He was a soft spoken, hard hitting middleweight who was a champion inside the ring and out. Blair Richardson, a Canadian and Commonwealth champ, was a Nova Scotian icon, loved by all. He was a fighter who hit so hard that he often broke his own hands on the jaw and body of others. He was intelligent, he was charming, and he was exciting. Many fans and foes described him in one word, Blair Richardson was perfect.

With no amateur experience, Richardson became a professional Prizefighter. Punching for dollars agreed with the young handsome 16 yr old, he reeled off a 20-1-1 record with an incredible 20 knockouts before winning his first bout by decision. Richardson's talents were not only recognized throughout the Maritimes, but spread to the US Atlantic seaboard as well. The pride of Cape Breton made his US debut in Boston in impressive fashion, destroying local product Dick Verti in the opening round, immediately endearing himself to the Beantown fight fans. Richardson would make Boston his home away from home, fighting there whenever the opportunity presented itself.

On August 29th, 1961 Richardson took his 28-1-1 record into the ring to take on Burke Emery in Halifax. Emery, the reigning Canadian Light Heavyweight champion, dropped down in weight from 175lbs down to 166lbs but brought the punching power of a true Light Heavyweight with him. In front of 6000 screaming fans, Richardson had his moments early. He was able to open up cuts over Emery's eyes, even closing one of them. However, a fractured right hand hampered his ability to put Burke out of his misery. Two right hooks in round 9 ended the bout with Richardson hitting the canvas and being counted out to the shock of those in attendance.

Two months later, Richardson was back, stopping Floyd McCoy in 3 rounds to setup the rematch with Emery. The following month, the two renewed acquaintences infront of the same fight fans in Halifax. Richardson evened the score, punishing the Quebecer throughout the 10 rounds to earn the decision victory. Emery would leave the Halifax Forum with his arm in a sling and his face covered in welts. After three straight knockouts including two more trips to Boston, Richardson would complete his trilogy with Emery. On June 1st, 1962 Richardson again battered Emery to collect his 34th victory but was unable to stop his rival.

July 25, 1962 Richardson climbed into the ring to take on Canadian Middleweight champion Wilf Greaves in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Wilf Greaves, simply put, was as tough as they come. His resume was filled with the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson, Gene Fulmer, Joey Giardello, and Tiger Jones just to name a few. He even had a victory over Dick Tiger before the Nigerian would go on to win world Middleweight and Light Heavyweight championship. Heading into the Richardson bout, Greaves, who won the Canadian title in 1958, had gone 2 years without defending his crown, citing that there were no viable challenger. In Richardson, he found one.

Under the stress of 100 degree heat, Richardson took control of the bout early but faded down the stretch. In a battle of attriction, Greaves proved the better man. In round 10, Greaves took the fight to Richardson, swarming his foe with a barrage of punches that left Richardson slumped in the corner. Richardson hit the canvas a total of 4 times in the 10th. Twice Greaves begged the referee to halt the bout, which he eventually did, saving Richardson of further punishment. Immediately following the bout, Richardson was taken to the local hospital and treated for exhaustion.

The two would meet again, just 2 months later, this time, Greaves would put up his prize possession, the Canadian title. The location remained the same as the initial encounter but the outcome would be totally different. Richardson used his left jab to keep Greaves at a safe distance and kept him timid. After 7 rounds, Greaves, his nose flattened and sporting an nasty gash over his right eye, looked the part of a beaten fighter. He did answer the bell for round 8 but was met by an onrushing Richardson who unleashed a barrage of hooks to the head of the soon to be ex Canadian champion. As Greaves dropped to the canvas, his handlers had seen enough and stopped the fight. Blair Richardson was the new Canadian Middleweight champion.

