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Niagara Boxing Legends to induct 2023 class

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The list of Niagara Boxing Legends will grow by five this March.

Included in the list of 2023 inductees who will be honoured at the Niagara Legends Boxing Show on Friday, March 10 at the Merritton Community Centre are long-time St. Catharines Boxing Club coaches John Robertson and Paul Zahra, former pro boxer Ralph Racine from Niagara Falls, Napper’s Boxing Club coach Julia Dimarcantonio and Steeltown Boxing Club founder and coach Bob Wilcox.

Tickets for the boxing show, which starts at 7:30 p.m., are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information about tickets, purchasing VIP tables or sponsoring the event call 905-988-1244 or email the club at stcatharinesboxingclub@yahoo.ca

Several St. Catharines Boxing Club members will be fighting on the card, including current Ontario senior open champion Dennis Steingart. Also scheduled to fight are Gavin Freel, Dylan Maisonneuve, Omar Nori, Riley Willis, Kyle Dickson, Josh Erb and Phoenix Young-Lazo.

Following is a list of the previous inductees:

2022: Val Ryan, Greg Black, Shawn Conlon, John Conlon and Bernie Puchalski.

2019: Vinnie Ryan, Rob McGregor, Rob Fortuna and Doug Dobias.

2018: Jimmy Neill, John Degazio Jr. and Fred Bassi.

2017: Jessy Zolnierczyk, John Degazio Sr., Jason Topolinsky and Steve Zolnierczyk.

2016: Rick Fortuna, Eddie Genze and Rocky Zolnierczyk.

2015: Frank Garofalo, Larry Darbyson, Ray Riley and Ron Gallen.

2014: Paul Benard, Sonny Wong, Willie Benard, Frank Degazio and Brian Kelly.

2013: Danny Dionne, Ray Napper Sr., Bob Kwiatkowski Jr., Eddie O’Brien and Pat Kelly.

2012: Jack Robertson, Reno Pasqua, Tiger Wright and Steve Gallinger.

2011: Leo DiFabio, Dave Demoe, Jimmy Hope, Ray McGibbon and Mike Gorman.

2010: Keith Murphy, Dennis McNeil, Hector Bordenave, Donny Venditti and Mark Rome.

2009: Vince Cappola, John Degazio, Lawrence Denapoli, Donny Gignac and Sterling Reid.

2008: Dave Morris, Frenchy Langlois, Jerry Friesen, Jim Krieger, Guy Normandeau and Johnny Farinacci.

2007: Mike Strange, Billy Irwin, Steve Pagendam and Jamie Pagendam.

In the coming weeks, BP Sports Niagara will profile all of this year’s inductees.

Bernie Puchalski, a graduate of Brock University and Niagara College, worked in journalism in Niagara for more than 27 years before taking a voluntary buyout from The Standard at the end of 2016. He started his career as a news reporter for the Niagara Falls Review before switching to sports reporting. He was a sports reporter and sports editor at the Niagara Falls Review before joining the Standard's sports department in 1996. He was named the Standard's sports editor in 2000 and became the regional sports editor, in charge of the Niagara Falls Review, Welland Tribune and Standard, in 2015, a position he held until he left the company. During his time in newspapers, he was a multiple winner and finalist for numerous Ontario and Western Ontario Newspaper Awards for sports reporting, spot news reporting and humour writing. He was a member of the Standard Boys Basketball Tournament committee and co-chair of the Standard Girls Basketball Tournament, helping to raise tens of thousands of dollars for bursaries presented to participants in the tournament. He also served on countless local sports committees both in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines.

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