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STEVEN J. CANTON--Matchmaker, Manager, Trainer, Cutman. Steven J. Canton has been involved in every aspect of boxing for over 63 years. He started boxing in the Police Boy's Club at age 11 in New York City. He concluded his amateur career with a record of 122-3 including Air Force European Championships in 1965 and 1966. As a professional, Canton was 21-0 with 16 knockouts in his on and off career that spanned 21 years.
Steve is an ardent boxing enthusiast, as well as a professional. He has promoted and been a matchmaker of fights all over the world. He has worked as a ring announcer, television commentator, judge, referee, and timekeeper. He co-hosted a popular Las Vegas based boxing radio talk show with James "Smitty" Smith for seven years. He wrote a monthly Florida column for Flash/Update for many years. He has had numerous articles published in The International Boxing Digest, Boxing World, and many major web sites. He is a world-class cutman and trainer and has worked with some of the best fighters, trainers, managers, matchmakers and promoters in the world. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame as a Trainer/Manager, on June 27, 2009 and now serves as President.
Canton started the amateur SJC Boxing Club, Inc. in Fort Myers, Florida in 1992 and promoted shows every other month, featuring mostly out of state teams vs. Florida. Most of these shows were televised on local cable tv. During a two-year period of time his gym produced 28 Florida State Gold Medalists, 6 Regional and 1 National Champion.
In addition to working in professional and amateur boxing he has promoted Toughman Contests with Art Dore, and was a boxing consultant for the film "Tough Enough", starring Dennis Quaid. Canton is well respected in the boxing community as a historian, and is a voting member on the committee that elects new inductees for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, in both the modern and old-timer categories. He is also a proud member of the International Boxing Research Organiztion (IBRO), which consists of approximately 150 esteemed boxing historians world-wide. He is frequently called upon for developing fight plans and strategies by prominent fighters, managers and trainers.
Canton promoted the first casino boxing in the State of Florida. He promoted the first broadcast of live boxing on the Internet, which was transmitted throughout the world. It was watched by over 250,000 people in 15 different countries and received writeups in International Boxing Digest, and other publications. He also promoted the first pay-per-view telecast of boxing in the Bahamas.
Canton formed SJC Professional Boxing, Inc. in the spring of 1995 and is currently managing and training several excellent fighters, some of whom will be featured on these web pages.
CHRIS CANTON arrived in Fort Myers in December 2008 and wanted to help the young amateurs get a solid start in boxing by teaching the basic fundamentals. He was instrumental in providing encouragement and guidance to many beginners in achieving their goals, and he adjusted well to properly helping and instructing them. He especially enjoyed watching a beginner come into the gym and develop into a good fighter. Hard work, dedication, and the right attitude are the ingredients he looked for in a new fighter. He realized that if a fighter has those ingredients, plus a real desire to succeed, that all he has to learn is proper technique, and they will become good. His job was to teach that technique. Chris has those same characteristics himself, and was a welcome addition to the SJC Boxing family.
Charlie Pechette--Promoter, was behind the scenes of both the SJC amateur boxing club and SJC Professional Boxing, Inc., since the beginning. He was both an inspirational and monetary supporter. Without Charlie there would have been no SJC Boxing. We thank him wholeheartedly and miss him terribly. Rest in peace my friend.
Bob Alexander--ring announcer-- He may not be "ready to rumble," but Bob Alexander is always ready to ring announce. Bob has been announcing fights in Southwest Florida for many years and he has had the opportunity to introduce some of the biggest names in Boxing. The list includes: Joe Frazier, Michael Spinks, Larry Holmes, Hector Camacho, Pinklon Thomas, and Freddie Pendleton, as well as legends such as Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, and Emanuel Steward, plus many more.
Bob's interest in boxing doesn't end with ring announcing. He has served as a blow-by-blow television announcer, and an assistant boxing coach and cornerman with the Blue Diamond Boxing Academy, in Charlotte County, Florida. He even climbed into the ring to spar with Hector "Macho" Camacho, to raise money for charity. Bob is also an avid boxing tape collector with more than 1500 fights in his collection. Bob served as the Master of Ceremonies during the inagural class of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame, in 2009, and is a proud inductee himself, of their Class of 2010. He now serves as Vice President.
G. J. "Jerry" Brown used to provide our guest celebrity transportation for all of our boxing shows. He was the co-founder and director of the Brielle Learning and Diagnostic Center, before he retired to Florida from New Jersey. Jerry was an avid fight enthusiast, and enjoyed seeing that everyone was where they were supposed to be--when they were supposed to be there. He was always visible at ringside videotaping all the exciting action.
Jerry Brown died of cancer on November 7, 2000. He is sadly missed by all who knew him. His widow, Dr. Linda Levine-Brown, is still active in education and is an administrator in Lee County, Florida. Please read "The Jerry Brown Tribute." Thank you.
"JERRY BROWN TRIBUTE" November 7, 2000
