# Harry Hurst > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harry_Hurst > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harry_Hurst.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hurst > Source revision: 1326258406 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Harry Hurst** (May 26, 1918 – May 15, 1979) was a [Canadian](/source/Canadians) [boxer](/source/Boxing) who competed in the [1938 British Empire Games](/source/1938_British_Empire_Games). ## Early life Harry Hurst was born in [Manchester](/source/Manchester), [United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland).[1] When he was three years old, his parents moved to [Notre-Dame-de-Grâce](/source/Notre-Dame-de-Gr%C3%A2ce) with him.[1] ## Amateur boxing career He started boxing in 1932 in a class taught by Tommy Sullivan at Tremholme Park (French: *Parc Trenholme*).[1] He failed to qualify at the [1936 Olympic](/source/1936_Olympics) trials. After moving to [St. Catharines](/source/St._Catharines), he won the Southwestern Ontario and provincial lightweight titles in 1938, securing a place on Canada's Empire Games team in [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver).[1] At the [1938 British Empire Games](/source/1938_British_Empire_Games) in [Sydney](/source/Sydney), he won the silver medal in the lightweight class after losing the final to [Harry Groves](/source/Harry_Groves).[2] Hurst began boxing out of [Montreal](/source/Montreal) athletic clubs. In 1939, he won the [Quebec Golden Gloves](/source/Quebec_Golden_Gloves) title at 135 pounds.[3] At the Canadian Amateur Boxing Championships on April 28, 1939, he captured the 135-pound lightweight crown.[4] ## Professional career Hurst transitioned to professional boxing under Maurice Foreman in late 1939 as the reigning national amateur lightweight champion.[5] Hurst opened 1940 with three knockouts at the [Maple Leaf Gardens](/source/Maple_Leaf_Gardens) in the first two months before making his U.S. debut. He recorded two knockout victories in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington,_D.C.), before moving on to fight at New York's famed [Ridgewood Grove Arena](/source/Ridgewood_Grove_Arena).[1] ### Title match with Dave Castilloux, April 1941 In 1941, he returned to his hometown to compete for the Canadian lightweight boxing championship.[6] On April 22, 1941, Hurst and Canadian welterweight champion [Dave Castilloux](/source/Dave_Castilloux) fought to a 10-round draw in their first Canadian [lightweight](/source/Lightweight) title bout.[5] ### Loss against reigning NBA world lightweight champion Sammy Angott, June 1941 Hurst entered his June 1941 bout with [NBA](/source/National_Boxing_Association) lightweight champion [Sammy Angott](/source/Sammy_Angott) with 23 professional fights. Though he dropped a ten-round decision in the non-title bout, his competitive showing against the world champion significantly elevated his standing in the division.[7] By September, he entered the [National Boxing Association](/source/National_Boxing_Association)'s lightweight ratings.[8] ### Second title match with Dave Castilloux, September 1941 In the Castilloux-Hurst rematch for the lightweight title on September 25, 1941, Hurst lost the 10-round bout at the [Montreal Forum](/source/Montreal_Forum) by unanimous decision.[9] He held the ninth position among lightweights in *[The Ring](/source/The_Ring_(magazine))* magazine's 1941 annual ratings.[10] When he joined the [Royal Canadian Air Force](/source/Royal_Canadian_Air_Force) in March 1942, Hurst held the number four [lightweight](/source/Lightweight) ranking globally during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). The air force's disapproval of boxing prevented him from fighting throughout his three-and-a-half-year stint as a PT instructor in England, unlike navy or army personnel who could continue developing through service bouts.[11] Over the span of a month in 1946, Hurst recorded back-to-back wins against [Lenny Mancini](/source/Lenny_Mancini).[5] ### Title matches with Johnny Greco, 1947-1948 Hurst competed in two title bouts against defending champion [Johnny Greco](/source/Johnny_Greco) for the Canadian [welterweight](/source/Welterweight) championship between 1947 and 1948.[5] His final ring appearance as a professional came in November 1948 when he faced Peter Zaduk.[5] Well into his retirement, Hurst accepted an invitation to meet former world champion [Tony Zale](/source/Tony_Zale) in an exhibition contest held in Montreal.[12] ## Death Harry Hurst died on May 15, 1979, in [Montreal, Quebec](/source/Montreal,_Quebec), Canada. He was buried in [Mount Royal Cemetery](/source/Mount_Royal_Cemetery).[11] ## References 1. Al Parsley (March 7, 1961). ["Meteoric Rise to Boxing Fame Featured Career of Harry Hurst"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/743612988/?terms=Harry%20Hurst&match=1). *The Montreal Star*. p. 20. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["3.British Empire Games - February 5-12 1938"](http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/CommonwealthGames1938.pdf). *amateur-boxing.strefa.pl*. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["1939 Golden Gloves' Kings"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/740402096/?match=10&terms=harry%20hurst%20golden%20gloves). *The Montreal Star*. April 14, 1939. p. 29. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["Three Montreal Boxers Win National Crowns"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/740405257/?match=1&terms=harry%20hurst). *The Montreal Star*. April 29, 1939. p. 12. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["Harry Hurst"](https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/45539). *boxrec.com*. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["Harry Hurst Surprises in Bout With Champion"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/1006630917/?match=1&terms=harry%20hurst). *The Hamilton Spectator*. April 23, 1941. p. 24. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["Hurst Loses Verdict"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/1006620818/?match=1&terms=harry%20hurst). *The Hamilton Spectator*. June 25, 1941. p. 24. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["N.B.A. Rates Castilloux Highly; Harry Hurst Is Also Outstanding"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/419304271/?match=1&terms=harry%20hurst). *The Gazette*. September 10, 1941. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["Dave Castilloux vs Harry Hurst"](https://boxrec.com/en/event/97901/167535). *boxrec.com*. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. ["The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1941"](https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine%27s_Annual_Ratings:_1941). *boxrec.com*. Retrieved 2025-12-01. 1. Steve Springer (May 17, 1979). ["Hurst reached peak as boxer, gentleman"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/422092238/?match=1&terms=harry%20hurst). *The Gazette*. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-11-05. 1. Steve Springer (March 29, 1997). ["BOXING"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-29-sp-43209-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 2025-11-05. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harry Hurst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hurst) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hurst?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.