Former Lineal Boxing Champion Dies After Battling Lengthy Illness

Johnny Famechon, 77, the former world champion, took his last breath on Thursday in Melbourne. With his death, Australian boxing lost one of the most amazing champions of all time.

The featherweight legend was battling a lengthy illness, which started back in 1991. While jogging in Sydney, he met with a car accident, which resulted in a stroke that eventually caused extensive brain injury.

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Inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, the champ delivered several memorable contests in a career span of 20 years. His death has a profound impact on the entire boxing community, especially in Australia.

A look at the boxing career of the champion who immortalized his art

The legend was born in Paris, France. Five years later, his parents moved to Australia. It was in the suburbs of Melbourne that Famechon came across his favorite sport: boxing. In his career, he cemented a phenomenal record of 56 wins, 6 draws, and 5 losses.

The first major victory came over Les Dunn, which gave him the title of Victorian Featherweight in 1964. After this win, Famechon never looked back and kept on clinching back-to-back titles. His win over John O’Brien in 1967  made him the Commonwealth featherweight champion, which paved the way to the most iconic title shot of his entire boxing career.

In 1967, he met Jose Legra, the Cuban boxing pride at London’s Albert Hall. After a tough battle, Famechon earned a decision win and his first world title.

Six months later, Famechon met the Japanese legend Harada to defend his title. Though Famechon won the bout, it ended on a controversial note. This eventually led to a rematch. To avoid all kinds of uncertainty, Famechon came up with more aggressive ways of training. Interestingly, it worked, and he knocked out Harada in the 14th round in Tokyo.

However, his winning streak could not continue long. In 1970, he lost his WBC title to the Mexican Vicente. Soon after this defeat, Famechon took retirement. His defensive skills were the most stunning part of his art.

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What do you think of the legends career? Let us know in the comments below.