Johnny Famechon RIP

‘Floyd Mayweather before there was a Floyd’: Legends remember ‘inspiration’ Johnny Famechon

Everyone knows the peekaboo and the Philly shell - but Famechon used "The Method" developed by trainer Ambrose Palmer as his technique.

It was a technique that relied on the left hand as the primary offensive weapon and a lot of waist movement to avoid punches. Most interesting though is that it uses elements of the Philly shell, like a loose, low left hand so it could strike from anywhere.

Biggest thing though was how you'd hold the right hand - more in front of your chin than outside it, because by having a very active left hand you'd be open for straight/overhand rights. So the right hand would come across to protect the chin, then either slip back to catch the left hook, or if caught out you would raise your right elbow to catch the left hook. You can see the style in this Ambrose Palmer video below, watch how his students hold the right hand in particular it's very distinctive and unusual.



Not many people could pull off the method, but Famechon certainly could. RIP

 

Death of local boxing. Back in the 1960s and 70s, local boxing was on TV every Friday night. Going to the local fights was a big thing for families. Local cards were everywhere, mostly televised in prime time. People loved boxers, and it spawned a thriving local scene where students of the game, like Ambrose Palmer, would study and develop new techniques.

Further, the Commonwealth title was a big deal and was aspired to by locals, which meant heading to the UK and sparring/fighting the best local boys and Euros before graduating to world titles.

Now, the trick is to fight tomato cans, get a regional strap from a Thai taxi driver to get an automatic Top 15 ranking, fight a few more cans to get Top 5, act like a dickhead to get noticed, fight for a title, then lose. As a result, the local talent pool is very thin now.

Cash in quick is the mantra. The serious people go and live in the US.

 

For a guy with zero amateur fights he had incredible skills, which is testament to his work ethic as well as his trainer who schooled him in that left-hand.