Veteran fighter keeps on punching
St. Catharines Amateur Boxing Club member Jimmy Ryan competes against Steeltown Boxing Club’s Joseph Younan Friday night at the Optimist Club in St. Catharines.
Bruce Greenlaw doesn’t hesitate when asked why the 55-year-old retired firefighter is still climbing into the boxing ring.
“It’s Joe (St. Catharines Amateur Boxing Club president Corrigan),” he said, prior to his bout Friday at the Ray McGibbon Gloves Presents Banging the Bagpipes boxing card at the Optimist Club in St. Catharines. “It’s all Joe. Everyone comes back and it’s because of him.
“He treats everybody well, he gives everybody a second and a third chance which is unheard of in this game.”
Greenlaw, a St. Catharines resident, has fought in three Murphy’s Gloves events and Friday was the fight time he has exchanged punches in a Ray McGibbon event. His opponent was fellow St. Catharines Boxing Club member Jamie Cormier.
Greenlaw made it all the way to the bronze-medal match at the provincial boxing championships when he was much younger and admits boxing is a young man’s game.
“It hurts,” he said, with a laugh. “I have a really good physiotherapist who loves me but it’s good.”
His fighting is also a way to help others.
“We have another gentleman here tonight who’s 50 (Cormier) and getting back into it so and opportunity for him to fight lets me get back into the ring,” he said. “I would go in at 60 per cent for him if he gets a chance to fight.”
Greenlaw is ready and willing to fight again.
“I will do it any time Joe asks me, absolutely.”
He is also always willing to help out with what needs to be done at the St. Catharines boxing club, including coaching some of the younger fighters
“They are allowing me to do that which is very big of them but I also go into the gym and run the rounds when Joe and the others are out of town, but I am not alone. There’s Kevin Lamb and a bunch of others and it’s not just me. That’s for sure.”
Among the bouts involving fighters from the St. Catharines club: James Hughes recorded a 2-1 decision over Bramalea’s Taverio Stewart in a 69-kilogram bout; and, Rene Chavez won a 2-1 decision over Manuel Pasos of Dewith’s Boxing Club. Chavez was named the best boxer of the night.
The event Friday was the 26th annual Ray McGibbon Gloves and the local boxing legend was on hand Friday to shake hands and cheer on the fighters.
Money raised from the fight card will help send St. Catharines Amateur Boxing Club members to Scotland at the end of March to compete versus fighters from the Greenock Boxing Club near Glasgow. Fighters from the Greenock card will return to Canada July 19 to compete on the Wise Guys fight card in St. Catharines. That event will be held at the Merritton Community Centre.
The St. Catharines club is planning to bring six or seven fighters from the club to Scotland, along with lone fighters from Sarnia, Orangeville and Windsor. The club covers the expenses of its own fighters.
