Tony Unitas

Tony Unitas (March 7, 1924 – January 29, 1991) was a former Canadian boxer, promoter, and founder of a Toronto boxing gym, where he served as a manager and trainer. He was a prominent figure in the Canadian boxing community.

Boxing career
Tony Unitas was an Army boxer in the early 1940s, who became Pacific Fleet Middleweight Champion in 1942 until 1944. He turned pro and won the Canadian Middleweight Boxing Championship title. He retired in 1955 with a professional record of 175–23.

Ventures
In the 1960s, Unitas became the founder and director of Canada's Boxing Hall of Fame, and hosted annual awards ceremonies. It would eventually be located on the National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto.

'The Unitas Weekly', a Canadian boxing news magazine, was created by Tony Unitas. He was the publisher, editor and chief contributor.

Unitas founded the Toronto Newsboys Gym in Downtown Toronto in 1975. It hosted many Canadian, Commonwealth, and Olympic champions, including Donovan Boucher, Willie Featherstone, and Egerton Marcus. In 1979, he opened the Bayview Boxing And Youth Centre in North York. He later appeared on one of Brown's Boxing Cards in 1985 as a manager with 45 years of experience.

Personal life
He was a distant cousin of Johnny Unitas.

Death
Tony Unitas died in Toronto on Thursday, January 29, 1991, at 66 years old.

In 1996, the first annual Tony Unitas Memorial Amateur Boxing Tournament was hosted in Toronto.

Awards and honors

 * Inductee of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame
 * Inductee of World Boxing Hall of Fame