BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)

Subject: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 06:45 AM

Just saw this.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Beer
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:00 AM

Thanks Gnu. I heard this last night and called my brother immediately. John was in Gagetown in the 50's and was in volved years after in Northern B.C. organizing youth boxing. He thought the world of Yvon. I remember after he retired that John said if you want a great meal go to Yvon's restaurant and it is the best down home meal you'll ever get. I see no mention of restaurant in the article. I guess it wasn't as popular as my brother made it out to be.
Beer
aka (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 09:04 AM

Excerpt from above link:

Former boxer Yvon Durelle dies at age 77
Updated Sat. Jan. 6 2007 11:31 PM ET

Canadian Press

MONCTON, N.B. -- Former British Empire boxing champion Yvon Durelle, whose 1958 fight against boxing great Archie Moore made him a Canadian legend, has died. He was 77.

Family members said Durelle, who suffered a stroke on Christmas Day and also had Parkinson's disease, died in a hospital in Moncton on Saturday.




~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 10:50 AM

The article said...

"After trying a number of jobs, he opened a nightclub, The Fighting Fishermen, in 1975.

Two years later, Durelle became involved in a dispute with a customer and ended up fatally shooting the man.

He was charged with murder but his lawyer, Frank McKenna, who would later become premier of New Brunswick, successfully argued self-defence. After the shooting, Durelle closed the club and retired."

It was not a "night Club".... Yvon would have had a good laugh over that. Darn good grub and a darn good price. Especially when my old man took us as he was a boxer famous around the Maritimes in the 30's and Yvon would wave the tab.

It was so sad about the asshole Yvon had to shoot. The police couldn't really do anything, even though he stalked and harassed Yvon for over two years.

He was a heck of a guy. And, he did beat Moore. No such thing as a 13 second count.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: fat B****rd
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 02:40 PM

RIP Mr. D. I remember that fight from when IMO championship boxing was interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 07:32 PM

Just heard a friend of Durelle's on As It Happens - said that Durelle and Moore became close friends. Moore was in NB for a charity golf tournament in the '70's; at his bar/restaurant, Durelle won a game of pool against Moore, and said, "I finally beat you!"

Moore reportedly said that Durelle had the hardest punch he had ever felt - and Moore had fought Rocky Marciano, among others.

Joe Louis was quoted as saying the first Durelle-Moore match was the best fight he ever saw.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:54 PM

I saw a film of the Durelle-Moore fight several years ago. Amazing punching power from Durelle, and an unbelievable comeback for Archie Moore. Sad to hear of his passing. Thanks, Gnu, for passing the word.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Beer
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 09:24 PM

I just went to You Tube and pasted in the following: Durelle-Moore
Holy Christmas what a first round.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 10:20 PM

I missed their first fight but I did see the second one on TV. It was not as exciting as the first one.

                                        SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 11:55 PM

I don't recall the details, but the story was to the effect that Durelle was in the hands of a coach who had some peculiar ideas about training that ultimately served to weaken rather than strengthen Durelle, in preparation for the re-match, so that he ended up unfit for the fight.

The top Canadian pugilists were an unlucky trio. The diminutive Tommy Burns became world heavyweight champion, losing the title to Jack Johnson; Burns went the full - what, twenty? rounds with Johnson, but was beaten fair and square, although Johnson required some weeks of hospitalization after. But Burns' career was destroyed by the New York sports writers, including, sadly, Jack London, who villified him for defying them and letting a black man have a crack at the championship.

And then there was George Chevalo, who gave Ali what was, by Ali's own account, the toughest fight of his life. Chevalo's subsequent career was apparently thwarted by the machinations of some Chicago gangsters, and then the rest of his life was an almost-unbelievable series of personal tragedies ...

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 04:42 AM

There's an excellent DVD on George Chuvalo, "The Last Round." Though advertised as being about the Chuvalo-Ali match, the film covers much more: his career up to and including the Ali match.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 07:42 PM

im from baie st anne ...i knew yvon he lived right next to are school..he was a cool guy..i just wont to say that yvon was a great man and a champion!

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Beer
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 07:46 PM

Thanks guest. I was a bit young when Yvon was in his prime, but my brother thought the world of him.
Beer
Aka (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: 3refs
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 07:50 AM

"There's an excellent DVD on George Chuvalo, "The Last Round." Though advertised as being about the Chuvalo-Ali match, the film covers much more: his career up to and including the Ali match."

Does it mention that while at Maple Leaf Gardens Ali asked old Ballard for some place to be private. Pal Hal, thinking he wanted the can, sent Ali to the washroom to pray towards Mecca.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: GUEST,A man who knew Yvon well
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 04:06 PM

I knew Yvon Durelle for over fifty years, even boxing on some of his cards. He was a fine man and friend. As for his manager, Chris Shaban, there was one of the finest human beings ever.

Yvon was unusually strong. He did not always train much, but he had good trainers at times, including Charlie Goldman, who trained Marciano.

I personally knew Archie Moore also, and they did become great friends. When Moore died, in Dec. of 1998, Yvon went to San Diego to the funeral. He cried a lot. Yvon was like that.

This year, I was in the Honour Guard at his funeral and read words in church also. As well, this year I worked at establishing his true record. To date, that includes 113 confirmed pro fights. There may have been more, but they would not have been established.

On March 8, of this year, his memory will be revisited by the boxing community, in his home province, and I will be hosting that. He will be recognized by governments at all levels. I look forward to the event.

Note: when Durelle fought his return match with Moore in 1959, the Moore camp postponed the fight twice, and Yvon was training. He left his fight in the gym, his body simply breaking under the weight of it all. He was struggling to make lightheavy, while Moore had an uncanny ability to fight anywhere from 173 to 200, within a month's time. They well remembered the first fight and some people made sure that Durelle was at every disadvantage.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Beer
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 05:10 PM

Thank you Sir for this information.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 10:08 AM

After Durelle retired from boxing he got involved with wrestling as both a competitor and a referee.
I recall being at a match back at the old Halifax Forum about 40 years ago. Yvon was wrestling some guy whose name I have long forgotten. Durelle was not doing very good but suddenly there was a "CRACK" as a right cross decked the guy laying him out cold in the middle of the ring. I remember exclaiming to my friend that there was nothing fake about that hit. The guy was down and out!
About twenty years later I got to know one of the men promoting those matches and I asked him if he remembered the incident? He told me that this had happened three times. He said that between the ring setting and the roar of the crowd Yvon would forget where he was and instinct would take over. When that happened the lights went out very quickly for somebody.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: gnu
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:48 PM

"A man..." @ 19 Feb 07 - 04:06 PM :

Any more details on March 8? Or is it by invitation only?

Odd thing. I was talking to Bob Harvey less than an hour ago. Another guy who "wuz robbed".

BTW, if anyone wants to know... Bob is well and doing fine. Still looks like he could hold his own in the ring.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 01:06 PM

Speaking of Bob, my cousin just sent me this.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 03:49 PM

Yeah, seems like Bob's got an all-right life.

I was wondering why I hadn't been aware of that fight when it happened - and then realized it was just after my first child was born. Guess I was a little preoccupied at the time.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit : Yvon Durelle (Canuck Boxer)
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jun 07 - 09:40 PM

I enjoyed reading about Bob Harvey.
Thanks Gnu