B7

Eddie St. Pierre
Looking back

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Most people know about the success the late Yvon Durelle had in the ring, but did boxing make the Baie-Ste-Anne icon a rich man?

For the famous Dec. 10, 1958 battle at the Montreal Forum that saw the late champion Archie Moore rise from the canvas four times (three times in the first -- 9-2-7-counts and a six-count in the fifth) before stopping Durelle (he was also down four times) at the 49-second mark of the 11th round of their scheduled 15-round championship bout, official figures show that Durelle's camp grossed $25,000, paid by the Chicago Stadium Corporation.

Durelle was guaranteed $15,000. Yvon's share was $13,950, while his manager, the late Chris Shaban, received $4,776 and New York manager Lew Myers got $2,272.

Moore's guarantee was $75,000. He ended up with $83,000. The gross gate for the fight was $59,910. The paid attendance at the Montreal Forum was 8,484. On paper Durelle made around $45,000 in 1958, his most lucrative year.

n Meanwhile, a new contract was signed the day before the rematch, which had been postponed twice (July 15 and 29) before being held Aug. 12. It called for each fighter to get 30 per cent of the gate and television receipts.

Durelle wasn't too happy with the terms. "Let (Chris) Shaban fight Moore," he joked.

Moore wound up getting $175,000 or 40 percent of the gate and television take for his night's work and close to $25,000 "under the table." Durelle got $15,000 or 20 percent. A house of 12,000 and a take of around $160,000 were expected.

"All I know," said Durelle's widow Thérèsa from her home in Dieppe (she sold the family home in Baie-Ste-Anne in the summer of 2007), was that I came home with $3,000 in my purse."

Before his first fight, Durelle played dice with writers and friends.

An hour before the rematch on Aug. 12. 1959, Durelle was asked if he wanted "to roll the bones (dice) again."

"I can't tonight," Yvon said. "I have no money."

Moore retained his title with a third-round knockout (2:52) at the Forum. Durelle was down four times in the round.

n During his 15-year (1948-1963) and 113-fight career, the colourful Acadian boxing legend who literally placed New Brunswick on the map with his fist, unofficially made a gross "ball park" figure of more than a quarter-of-a-million. By today's standards, he would make that and more per fight. The ringside seats for the two Moore fights were $20. Today, those seats would be in the $2,000 or so range.

n However, the fighting-fisherman, who fought in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, did fairly well financially considering we're talking about more than 50 years ago. A large portion of his purse money went to pay expenses -- his manager (a handshake was the contract he had with Chris Shaban, although most managers took a one-third percentage); training and, according to his son Paul -- toys.

"Buying speed boats, big cars and a tank and giving money to street people after wins at the Moncton Stadium didn't help his bank account," quipped Paul. "My father was a happy-go-lucky guy who thought it would never end ... everybody was his friend, especially those in need."

n Notes: Durelle died in 2007 (Jan. 6) at The Moncton Hospital. He had suffered a stroke Christmas Day. Moore passed away in 1998 (Dec. 9) of heart failure at age 84, four days short of his 85th birthday.

Durelle, who finished his 113-fight career with a record of 87-23-2 and one no-contest, is in the Canadian, Canadian Boxing, New Brunswick, Moncton and Miramichi sports shrines.

Durelle had 48 KOs and was outpointed only 11 times. He outpointed his opponent 39 times and was stopped only nine times ... Moore is credited with 221 pro fights, winning 194, losing 26, drawing in eight and fighting one no-contest. He had 145 knockouts (varied figures) ... Moore was a 3 1/2-to-2 1/2 favourite for the rematch after being a 3-to-1 to 5-to-1 favourite for the first fight ... Durelle had 10 more fights after Moore before retiring in 1963. One was a 12th round KO at the hands of Toronto's George Chuvalo with the Canadian heavyweight title on the line. Durelle was down five times -- first, ninth, 10th (twice) and 12th ... Durelle's last career fight was in 1963, a first round KO over Phonse Lesage of Newfoundland in Trois-Rivières, Que.

n Passings: Yvon (Ticki) Gould, 93, a member of the 1933 and 1935 Maritime junior hockey champion Moncton Red Indians that challenged for the Memorial Cup in 1933 and 1935. They lost to the Montreal Royals by one goal in 1933 and to the Ottawa Rideaus in 1935. Gould, who would have been 94 on Jan. 29, had been in hospital since Dec. 23 of last year. He suffered a stroke and a heart attack last week.

An honoured member of the Moncton Sports Wall of Fame with the Red Indians and the N.B. Sports Hall of Fame (pioneer team member with the same junior club), Gould also played with the 1936 Maritime senior champion Moncton Maroons, who are also in the City Sports Wall of Fame. The former CNR conductor also toiled with the senior Saint John Beavers in the early 1940s and played with the Church Street Academy, Cercle Catholic Jeunesse Acadien (CCJA), Martin Senour and Co-Op Cleaners. A dominant goal scorer in schoolboy, junior and senior play, the diminutive Gould was the leading scorer on many of the teams he played with.

Amédée (Meddy) Cormier, 95, who was Gould's rightwinger in 1933 with the Red Indians, said that "Ticki" was one of the best centremen ever developed in the city.

"He could really handle the puck and was a good goal scorer," added Cormier who, along with sub-goaltender Ernie Carey, 90s, of Victoria, B.C., are said to be the only two surviving members of the 1933 club.

Yvon's leftwinger with the 1933 team was the late Alfred (Babe) LeBlanc; former hockey player and retired firefighter Bill Fram, 69; former local boxer Norman Cormier, in his 70s, in Toronto; John McKinnon, 78, who played hockey with the Sackville Eagles (1952-54) and the Combines (1959).

n Eddie St. Pierre is a retired Times & Transcript sports editor. His column appears on Wednesdays.