Taylor Gordon
Taylor Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Taylor Lewis Gordon |
| Died | May 31, 2016 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Boxing coach |
Taylor Gordon (d. May 31, 2016) was a Canadian boxer, Olympic boxing coach, and trainer. He was a prominent figure in Canadian amateur sports.
Early life
Taylor Lewis Gordon was born in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. In the mid-1940s, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy, where he served for 25 years.[1]
Amateur boxing career
In 111 amateur boxing matches, he won 101 of them.[1] In February 1950, he competed at an amateur boxing event in Regina with the Melfort Boxing Club.[2] That year, he won the Canadian Forces title in 1950 in the lightweight division.[1]
Coaching career
In 1967, he coached the Coverdale Boxing Club in New Brunswick.[3]
Gordon was appointed as the Canadian Olympic boxing team's coach for the 1968 Olympics. After being relocated to Nova Scotia with the Navy in the early 1970s,[4] he opted to stay and founded the Citadel Amateur Boxing Club in 1972.[5]
By 1974, he was serving as the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association's Atlantic Region technical coordinator.[6]
After meeting Trevor Berbick at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico, Gordon began training him as an amateur. He supported Berbick during his participation in the 1976 Summer Olympics.[7]
He was selected as the national boxing team's coach for four consecutive Olympics: 1980 in Moscow (which Canada boycotted),[8] 1984 in Los Angeles, 1988 in Seoul, and 1992 in Barcelona.[9] He resigned as the head coach after the 1992 Summer Olympics[10] and served as an assistant coach in the 1996 Olympics and 2000 Olympics.
In 1996, he was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.[1]
Personal life
Wayne Gordon, a former Canadian welterweight boxer, is his son.
Death
Taylor Gordon died at age 84 on May 31, 2016.[11]
Honors and awards
- Canadian Forces Lightweight Champion (1950)
- Inductee of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame (1996)
- 5-time Olympic boxing coach
References
- ^ a b c d "Inductee: Taylor Gordon | Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame". nsshf.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Goff Reveals Complete Card - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Eight Maritimers In Canadian Boxing Championships - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Heart Like A Glove - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
- ^ "Our Story | Citadel Boxing". citadelboxing.org. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "10 Bouts Set For Halifax". The Moncton Transcript. May 3, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ "Canadian champ who defeated Ali found dead". Calgary Herald. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ "Co-coach Selected - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Inductees | Sackville Sports Hall of Fame". sackvillesportshalloffame.org. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Shadowing Cubans Pays Off - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ "Taylor Lewis Gordon Passed Away: The World Of Boxing Is Grieving". boxingcanda.org. Retrieved 2024-05-10.