Niagara Boxing Legend Sonny Pascuzzi
Recognition has come Sonny Pascuzzi’s way the past couple of years.
The 89-year-old Niagara Falls native was inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in January 2024 and on March 21 he will be inducted into the Niagara Boxing Legends at the 17th Annual Niagara Boxing Legends Show at the Merritton Community Centre.
“It makes me feel good and it shows that I have done something. I am happy to see that they recognized that.”
Pascuzzi, Ray McGibbon and John Degazio founded the Niagara Falls Boxing Club in the late 1970s. Pascuzzi taught the fundamentals of the sport and helped the Niagara Falls club win the outstanding team at the 1983 Roddy McDonald Provincial Championships. His coaching career lasted until the mid-1980s and he coached three provincial junior champions and senior provincial champion Rob Fortuna. Fortuna would go on to place second at the 1984 Olympic Trials. Pascuzzi also served as a referee and judge and filled those roles at provincial championships. A highlight of his officiating career was judging one of Lennox Lewis’ fights.
His coaching career aided his role as an official.
“It helped a lot,” he said.
The retired General Motors worker got his start in boxing thanks to his son, Marty.
“He wanted to start boxing a little bit and I talked with Ray McGibbon and John Degazio at the Niagara Falls Boxing Club and got involved with that. I enjoyed it and Ray and Johnny were good trainers and they taught me everything they knew.”
He ended up coaching at the club for about eight years.
“I loved the competition, I liked teaching the boys things and they listened well. If you taught them properly, no one would get hurt. I really enjoyed working with them.”
He also enjoyed the competition.
The highlights of Pascuzzi’s career were dominating performances at the provincial championships by Niagara Falls fighters.
“We went to the Ontario championships with 13 boys and we came home with 12 gold and one silver medal.The following year we had 13 again and we won 12 golds and a bronze. We did really good,” he said. “We coached the kids well, stayed with them and showed them what to do, what not to do, when to punch and when not to punch.”
He credited McGibbon and Degazio for all the successes he had as a boxing coach.
“I learned it all from those guys. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t know that much,” he said. “I taught the jab and left hand and right hand. I worked them out good.”
Pascuzzi is still passionate about the sport and continues to follow boxing.
“I am on YouTube all the time and I really like it. I enjoy it when there are two good boxers and nobody gets hurt. When you get a good one and a bad one I don’t like that too much. I don’t like to see a guy get beat up. I like seeing two boxers who know what they are doing.”
Before he started at the Niagara Falls Boxing Club, he helped coach boys 16 and older at the YMCA.
“They would go in the gym very Wednesday night and I liked working with them. We did basketball, floor hockey and stuff like that.”
Also being inducted March 21 are Bruce Greenlaw, Jessie Wilcox, Bill Williams, Sonny Pascuzzi, Brian Baines and Baby Joe Mesi.
Tickets for the show are $20 in advance and $25 at the door with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the fighting starting at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, VIP tables and sponsorship opportunities, call 905-988-1244.
Former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney will be in attendance at the fights.
