MONCTON, N.B. - Former British Empire boxing champion Yvon Durelle, whose 1958 fight against boxing great Archie Moore made him a Canadian legend, has died. He was 77.

Family members said Durelle, who suffered a stroke on Christmas Day and also had Parkinson's disease, died in a hospital in Moncton on Saturday.

Durelle grew up in the small New Brunswick fishing village of Baie-Ste-Anne and was dubbed the Fighting Fisherman.

His light-heavyweight championship fight against champion Archie Moore on Dec. 10, 1958, at the Forum in Montreal, gave him a near-cult following - even though he lost the bout in the 11th round.

He entered the fight as a 4-1 underdog, and stunned the boxing world by knocking Moore down three times in the first round.

Under today's boxing rules - except those of the World Boxing Council - the fight would have been stopped after three knockdowns in one round and Durelle would have been world champion.