Many men had boxed when they were in the army during the war. When they got back home, there was no boxing club for them. Clyne Cassidy and Vince Moar decided to form the Chatham Athletic Association to get boxing started on the Miramichi. Chatham was a large town near Baie Ste. Anne. It was about thirty miles away. Cassidy and Moar were always looking for new boxers.

One Sunday they drove down to Baie Ste. Anne. They set up a ring in an open space. Many people fought three-round matches. The one who looked the best was Yvon Durelle. He could hit very hard, but he missed often, too. Still he was asked to come to Chatham to box at the old St. Thomas Arena. This was in September, 1947.

Durelle had no boxing trunks for his first match. The day before the fight, he was walking down the main street of Chatham. He saw some swimming trunks in the window of Duplessie’s Store. The swim trunks cost three dollars. Where would he get so much money?

Two men boxing in a ring.