(Halifax) A ceremony was held Monday in Halifax to pay tribute to the great boxer George Dixon, the first black boxer and first Canadian to win a world title.

About 50 people were present at the Africville museum, while officials unveiled a plaque in memory of this Nova Scotian who became one of the best boxers in the world at the end of the 19th century.

Born in 1870 in Africville, a once thriving community north of Halifax, Dixon was renowned for his stamina, speed and innovative training methods.

Despite widespread racial discrimination, he won the world bantamweight title in 1890, then progressed through the weight classes and he won the featherweight title the following year.

He is said to have invented “simulated boxing”, a training technique still widely used today.

He is also known for his book A Lesson on Boxing, published in 1893, which describes his winning strategies and training regimen.