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Ricky Anderson (born in Africville, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian-born former professional boxer. Anderson was due to represent Canada at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, but the Canadian teams boycotted the event.[1] He continued to become a top amateur boxer, and later the Canadian Welterweight boxing champion as a pro.
Early history
Anderson was born in Africville, Nova Scotia, in Canada.
Amateur boxing career
1974–1979
Anderson fought for the first time as an amateur boxer in 1974. He’d eventually win the 1974 Nova Scotia Flyweight title in his first year as a boxer. In 1975, he captured a silver medal at the 1975 Canada Winter Games held in Lethbridge, Alberta. In 1977, Anderson became the first Canadian-born boxer to beat a Cuban fighter at an international tournament in Cuba. In the 1978 Canadian National Amateur Boxing Championships in Sept-Iles, Quebec, he advanced to the finals but lost by decision. He defeated Dominique Durand in an amateur competition in his hometown of Halifax in February 1979, which was against the French national team.[2] In December 1979, Anderson participated in the Levi's Cup, the first World Junior Championships held by the Amateur International Boxing Association in Yokohama, Japan. He fell short against Armenian fighter Israel Akopkokhyan in the gold medal round but was the first Canadian to win a silver medal at the Junior World Championship level.[3]
1980
On April 13, 1980, Anderson won the Canadian National Amateur Boxing Championship in Halifax before the Moscow Olympic boycott was announced on April 22, 1980.[4] On the following month in May, Anderson won a gold medal in the light welterweight division at the 6th International Acropolis Cup tournament held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.[5] On June 26, 1980, Anderson was selected for the Canadian Olympic boxing team but did not get the chance to represent his country due to the political boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia.[6] The Canadian boxers prepared for alternate competitions. In October 1980, he fought in London at the Wembley Stadium.
1981
In April 1981, Anderson won another Canadian National Amateur Boxing Championship in Toronto. Then, in Shreveport, Louisiana, he competed in the North American Amateur Boxing Championships,[7] winning the North American Light Welterweight title by knocking out the U.S. National boxing champion James Mitchell. Following the win over Mitchell, he was named Canadian Athlete of the Month for September by the Canadian Sports Federation.[8] He participated in the 1981 Boxing World Cup in Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena, and competed for the world championship against light-welterweight Vasily Shyshev of the Soviet Union. He lost a narrow decision in the gold medal round to the Soviet Union fighter.
His overall amateur record stands at 97 fights, with 85 wins and 12 losses.
Professional boxing career
On April 30, 1985, Anderson fought Chavez Guerrero for the Canadian Welterweight Boxing Championship.[9] The end came in the eighth round when Anderson delivered a straight left hand that put Chavez down. The Halifax native became the new Canadian Welterweight Champion.[10] In July 1985, he lost in a title defence to Toronto welterweight Donnie Poole who retired afterwards.[11] By December 1985, the Canadian Welterweight title was vacated and Anderson became the two-time Canadian Welterweight Champion in March 1986 with a victory over John Herbert.[12] Anderson trained for the fight at the Passaic County jail in New Jersey.[13] He successfully defended his belt in December 1986 with a unanimous decision over Denis Sigouin of Hull.
In 1987, 26-year-old Anderson was forced to retire prematurely from the ring as champion resulting from a stubborn knee injury. His professional record was 19 wins and 2 losses.[14]
On May 14, 1990, the two-time Canadian Welterweight Champion was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.
| 20 fights | 18 wins | 2 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 12 | 2 |
| By decision | 6 | 0 |
| Draws | 0 | |
Anderson completed his education and graduated from Saint Mary's University receiving his Sociology degree in 1988.
Following his 12-year boxing career, he was appointed by the provincial government as a Drug Prevention Information Officer with Addiction, Prevention, and Treatment Services in Nova Scotia.
In 1993, Anderson received an offer for a part-time sports broadcasting position. He accepted the role and worked as a CTV Atlantic weekend sportscaster until 1995. Anderson remained at his full-time job as a Drug Prevention Specialist at Addiction Services until his retirement in 2015.
On the side, Anderson created his own business, Go Ricky Motivational Services. On September 1, 2003, Anderson released "Win in the Arena of Life: Living a Life You Love Is Worth Fighting For", a 158-page self-help book published by Aslan Publishing.
He also worked as a member of the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority and Canadian Boxing Federation, government agencies that regulate professional boxing and mixed martial arts events provincially and federally. Anderson achieved 22 years as a general board member of the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority, at one point becoming Vice-Chairman.[15]
Anderson volunteered for 10 years with the Ward 5 Community Centre in Halifax, two years of which he was chairman of the board.
- Nova Scotia Amateur Fly Weight Champion. (1974)
- 1975 Canada Winter Games Silver Medalist. (1975)
- Canadian Amateur Junior Featherweight Champion. (1976)
- World Amateur Boxing Championships Silver Medalist. (1979)
- 1980 Summer Olympics Team Canada Member. (1980)[16]
- Sport Nova Scotia's Male Athlete of the Year Award. (1980)
- 1981 North American Championships Light-Welterweight Gold Medalist. (1981)
- 1981 Boxing World Cup Light-Welterweight Silver Medalist. (1981)
- Canadian Sports Federation's Canadian Athlete of the Month for September. (1981)
- Two-time Sport Nova Scotia's Male Athlete of the Year. (1981)
- Two-time Canadian Welterweight Champion. (1985 & 1986)
- Inductee of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame. (1990)[citation needed]
- Inductee of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. (2003)[17]
- Inductee of the Black Ice Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame. (2007)
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