Joey Gamache

Background

His father suggested that if he worked out in a boxing gym he might strengthen arms and straighten out his long throws across the infield.

Career

At the age of 10, playing third base in Little League Baseball, Gamache tended to loop his throws to first base. Gamache would come to love the rites of the gym and soon set aside baseball to become a boxer. Gamache was trained by Tony Lampron and Teddy Atlas.

In 1991, Gamache defeated Jerry Ngobeni to capture the vacant WBA super featherweight title.

He lost the lightweight title in his first defense to Tony Lopez via TKO in the eleventh round. In 1994, Gamache fought Orzubek Nazarov for the WBA lightweight title, but lost via second-round TKO. Retirement

In his last fight on February 26, 2000, Gamache was brutally knocked out in two rounds by Arturo Gatti at Madison Square Garden.

Gamache went on to file lawsuits against both Gatti and the New York State Athletic Commission, alleging 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.

Legacy

Gamache is the only boxer from Maine to capture a world boxing title. Today, Gamache works as a licensed boxing trainer, coaching some of the top fighters in the sport. Gamache currently trains super middleweight contender Patrick Nielsen.

Achievements

• He turned professional in 1987 and won his first 28 bouts. Two-weight world champion The following year, Gamagche defeated Chil-Sung Chun to win the vacant WBA lightweight title. Gamache considered the verdict a win. He has trained Boyd Melson, who won the gold medal at the 2004 World Military Boxing Championships in the 69 kg weight class and currently fights professionally at light middleweight.