Ringside Report Looks Back at Hercules Kyvelos

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

“I think some fighters choose only to learn from their defeats, but even in victory there’s always something to learn, something to improve upon.” Hercules Kyvelos, Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime “Bad” Brad Berkwitt, pp 215

The tentacles of the British Empire are many and varied and they straddle the world as they represent an Empire, at one time, upon which the sun never set. Stretching from New Zealand and Australia, through India, Afghanistan, into Africa and Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe – and Kenya towards the South and North Americas with Belize and Canada, it was vast. It left a legacy – not the most positive but a legacy, nonetheless. The Commonwealth is now the positive framework where there are countries within that agency trying to find a more positive spin on a time where the British ruled them and there are even some countries who can see the positivity of the group and want to join – like Rwanda, Gabon, Tonga and the former Portuguese colony Mozambique.

It means that’s sometimes we have a strong connection to those former colonies, and this can be exploited in a sporting sense as it was by tennis player, Greg Rusedski and of course Lennox Lewis. Lewis a Canadian resident since he was 12 years old represented Canada and went on to Olympic glory before becoming a professional boxer and returning to a British fold, the country of his birth, to claim his crowns.

But Canadian boxing is not short of their own heroes and one, Hercules “The God” Kyvelos, 24-3, 12 KOs, who principally fought at welterweight was one such distinguished Canadian boxer, but even he had a mixed background as his heritage was Greek! His punching power, however got him a bronze in the 1995 Pan American Games and he represented Canada at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. It also made him the Canadian welterweight champion.

His appearance at the Olympic Games preceded going to the Pan American Games where he was more successful than at the Olympics. He was beaten in his first fight in Atlanta by the Tunisian boxer Kamel Chater by decision.

One year later, in 1997, in Montreal along with Ryan Jones he made his debut. Knocking Jones out in one round was a perfect beginning. We did get to see him in the UK in that first year of fighting as he ended up in Sheffield facing journeyman Harry Butler and got as 4 round points win to add to his blossoming reputation in the professional ranks. By the 15th of February the time was right for Kyvelos to face Fitz Vanderpool for the Canadian welterweight championship which he won on points on a tight decision.

But the pinnacle of his professional career came on the 31st of January 2004. In Phoenix, Arizona, he went in against Antonio Margarito for the WBO welterweight title. His world title bid was over in the second round as he was stopped by the legend that was Margarito.
Straight after he was in an IBF eliminator against Cosme Rivera in Las Vegas where once more he was knocked out, though this time in the fourth round.

Two years later, he was back in Montreal and on the 11th of December 2006, Sammy Sparkman convinced him it was time to retire by beating him in an eight rounder where he was well beaten on points.

In 2007, after retiring it is believed he went into real estate though in 2019, he can be found in a gym training boxers, so the bug never really left him! Back in that interview with Brad though, he was clear he was going to stick around gyms with becoming a personal trainer a favored career choice. As a Canadian boxer of some skill and not so little renown his career is one to be relished and celebrated, as a Canadian triumph, though in both that world title shot and the Olympics he may have fallen a little short, he certainly flew with his Gods throughout.

Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt