David Downey, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia is an all-around athlete in softball, basketball, volleyball, baseball, track, and swimming.

Boxing came naturally to Downey as he grew up in a family of boxers. His five older brothers all tried boxing with three of them going on to fight professionally. He had a natural style and knocked out Kenny Chinn in the second round of his first pro fight in 1957.

In 1967, Downey won his first Canadian MiddleWeight Championship and retained it until August 1970 when he lost to Gary Broughton. Four months later, Downey regained his title in a rematch with Broughton. Downey remained the champion over the next five years with three successful defences. He lost the championship to Lawrence Hafey in 1975 and retired in 1978.

Downey’s record in boxing over his 20-year career was 38-4-2. He was elected to the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976.