Lefty Gwynne was born in Toronto to an English immigrant bricklayer. After World War I started, the family returned to England and his father enlisted. Young Horace began boxing his brother in exhibitions for the troops. After the war, the family returned to Toronto, and the diminutive Gwynne turned to horse racing with a goal of becoming a jockey. But in the early 20s he started training for boxing at the Central Toronto YMCA, as a way to keep his weight down for riding. After the 1932 Olympics, Gwynne turned professional on his return to Toronto but gained American citizenship in 1935 after settling in Florida. He fought as a professional thru 1939, winning the Canadian bantamweight championships early that year, but lost his final two professional bouts. His pro record was 31 wins, 9 losses, and 2 draws. He later returned to his first sport, serving as a jockey’s agent, before settling in Toronto where he taught sports to children in community centers.
Canada