A historic boxing match in Verdun

On October 31, 1978, the Verdun Auditorium welcomed a boxing match that went down in history. That evening, two athletes fought each other in the first of three bouts for the Canadian middleweight title. Young Toronto sensation Eddie Melo was only 18 years old, with nine fights to his credit, before entering the arena to fight against Canadian title champion Fernand Marcotte Jr. Much to everyone’s surprise, young Eddie Melo won the match by a unanimous decision. This match leaved its mark on the history of Canadian boxing for its intensity and the enthusiasm of the public who came to see a magnificent match. The two athletes fought each other again on June 26, 1979, at the Montreal Forum, and it was Fernand Marcotte Jr. who won that bout, by referees decision. The third and last bout was played on June 20, 1980, at the Montréal Forum, on the same bill as the World Championship bout between “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. This third match ended in a tie.