PHOTO – Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau pauses as he spoke to supporters during a campaign stop in Toronto in August 2015. –Darren Calabrese, The Canadian Press/AP/FileOTTAWA — Rookie politician Justin Trudeau glides into a makeshift boxing hall to take on a fierce, muscled senator. It’s a Saturday night in March 2012, and expectations are low for the man who would later become prime minister of Canada.
But Mr. Trudeau looks confident as he ente rs the Ottawa ballroom with a Canadian flag emblazoned on the waistband of his trunks. A conservative television network has organized the charity boxing match, and the hosts are relentless. “Come on, shiny pony, dance!” gibes one. “Use your ballet training!”
Though in the same weight class as his opponent, Trudeau, with his 6-foot, 2-inch frame, looks much less brawny than the former Navy reservist standing across the ring. The bell rings, and Trudeau takes the first swing. Sen. Patrick Brazeau dodges, responding with a series of blows to Trudeau’s shoulders and head. Trudeau spends the next two minutes dodging, stepping back, and guarding his face. He stumbles a few times, landing just one punch before the first bell. [read more]
