Featured Inductee: Grant OReilly - Boxing

Year Inducted: 2006

More about Grant OReilly:
Grant O'Reilly began boxing as a 55 pound 10 year old when he won the Oshawa championship.  This was to be a first of many.  At age 15, he began taking bouts in various centers around Ontario.  Grant's record shows him boxing in over 300 bouts, mostly as an amateur.  His weight class (featherweight) did not afford many professional career opportunities at that time.  He boxed at the Palace Pier in Toronto 80 times (more than any other fighter).  On many occasions Grant had to move up in weight class to get matches.  Although asked to represent Toronto Boxing Clubs, he chose to remain with the Oshawa Club.  Among the outstanding accomplishments in Grant O'Reilly's career was when he won 10 consecutive Ontario championships (the last as a lightweight - two divisions up from his weight class).  During this period, he held Featherweight, Bantamweight and Lightweight championships even though rated as a Featherweight.  In addition, he was the Canadian Featherweight Champion three times and won a New York State Golden Glove Featherweight Championship. After his outstanding career as a boxer, he operated two boxing clubs in Oshawa, where many local young men learned the pugilist art and discipline from the master.