Joey Gamache
Encyclopedia
Joey Gamache, was a professional boxer
. Gamache is the former WBA
Super Featherweight
, and WBA
Lightweight
Champion.
At the age of 10, playing third base in Little League, he tended to loop his throws to first. His father suggested that if he worked out in a boxing gym he might strengthen arms and straighten out those long throws across the infield. But Joey loved the rites of the gym and soon set aside baseball to become a fighter.
Super Featherweight
Championship in 1991.
Lightweight
Championship in 1992.
Gamache lost his Lightweight Championship in his first defense to Mexican-American Tony Lopez via an 11th round TKO. In 1994 he took on Orzubek Nazarov
for the WBA Lightweight Title, but suffered a TKO in the 2nd.
In his last fight on Feb. 26, 2000, Gamache was brutally knocked out in two rounds by Arturo Gatti at Madison Square Garden. Gamache suffers from permanent brain damage and will never fight for the title again.
He filed lawsuits against both Gatti and the New York State Athletic Commission
. He alleges that Gatti weighed significantly more than the contracted weight at the time of the fight The case was tried and decided by Judge Melvin Schweitzer, who found the State negligent in its lax handling of the pre-fight weigh-in. The judge, who was not convinced that the negligence was a substantial factor in causing an injury, did not award any damages. Gamache considered the verdict a win.
to capture a world boxing title. His son, Steven Gamache, made his debut as a professional boxer in 2010.
Today, Gamache works as a licensed boxing trainer, coaching some of the top fighters in the sport, though he still suffers from migraines and has admitted to once having thoughts of suicide.
He has trained light middleweight
Boyd Melson
, who won the gold medal at the 2004 World Military Boxing Championships, 69-kg. weight class, and in July 2011 was 5-0 as a professional.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. Gamache is the former WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Super Featherweight
Super Featherweight
Super featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms....
, and WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Champion.
At the age of 10, playing third base in Little League, he tended to loop his throws to first. His father suggested that if he worked out in a boxing gym he might strengthen arms and straighten out those long throws across the infield. But Joey loved the rites of the gym and soon set aside baseball to become a fighter.
Pro career
Joey Gamache was trained by Tony Lampron and Teddy Atlas. Gamache turned pro in 1987 and won his first 28 bouts.WBA Super Featherweight Championship
His victory over Jerry Ngobeni was to capture the vacant WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Super Featherweight
Super Featherweight
Super featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms....
Championship in 1991.
WBA Lightweight Championship
Joey then beat Chil-Sung Chun to capture the vacant WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Championship in 1992.
Gamache lost his Lightweight Championship in his first defense to Mexican-American Tony Lopez via an 11th round TKO. In 1994 he took on Orzubek Nazarov
Orzubek Nazarov
Orzubek Nazarov is a Kyrgyz boxer, who won the bronze medal at the 1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Reno...
for the WBA Lightweight Title, but suffered a TKO in the 2nd.
In his last fight on Feb. 26, 2000, Gamache was brutally knocked out in two rounds by Arturo Gatti at Madison Square Garden. Gamache suffers from permanent brain damage and will never fight for the title again.
He filed lawsuits against both Gatti and the New York State Athletic Commission
New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...
. He alleges that Gatti weighed significantly more than the contracted weight at the time of the fight The case was tried and decided by Judge Melvin Schweitzer, who found the State negligent in its lax handling of the pre-fight weigh-in. The judge, who was not convinced that the negligence was a substantial factor in causing an injury, did not award any damages. Gamache considered the verdict a win.
Legacy
Gamache is the only boxer from MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to capture a world boxing title. His son, Steven Gamache, made his debut as a professional boxer in 2010.
Today, Gamache works as a licensed boxing trainer, coaching some of the top fighters in the sport, though he still suffers from migraines and has admitted to once having thoughts of suicide.
He has trained light middleweight
Light middleweight
Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
Boyd Melson
Boyd Melson
Boyd "Rainmaker" Melson is an American light middleweight boxer.As an amateur, Melson won the 48th World Military Boxing Championship gold medal in the 69 kg. weight class, and was a four-time United States Army champion, a three-time NCBA All-American boxer, a four-time West Point Brigade...
, who won the gold medal at the 2004 World Military Boxing Championships, 69-kg. weight class, and in July 2011 was 5-0 as a professional.
See also
- List of WBA world champions
- List of lightweight boxing champions
- List of super featherweight boxing champions