Scott Copeland and Scotty Paul.
“When I was sick, it was a good thing that I had some great people in the gym,” Ron said. “They have been with me a long time.”
A member of Boxing Ontario since 1980, Gallen has coached more than 150 competitive boxers. Among his fighters were Mike Strange, Chuck Moscato, Eddie Dawson and Paul. He coached several provincial champions, four national champions and two Ringside world champions.
“I have kids come up to me in the grocery store to say hello and I don’t even recognize them,” he said, with a laugh.
He has so many great moments it’s hard to single out one career highlight.
“I’ve been to lots of national championships and Ringside world championships and the pro fights were a lot of fun,” he said. “They’re serious.”
He was also active in the boardroom, serving 13 years as an executive member with Boxing Ontario and six years on Boxing Canada’s Board of Directors. In addition, he held the position of Chief Official and Director of Niagara Region Boxing.
Among his other accomplishments are: donating boxing equipment to Cuba; creating a Ladies Only Box Fit class in 2008; and, in 2016, developing Rock Steady Boxing for people dealing with Parkinson’s disease.
Gallen is honoured with his induction this Sunday into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame.
“That’s not why you do it — you do it because you love it — but when they stand back and tell you that you put in your time and you did a good job, that’s a nice feeling.”
The induction ceremony will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Gale Centre.
