The true story of an impoverished fisherman who battles through the crooked boxing racket of the 1950’s, family tragedy and his own inner demons to earn a title fight against legendary champion Archie Moore.

SYNOPSIS:

Miramichi is the story of Yvon Durelle—the classic underdog—whose unlikely journey takes him from pulling lobster traps out of the Miramichi Bay and building ship anchors in his father’s blacksmith shop to within a whisper of a World Championship.

Growing up in the remote fishing village of Baie Sainte-Anne, NB, he stares down a bleak future of poverty and hardship. The story primarily covers his life and career starting in 1946, when, as a bored, uneducated teenager, the seeds of an alternate future are sown when he is introduced to boxing. Alternating between fishing and fighting, he quickly establishes himself as a boxer to be feared. All of his adversaries are not in the ring, however. He battles another formidable foe: a wild, impulsive nature which threatens to derail the pursuit of his dreams.

Yet, with no formal instruction, an aversion to training and an unorthodox style in the ring, he claws his way to the top of the boxing racket by sheer determination and heart. Along the way, he has many glorious victories (two Canadian titles) and several crushing defeats. He wrangles with crooked promoters, shady managers and his own inner demons as he tries to balance his career and family life.

But he captures the hearts of Canadian boxing fans with his formidable persistence and unwavering belief in himself. In the ring, he is billed as The Fighting Fisherman. To the fans, he is known affectionately as Doux (French for mild, soft).

The story ends on December 10, 1958, when Yvon Durelle gets a shot at his dream in a World Title fight with Archie Moore. He shocks the boxing world and brings a nation to its feet on that unforgettable wintry night in the Montreal Forum, displaying his lion’s heart in an epic battle which has been ranked 6th best fight of all time.

Although his dream was lost on the canvas that night, his valiant effort—which brought him to within one second of victory—elevated him to a place he never dreamed of as a young man on a fishing boat in the Miramichi Bay: Canadian hero.

He was a man with one hand on his dream.

MIRAMICHI: THE YVON DURELLE STORY