Les Gillis

Les Gillis is a Canadian former professional featherweight and junior lightweight boxer who won the Canadian junior lightweight boxing championship in 1966 and 1969.

Early life Les Gillis was born in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1940.

Professional career Les Gillis began his pro career in Sydney, Nova Scotia, in 1959. He was a pupil of boxing trainer Tom McCluskey. Competing in the junior lightweight class, otherwise known as super featherweight, he regularly fought in Sydney, Glace Bay, and Halifax.

In his first bout with future featherweight champion Rocky MacDougall in October 1963, he dropped a points decision. He defeated defending champion Buddy Daye by technical knockout to capture the title in Glace Bay on January 15, 1966.

Loss against reigning Canadian featherweight champion Billy McGrandle, March 1967 By February 1967, he was ranked second in the featherweight division after champion Billy McGrandle and number one contender Rocky MacDougall. Gillis, the 26-year-old Canadian junior lightweight champion, signed to fight Canadian featherweight champion Billy McGrandle in Edmonton for his national title. McGrandle stopped him in the 12th round on March 20, 1967.

Notable bouts during junior lightweight title reign Bouncing back with wins over Canadian bantamweight champion Jackie Burke and Eastern Canadian junior lightweight champion Fernand Beaudin, he retained his junior lightweight title against Jo Jo Jackson in October 1967.

He beat Jackie Burke in a July 1968 rematch. He also secured his first victory against future middleweight champion Lawrence Hafey in October 1968.

He scored another victory over Lawrence Hafey in November 1969 and beat Rocky MacDougall in their 1970 rematch. That year, he recorded two more successful defenses of the Canadian junior lightweight boxing title against Jo Jo Jackson. Gillis hung up his gloves after the bout, retiring as the Canadian champion with a 33-4-1 record.