Following a stoppage victory over Vernon Lemar just two month later, Richardson got an opportunity to face off against world ranked Joey Archer. Archer, sporting a record of 33-1 at the time, was a fighter who's boxing ability made up for his lack of power. In other words, he was quite skilled. A victory over Archer, in front of the legendary fight fanatics at Madison Square Gardens, would have launched Richardson into the big time. However, it was not to be. Archer moved and boxed his way to a comfortable 10 round unanimous decision. Two judges gave the heavy handed Maritimer 2 of the 10 rounds, the other just 1.

Soon came fight number 3 with Greaves. This time Richardson would play the champion, defending his title for the first time and Greaves looking for revenge. The fight was booked for May 4th, 1963 at the Halifax Forum, no surprise, the event was immediately sold out. Like the previous two bouts, Richardson came out on fire. Over the course of the first 6 rounds, Richardson tormented his advesary but eventually fell victim for fatigue. Greaves came on in the second half of the fight, hitting the national champion with an assortment of leather from all directions. It was all that Richardson could do but hold on. The fight went the distance with Richardson bleeding, glassy-eyed, and covered in bumps and bruises. Both fighters stood, anxiously awaiting the decision, which went to Richardson unanimously. The time to celebrate would have to wait as he was immediately admitted to the hospital. Given the punishment he had absorbed, rumours began to circulate that the champ had suffered brain damage as a result of the Greaves war and his boxing career was over. The rumours proved untrue as Richardson was released from the hospital the next day and back in the ring a little over a month later.

Richardson reeled off 6 straight wins including two title defenses against Ron Brothers (TKO4) and Don Chisholm (KO3) over the next 2 years. On September 25th, 1965, Richardson climbed into the ring to face off against Gomea Brennan of the Bahamas for the British Commonwealth Middleweight title. Brennan, who did his training in Miama, was a fighter who's punching power and hand speed were greatly underrated. Under the bright lights of the Glace Bay Miner's Forum, Richardson and Brennan fought under even terms through 10 rounds. At the start of the 11th, Richardson walked out of his corner, slow to bring up his hands in a defensive position. It proved enough time for Brennan to walk in and throw a sneaky right hand. It landed full force on the exposed chin of the Canadian champ. Richardson hit the canvas and was promptly counted out, just 15 seconds into the round.

Richardson took some time off before again try to wrestle the Commonwealth title from Brennan. The rematch took place 6 months later in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, scheduled for 13 rounds. To no surprise, the rematch was as close as it's predecessor. Both fighters made it to the final bell, leaving the fate of the title up to the judges. One had it 8 round Richardson, 4 rounds Brennan, and one even. The second saw it 7 rounds for Brennan, 4 rounds for Richardson and 2 rounds even. The final judge handed in a scorecard of 6-5-2, giving the edge to Richardson, the new British Commonwealth Middleweight champion. It proved to be the biggest victory of his career, shared by his beloved fans in attenance.

Richardson wasn't the same after that bout, the desire to continue just wasn't there. He would fight just twice more, a stoppage victory over Paul Christie in Saint John, New Brunswick and one month later, a 10 rounds draw with Issac Logart, a welterweight contender back in the 1950's. The Christie bout was described as a lackluster performance while the Logart bout brought jeers through the entire contest. A proposed title defence of Richardson's Canadian crown was in the works with young Jimmy Meilleur providing the opposition. When the bout fell through, it signalled the end of the line for champ. Richardson best summed up his situations when he was quoted as saying "The viciousness is gone."

Richardson announced his retirement a month later in Moncton, New Brunswick. He retired on top, collecting 45 wins against 5 losses with 2 bouts ending in draws. Of his 45 victories, 36 of them ended early. All of this accomplished in a span of 10 years. Richardson would never against lace up the gloves. Instead, Richardson travelled to Boston and attended Emerson College. He graduated with a Masters in Communications and minors in Sociology and Theology. He joined the Emerson faculty as a teaching assistant in 1970. Shortly before the birth of Blair and his wife Beverly's first child, Richardson passed away following brain surgery to remove a tumor. The champ was only 31 years old. He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.

If you wish to contact the author of this article, email Dave Baggs at FightNews Canada