User:Marc Gagnon1/Joe Gagnon

Raoul (Joey) Gagnon ″Joe Gagnon″, one of the brightest amateur boxers ever from Montreal, died on Saturday at Ste. Anne's Veterans Hospital. He was 82. Gagnon was a renowned amateur at the 1938 Empire Games in Australia. Gagnon's amateur career began in 1933 at Griffintown Boy's Club and, by the time it ended, he had fought 125 times, winning all but eight of the bouts. Included in the total were 55 knockouts. He was a city, provincial and Canadian champion. He had several memorable bouts during his career, including a 1940 win over Johnny Greco despite giving away 15 pounds. Gagnon also defeated Gerry Blanchard, Fernando Gagnon and Danny Webb. One of the losses came against future world welterweight and middleweight champ Sugar Ray Robinson, who was visiting Montreal on the heels of a Golden Gloves triumph in 1938. Amateur bouts in those days lasted five, and not three, rounds. Gagnon went the distance, but lost the decision, suffering a badly cut lip in the opening round. It was Gagnon's first defeat in an international bout on the continent. After 4 1/2 years in the Canadian Army, Gagnon turned pro, fighting four times before retiring. Gagnon never totally left the fight game. In 1957, he was named boxing coach at Palestre Nationale, a now defunct community centre in the city. Gagnon was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Gazette, Montreal, Wenesday, January 17, 2001