Page 48 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 88

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48 Issue #88 March 2020 www.sportsenergynews.com.com
Jim Riddell’s Sports Talk with Area Seniors

Vernon “Red” Theoret

ernon “Red” Theoret was born Naden, BC where he won the
Vin the west end of Cornwall West Coast Navy middleweight
in June of 1926. He first attended championship. In 1951 he was
school at St. Columban’s and then assigned to the HMCS Huron and
high school at CCVS. Vern played a was sent to Korea. In Sasapo, Japan
bit of football, but the sport that he he was part of a ten-fighter Canadian
focused on was boxing. team (with a member in each weight
class) which fought against a team
There was a boxing club at St.
Columban’s with trainers Art Gagne from the British Navy. Vern won his
and Morris Francis “Mutt” Tyo. The fight and Canada defeated the Brits
club had some good fighters- Nick 6 fights to 4. “I had two major fights
O’Neil, and the Tyo brothers Vince against British boxers and won both
and Harold (Mutt’s sons) who are by knockout. I had looked good in
both in the Cornwall Sports Hall the first fight and so in the second
of Fame. While at St. Columban’s, one I got the main event,” shared
Vern had about 10 amateur fights Vern.
before joining the RCAF. In 1952, Vern fought in Halifax at
the Atlantic Command tournament
Vern completed his basic training
at Newmarket, Ontario and was winning all three of his fights. In
then assigned to the Paratroop 1953, Vern was drafted to the HMCS
Battalion, doing his jump training Magnificent aircraft carrier and he
at Shilo, Manitoba. Shortly after was sent to England where, on June
completing his training and before 2nd, he attended the coronation of
being deployed, the war ended. Vern Queen Elizabeth II. The Navy went
was a member of the RCAF boxing to Ireland at one point and there Photo Submitted
team, competing as a welterweight were fights being held in Belfast
(147lb) and winning all six of his where he took two more fights. Florida where they were holding wasn’t overly fast but could punch.
fights. He then signed up with the “They were tough guys, but I was the Golden Gloves tournament and He never considered turning pro.
army to fight in the Pacific, where able to beat both of them,” stated navy boxers who wanted to enter “I was always in good shape, but
he boxed and won two more bouts. Vern. were welcomed to. I fought a really there’s a big difference between
In 1946, after being discharged Vern was then chosen to good boxer that out-boxed me, but I being in good shape and being in
from the army, Vern moved back to represent the navy in a big armed knocked him down in both the 2nd fighting shape for pro boxing,” he
Cornwall and continued competing, forces tournament held at the and 3rd rounds and that won me the explained, also mentioning that
fighting and winning three more Airforce base in Washington DC, fight.” there are many hours of training
bouts. featuring fighters from the army, That fight was Vern’s last required beyond being in great
In 1947, Vern moved to Brantford, navy and airforce.The tournament fight. He was discharged from shape.
Ontario where he was employed was sponsored by the Lucky Strike the Navy in 1955. He returned to At 93 years of age, Vern still
at the Massey-Harris plant where cigarette company and it was there Cornwall and got a job with Domtar followed boxing closely, stating
farm tractors and various types that Vern lost the only fight of his Construction which manufactured that with all of the different weight
of agricultural implements were career. “It came up fast and there sewer pipe and ceiling tile and was classes and different organizations
manufactured. Vern joined a boxing wasn’t a lot of training time. There located on the site now occupied there is no shortage of fights to
club while in Brantford, winning were no official weigh-ins and he by Walmart. Vern was a foreman watch. Summing up Vern’s boxing
the three fights that he had there. was bigger than I was – he was at Domtar Construction, working career, he won three Canadian Navy
When things slowed down at the very fast, but I knew that I could there for thirty years. He was also Titles - the 1950 Pacific Command
factory, Vern headed north to the hit him. Near the end of the first a member of the Coast Guard Middleweight title, along with the
Blind River area to work in a round, I ducked under a punch and auxiliary for twenty-eight years, 1952 and 1954 Atlantic Command
lumber camp. There were no boxing got hit by an elbow and it started assisting in rescue and recovery. middleweight title. He ended his
trainers nearby, so Vern trained to swell. The doctor looked at it Vern also managed to stay active boxing record of 40 wins and only
himself along with a few others. He between rounds and he stopped in boxing, helping out at Champs one loss with approximately 90%
then moved up to the middleweight the fight. I came back to Cornwall Eastside Boxing and also serving of those wins by knockout. Vernon
division (160lb), and he fought a on a 30-day leave and Dr. Kelly as a fight judge for several years. In “Red” Theoret was inducted into
couple of exhibition matches and drained it and stitched it back up 1958, Vernon married Mabel Price the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame
two official bouts. and it healed up pretty well. I was and together they have 3 children: in 1996.
In 1950, Vern joined the Royal transferred to the HMCS Micmac a son, Steve and 2 daughters, Kelly Vernon Theoret passed away on
Canadian Navy and he won three destroyer in Halifax and had two and Bonnie. February 10th, 2020. Sports Energy
tournament matches. He was then fights there versus Canadian Navy As a boxer, Vern described would like to express condolences
drafted to the HMCS Ontario at boxers. We went to Jacksonville, himself as a boxer-puncher that to Mabel, Steven, Bonnie and Kelly.