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(Ed note: This story appeared in the April 11 issue of the Miramichi Leader)

Fred Corrigan in his prime as a pro fighter in 1981

In boxing, it's great to have fast hands and a good chin. Good punching power is something else that comes in handy during a fight. Some guys are lucky enough to have all the tools needed to become a champ. Fred Corrigan had it all and then some.

Born on May 10, 1952 in Dalhousie, Corrigan would go on to win more amateur boxing titles than anyone else in the history of this province. Fred, from a family of six boys, got his start in boxing when he first laced on gloves at the early age of six. During the years that followed, he would be trained by a number of coaches, such as the late Bill McGrath, Ralph Thomas, Taylor Gordon, as well as the legendary Bob Edgett. Two of Corrigan's brothers, Edward and Philip, would also take up the sport and fight a number of times, also winning a few championships.

Even from the beginning, it was obvious that Fred was destined for boxing greatness. He would develop into a slick boxer with outstanding speed and dazzling skills. Fighting mostly as a light middle-weight, as well as a middle-weight, Corrigan would lay claim to sixteen championships before the end of his amateur career. He'd win his first N.B. Golden Gloves in 1969 and go on to win them again in 1970, and each year from 1972 to 1978. He would also claim the Maritime Golden Gloves in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1976.

In 1970, Corrigan won the Atlantic Provinces Championship. But 1975 would prove to be his biggest year in the sport. That year he would win the All-Canadian Light Heavyweight Title. Two years later, he'd win a silver medal while taking part in the Commonwealth Games Trials.

Fred would meet and beat a number of exceptional fighters over the years. European middle-weight Champ Tom Miller would lose a one-sided decision to Fred when they fought. Corrigan would defeat a number of National Champs such as Eddie Chamberlain, Roger Fortin (defending Canadian light heavy-weight champ) and Kevin Downey of Nova Scotia.

In a total of 75 Amateur fights, Fred would win 64 times. He would enter and win a number of toughmen tournaments after retiring from amateur boxing. Fred would then turn pro and fight in the paid ranks for two years.

During that time frame, he'd beat the hard punching Gary MacDonald of P.E.I, as well as Wayne Martin (also a winner of multiple titles). The MacDonald bout took place on the undercard of this writer's Maritime Championship bout with Tiger Lo Durelle in 1981 at the old Sinclair Arena in Newcastle. Corrigan put on a boxing display that night that has not been seen since. He counter-punched his way to a six round decision over the always tough MacDonald.

Corrigan would then run the Charlo Boxing Club for a number of years, where he passed on his boxing skills to a number of young fighters. He was one of the finest boxers that this province ever produced. He would fight his whole boxing career and never be stopped in any of his fights.

I saw him fight a number of times and I was amazed at his boxing skills and his speed. I spoke to Fred recently and asked him about his thoughts on the sport. "I feel that boxing as a whole doesn't get enough media coverage. There was a time when fights were reported as they happened. Fans could follow the sport that way. Amateur boxing is great for kids. They get to travel and to see different parts of the world. It's a great educational tool because they get to experience a lot of different cultures. It's also great conditioning for them.".

Fred's son Devan was also an outstanding amateur fighter in his own right. He won a number of N.B. Golden Gloves and also won two bronze medals at the National Championships. He fought three times in Ireland and got to travel all over Canada while fighting. I also saw Devan fight and I found him to be very sharp.

For all the great things that Fred did in boxing, he was inducted onto the Dalhousie Sports Wall of Fame in 1990. That same year on May 12 he was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame. A well deserved tribute for a truly great fighter.