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It could only be Ambrose
by John Famechon
[15 October 2003]

John Famechon talks to Fighter Online about boxing trainers ... and boxers.

FIGHTER ONLINE (FO):  Welcome On Line, Johnny Famechon.

JOHN FAMECHON (JF):  No more print magazine then, Mike?

FO:  Have to move with the times, John. As usual, you dictate onto this tape recorder, and make your column. A nice sunny day to go to the Fair.

JF:  Not much Victorian boxing to report.

FO:  Take the subject of Boxing Trainers. The Australian Boxing Federation's Victorian Branch recently named its Trainer of the Century. What's your thought on that?

JF:  The best trainer of the twentieth century? It would have to be Ambrose Palmer. Not only did he train many champions but he guided us in our lives outside the gymnasium. Ambrose not only taught the straight left and the right cross, the hook and the uppercut, he taught the defence against those blows - this is the first consideration. Frank Quill and I wrote the book on Palmer's teaching - "The Method."

Anyway, did the Federation select Ambrose?

OCTOBER 1968 . . Loyalty lasts

FO:  They named Keith Ellis as premier trainer. This younger man from the modern generation won the award on statistical evidence. He tallied up five world titles (Lester's IBF was real world; the others were three "IBOs" and a WBF), five Commonwealths - good stuff - three Orients, 22 Australian titles and 26 Victorian titles. The stats are reliable - the ABF Vic checked them out.

Great trainers like Palmer, Jack Carroll and Jack Rennie couldn't match those figures. Keith Ellis, 45, was recognised as the most successful trainer in Victorian boxing history.

JF:  I still give my vote to Ambrose Palmer. To me he's the greatest trainer.

FO:  Fair enough. It's your Fair.   John, something really interesting is coming soon. The Federation State branch will be naming .. .. the Victorian Fighter of the Century. Any ideas?

JF:  Maybe Ambrose Palmer should win that . He was the Australian Triple Champion in the 1930s - middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion.

FO:  How about moderns?

JF:  Well there are those champions from the 2002 Hall of Fame. Lionel Rose, Lester Ellis, Barry Michael, Rocky Mattioli and me. You could consider Dunne, Ferreri and Henry Nissen. Gentzen and Tony Miller. How about you name a few?

FO:  Throw in the great lightweights of Victoria, Frank Flannery, George Bracken, Max Carlos -

JF:  Max Carlos - a Palmer boy!

FO:  There were Kid Young and Leo Young - two Leo Youngs - there were Eddie Miller and Mickey Miller, Bert Spargo and Billy Grime (a triple champ). Two WBF champions Trotter and Dave Russell. Don't pass by Rocket Rod Carr, Scott Brouwer, Jimmy Bell, Justin Holland . . good fighting names. And how about Jack Haines - he was the great Viccie middleweight until along came - Ambrose!

JF:  There's a lot of talent there. If I have to make a tip I would say Mattioli for strength, Lester for dash, Barry Michael for determination, and maybe Lionel Rose. Lionel seemed to pull the crowds in more than I did, there for a while.

FO:  He didn't have your defensive genius. Rosey was KOd a few times. You never got stopped in your 67 fights. It was a record for all world featherweight champions, at the time of your retirement. We'll have to check that out since then.

JF:  Victoria produces some good boxers, doesn't it?

A week after John Famechon wrote this interview column, the ABF Victorian branch named, not Ambrose Palmer, but Famechon himself as Victorian fighter of the century. We say it again - loyalty lasts!