Peter Zaduk learned to box at the old Legion in Guelph during the depression and World War II. After many years in the gym he turned pro at age 17 and boxed professionally until his early 20s.
His rise to respectability was a quick one. During the height of his career he was the 8th ranked middleweight in the world when there was only one boxing council. At the time he was fighting, Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta were taking turns as champion in his weight class.
Peter was known as the ‘uncrowned’ Canadian champion because of a bizarre circumstance. He fought champion George ‘Rock-A-Bye’ Ross for the Canadian title and most observers felt he dominated the fight. In fact newspaper reports of the fight say that Zaduck “knocked Ross about the ring for most of the fight”, but because it was in Ross’ hometown of Halifax, nervous judges at ringside decided to call it a draw to avoid a riot.
Zaduk is already an honoured member of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.
Inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame – April 21, 1997
