Canadian Light Heavyweight Champ Gary Summerhays, Brave Road Warrior, Dies at 71
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Ontario, Canada (October 22, 2021)– Former Canadian and Commonwealth British Empire Light-Heavyweight boxing champion Gary Summerhays, a boxing legend in his native Brantford, Ontario, Canada, has passed away in his native Brantford at age 71.
A longtime employee of SC Johnson Wax in Canada until retirement, Summerhays boxed between 1970 and 1983, compiling a professional record of 39-17-3 with 16 knockouts. Summerhays fought most of his bouts in Canada and the United States, but also fought in South Africa and Australia. Summerhays held the Canadian Light Heavyweight title, fighting in his six Canadian title bouts, and the Commonwealth British Empire Light Heavyweight title, knocking out Tony Mundine in 1978 in Melbourne, Australia, to win it, and losing it by TKO to Lottle Mwale in 1979 to Lusaka, Zambia.
Summerhays fought a who’s who of light heavyweight divisional names, contenders, and champions in his time, and lost decisions to all of them, receiving not a single decision on the road. His only foreign win on the road was the titular knockout over Mundine in Australia. Major names Summerhays fought and lost by decision include Michael Spinks, Mike Rossman, Mike Quarry, Marvin Johnson, Marvin Camel, Yaqui Lopez, Pablo Ramos, Ivy Brown, Vonzell Johnson, Edgar Wallace, Kurt Zurheide, Casey Gacic, John Mangum, and Jim Davis.
With two of these opponents, Casey Gacic and Kurt Zurheide, Summerhays drew the first bout but lost the rematch on points. He lost a split decision 12 to Mike Quarry in Orlando in 1974, and had a ten-round draw with Kosie Smith in South Africa in 1976 despite knocking Smith down in the seventh round. Boxing historians take notice. Summerhays accepted every challenge and fought every challenger on the road outside of Canada fearlessly. His record on the road was one win, 15 losses, and three draws.
The career of Summerhays was an unprotected fighter’s nightmare for his management team, because Summerhays could not win a single bout on the scorecards outside of Canada in 19 tries, covering 17 decisions. Summerhays was a game and brave road warrior, but it did not help him fighting on opponent’s promoter’s cards in his time. He went the distance countless time with present and former world champions and number one contenders and did not win on a single scorecard in the foreign territory despite his best efforts.
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