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Nova Scotia has produced a lot of top-rated fighters over the years. Names like Chris Clarke, Clyde Gray, Art Hafey, Blair Richardson and Dave Downey come to mind whenever fight fans talk about the fight game in that province. Add to that list of greats the name of Ricky Anderson.

Anderson, born in historic Africville, N.S., on Oct. 28, 1962, would storm through the sport of champions like very few other Canadian fighters ever have. Running up an amateur record of 85 wins with only 12 losses, he was referred to as the next Sugar Ray Leonard and expectations for him to go all the way were very high.

In 1980, Ricky made the Olympic team and would represent Canada in the light-welter-weight division.

Later that year, Anderson won a gold medal at the Acropolis Cup in Athens, Greece. Then word came that Canada would boycott the Moscow Olympics. That would end his dream of winning the Olympic Gold.

Still, 1981 would prove to be a great year for Ricky. That year, he would lay claim to his fourth Canadian Championship. He would then add the North American Title to his collection, knocking out U.S. champ James Mitchell (a former World Army Champ). Up next would come Anderson’s chance at gold in the form of the World Cup of Boxing that was being held in Montreal in 1981. Ricky ended up losing a close decision to Vasily Shyshev of the Soviet Union in the finals. Back in 1979, Ricky had lost a close decision in the finals at the World Junior Championships held in Yokohama Japan. In that bout, he also lost to a Soviet fighter.

Following his outstanding amateur career, it came time to make the jump to the pro ranks. Under his new trainer, Rick MacDonald, Anderson got off to a great start in the paid ranks. After winning ten straight bouts, Ricky would find himself in against Ray Guerro Chavez (who at the time was fighting out of Montreal) for the Canadian Welter-Weight Title. Chavez had lasted into the 15th round against World Champ Wilfredo Benitez in a bout for Benitez’s title.

The hard punching Chavez from Venezuela would prove to be too much for Anderson in their Oct. 19, 1984 match and would score a surprising first round KO to lay claim to the Canadian Crown. At the time that the bout was stopped, Ricky had Chavez in trouble in the corner, throwing punches from everywhere.

After shaking the damage done by Anderson, Chavez was able to stagger the Nova Scotia fighter and the bout was stopped, following a series of un-answered Chavez punches.

Ricky bounced back with a solid 10-round decision over the then number-two-ranked Canadian welter- weight, Jamie Ollenberger of Vancouver. He’d then follow that up with one more big win, over the veteran John Hebert, before he’d find himself in a re-match with Chavez, who would be taking part in his 46th Pro fight.

On April 30, 1985, in a bout held at the Dartmouth Sportsplex, Anderson would put on a boxing display that was second to none. Saying that the Chavez loss might have been the best thing that could have happened to him, Anderson would fight a much smarter fight the second time around.

In a textbook fight, Ricky would score an 8th round TKO with Chavez in deep trouble. Referee Hubert Earle would wave it over at the 47-second mark of that round, making Anderson the new Canadian Champ.

Not taking much tune to enjoy his new crown, Anderson would fight again only three months later.

In the other corner would be Donnie Poole from Toronto. Poole, whose record was 24-2 with 17 KOs, was managed by New Yorker David Wolf and was a stable-mate to former World Champ Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.

In what would prove to be Ricky’s toughest pro fight, Poole would score a 10th round TKO to take Anderson’s title. After the fight, Poole needed to go to the hospital for a large cut over his left eye. Ricky was still standing when the fight was stopped.

After the Poole bout, Ricky would go to New York to train at the World Famous Gleason’s Gym to work with some of the best fighters in the world. On Nov. 12 of ‘85, Ricky returned to the ring and scored an impressive second round KO over Juan Cantres in a bout held in Halifax. Then on March 4, 1986, Anderson would re-claim the Canadian Title with a 12-round decision win over Vancouver boxer Hebert.

He’d go on to defend the title over Quebec’s Denis Sigouin on Dec. 9, 1986 by decision in 12 rounds.

In his final fight, Ricky would go out a winner, scoring a secondround TKO over Daniel Cortez of California. Because of a stubborn knee injury, Anderson made the tough decision to retire. In 21 total pro bouts (19-2 record), Ricky was never knocked down.

After retiring, Anderson completed his education and today works as a Drug Prevention Specialist at Addiction Services in Dartmouth N.S. He is the author of Win in The Arena Of Life.

He dedicates a lot of time in helping to motivate others to succeed.

He’s been on the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority for the past 14 years and stays up to date on the sport. The proud father of two sons, Torres and Shay, he and his wife Effie enjoy life to the fullest. He says the only regret that he has in boxing is that he never got to fight for a World Title in the pro ranks. His favourite fighters are Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De la Hoya.

Ricky was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 2003, he was placed in the Nova Scotia Wall of Fame, and in 2007, he was honoured by being placed into the Black Ice Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame. He is a true class act and a true credit to the great sport of boxing.

Results and Predictions

Results for last week’s prediction for the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Steve Forbes bout: I picked De La Hoya by KO and he won by decision in 12 rounds.

Next week’s prediction:

May 10th, 2008 — 12 rounds — United Kingdom — WBC Lightwelter weight Title — Junior Witter - Champ (36-1) vs. Timothy Bradley (21-0). My pick: Witter by KO.

Next week: N.B. Amateur Boxing — Alive and Healthy

Don’t forget: Keep your hands up and your chin tucked in.