
Lawrence Hafey was a warrior whose boxing statistics are impressive. Fighting for 20 years, his official record shows 73 professional fights, which included 48 victories and two draws. Sixteen of his professional wins were knockouts. He fought some of the best pound-per-pound boxers of the time, highlighted by a match at Madison Square Garden against three-time World Champion, Wilfred Benitez, in a fight that went the distance.
Nicknamed the “Nova Scotia Wildcat”, Lawrence claimed a fourth-round TKO victory over fellow Hall of Famer and future Canadian featherweight champion Rocky MacDougall in 1970, followed by a win against another future national titleholder, Gerald Bouchard, in 1972.
In 1975, he faced Halifax’s Dave Downey for the Canadian middleweight championship. It was a 12-rounder and a brawl. When it ended, the decision went to Lawrence, one of his most memorable nights.
Unlike boxers of today, Hafey never avoided a fighter, once boxing four bouts in 27 days, winning two and going the distance with two future “World Champions”. He was never stopped in his first 55 professional matches.
• Hometown: New Glasgow
• Fought over 40 amateur bouts
• Fought 73 professional matches
• Won the Eastern Canadian Welterweight Title 1973
• Won the Canadian Middleweight Title in 1975
• Fought Wilfred Benitez at Madison Square Garden
• Has boxed four bouts in 27 days
• Has never been knocked out
• Was not stopped in first 55 professional matches