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Theoret Vernon

Vernon (Red) Theoret
Sport: Boxing
Year Inducted: 1996

Vernon “Red” Theoret was born in 1926 in Cornwall, and began his boxing career in the 1930’s at St. Columban’s Hall Holy Name Club.

He fought competitively from 1944 to 1954; he had 41 fights, losing only one, while taking three Navy titles: the 1950 Pacific Command Middleweight title, the 1952 Atlantic Command Middleweight title, and the 1954 Atlantic Command Middleweight title.

He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force boxing team in 1944, and fought in Air Force tournaments. He competed in the Welterweight Division (147 lbs) and won all six fights.

In January 1945, he joined the Army in Kingston, and fought in four Army tournaments, again winning all four. In 1945, he fought in three boxing tournaments, winning all three. When VE Day came, he signed up to fight in the Pacific, and boxed two fights, again winning both.

In 1946, after the war was over, he was discharged from the Army, and continued to box. He won his next three fights, at the SD&G Armory, in Alexandria, Ontario, and at the Cornwall Arena.

He moved to Brantford, Ontario in 1947, and fought and won three welterweight bouts. In 1948, he went to work at the Blind River Lumber Camp. While there, he moved up to Middleweight Division (160 lbs) and won both boxing matches he fought in.

In 1950, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy, and won three tournament fights. He was was drafted to H.M.C.S. Ontario at Naden Victoria, BC, where he won the West Coast Navy Middleweight Championship.

In 1951, he was drafted to the H.M.C.S Huron destroyer and sent to Korea. In a challenge match with the British Navy, Canada beat the English boxers six fights to four.

In 1952, he was stationed in England on the H.M.C.S. Magnificent aircraft carrier. While there, he fought and won against a Royal Navy boxer, as well in an Irish tournament.

In 1954, he was back in H.M.C.S. Stadacona Halifax for the Atlantic Command Championships, where he took the Middleweight title. Later that year he was stationed at the Jacksonville Florida Naval Base on the destroyer H.M.C.S. Micmac, and took the gold medal there. That was his last fight, and he was discharged in 1955.