The sport of boxing has been practiced in Canada since before Canadian Confederation in 1867. Boxing was illegal in Canada during the bare-knuckle era but fights took place in remote areas and the last of them was in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1901.
Tommy Burns from Normanby Township near Hanover, was the first Canadian to win a heavyweight title, becoming the world heavyweight champion in 1906 and defending the title ten times until he was knocked out by Jack Johnson in 1908. On May 10, 2014, Bermane Stiverne won the vacant WBC World Heavyweight Championship after a sixth-round knockout of Chris Arreola.
There is currently a debate in Canadian boxing circles regarding the oldest active professional championship sanctioning body. The National Championship of Canada (NCC) claims to be the legitimate continuation of the Canadian Boxing Federation (CBF) title, which was dissolved to avoid any conflict with the organization's goals regarding safety and regulation. The CBF title dates back to 1925. The Canadian Professional Boxing Council (CPBC) also claims to be the oldest active sanctioning body in Canada, tracing its history back to 1976. The CPBC rejects the NCC's claim to the CBF's history. As of 2016, the CPBC is the more active of the two bodies, while a certain degree of prestige continues to surround the NCC title thanks to champions like Brandon Cook, Sylvera Louis, and Dillon Carman.
National Championship of Canada (Formerly the Canadian Boxing Federation)
NABA Canada - A title offered by the North American Boxing Association
Canadian Professional Boxing Council (CPBC)
National Boxing Authority (NBA) Rankings and Sanctioning Canadian Professional Boxing since 2012.
Canadian Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) - the official governing body for amateur boxing in Canada.
WBC Amateur Boxing Canada - An alternative body governing amateur boxing in Canada.
George Dixon - the first black world boxing champion in any weight class, while also being the first ever Canadian-born boxing champion; considered the #1 Featherweight of all-time by Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer
David Downey
Tommy Burns - the first Canadian to win the world heavyweight title; famously challenged anyone regardless of race or ethnicity
Sam Langford - considered one of the greatest punchers of all time, he won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship a record five-times; BoxRec ranks him as the 4th greatest heavyweight of all-time, the 9th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all-time and the greatest Canadian boxer of all-time
Johnny Coulon - held the bantamweight boxing championship of the world from 1910 to 1914
Jack Delaney - held light heavyweight boxing championship of the world in the 1920s and was a contender for the heavyweight title
Jimmy McLarnin - a two-time welterweight world champion in the 1930s; participated in Ring Magazine's "Fight of the Year" in 1934
Lou Brouillard - held the world welterweight title and a version of the world middleweight title in the early 1930s; BoxRec ranks him as the 14th best middleweight of all-time and the 3rd best Canadian boxer ever
George Chuvalo - top-rank heavyweight fighter in the 1950s to 1970s with a legendary chin, having never been knocked down or knocked out in 93 pro fights against other boxing greats such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman; also a five-time Canadian heavyweight champion and participant in Ring Magazine's "Fight of the Year" in 1965 against Floyd Patterson
Trevor Berbick - held the Canadian heavyweight championship for much of the 1980s and briefly held the WBC heavyweight championship in 1986 before losing the belt to a young Mike Tyson; he was also the last man to fight Muhammad Ali, winning a 10-round unanimous decision
Al Ford - former CBF Lightweight Champion
Donovan Ruddock - promising heavyweight in the 1980s & 1990s who held both the WBA Inter-Continental & Canadian heavyweight titles; well known for his battles with Mike Tyson who he fought twice in 1991
Lennox Lewis - represented Canada at the 1986 Commonwealth Games and 1987 Pan American Games winning a Gold and Silver medal, respectively, both in the super heavyweight category; went on to win Gold for Canada in the 1988 Summer Olympics, defeating future heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe in the finals; later turned professional and became the undisputed world heavyweight champion (WBC/IBF/WBA/IBO/The Ring) in the late 1990s; he is also the only man to score a TKO against former champion Vitali Klitschko
Arturo Gatti - top-rank featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight fighter from the 1990s to 2000s who became famous for his trilogy against Micky Ward, held multiple championships from the IBF & WBC, and participated in Ring Magazine's "Fight of the Year" a total of four times (1997, 1998, 2002, and 2003)
Jean Pascal - Former lineal, The Ring and WBC light-heavyweight champion with notable victories over Chad Dawson, Adrian Diaconu and Lucian Bute. Pascal has fought champions Carl Froch and Bernard Hopkins (twice). Represented Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Adonis Stevenson - Current WBC and The Ring light heavyweight champion; won a Silver medal for Canada in the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Bermane Stiverne - Most recent former WBC heavyweight champion (2014-2015)
Ryan Ford - Retired MMA Fighter former World Series of Fighting Canadian Welterweight Champion, had his first professional boxing fight in 2010 returned to boxing in September 2015
Arena Gardens, Toronto - 1910s to 1930s
Corona Theatre, Montreal - 1910s - Present
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto - 1930s - 1990s
Montreal Forum, Montreal - 1920s - 1990s
Delorimier Stadium, Montreal - 1920s - 1960s
Regina Exhibition Stadium, Regina - 1920s - 1970s
Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto - 1920s - Present
Varsity Arena, Toronto - 1920s - Present
Halifax Forum, Halifax - 1920s - Present
Windsor Arena, Windsor - 1920s - Present
St. Lawrence Market, Toronto - 1950s - 1970s
Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg - 1950s - 2000s
Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City - 1940s - Present
Centre Pierre Charbonneau, Montreal - 1950s - Present
Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, Kitchener - 1950s - Present
Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal - 1960s - 1990s
Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver - 1960s - Present
Carnegie Centennial Centre, North York - 1960s - Present
Montreal Olympic Stadium, Montreal - 1970s - Present
Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax - 1970s - Present
Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton - 1980s - Present
Dartmouth Sportsplex, Dartmouth - 1980s - Present
Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon - 1980s - Present
Casino Rama, Rama - 1990s - Present
Caesars Windsor, Windsor - 1990s - Present
Casino de Montréal, Montreal - 1990s - Present
Uniprix Stadium, Montreal - 1990s - Present
Bell Centre, Montreal - 1990s - Present
Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls - 2000s - Present
Hershey Centre, Mississauga - 2000s - Present
