Johnny Famechon

Jean-Pierre Famechon (28 March 1945 – 4 August 2022) was a French and Australian featherweight boxer.

Famechon was the 2003 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Moderns category and was the third to be elevated to Legend status in 2012.

Early life and boxing career Famechon was born in Paris, France to French parents. He and his mother, father and younger brother moved from Paris to Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia a suburb of Melbourne, in 1950 when he was five. The family then moved to Middle Park another suburb of Melbourne. His mother Antoinette and younger brother Christian moved to Paris a couple of years later; John and his father Andre then moved to Richmond.

Famechon attended Salesian College (Rupertswood) and later Essendon Technical School. He met his wife Elise (née Alves), and they married at St Brigid's Church in Mordialloc in 1970. They moved to Aspendale and later Frankston and had their first child Paul in 1972, and daughter Danielle in 1974.

Famechon came from a boxing family. His father Andre won the French lightweight championship.

Famechon never fought as an amateur and turned professional at age 16. Over his twenty-year career Famechon developed a reputation for being a skilled boxer whose strength was his defence. His career record was 56 wins (20 by KO), 6 draws and 5 losses.

His first major win was over Les Dunn to become Victorian Featherweight champion in 1964, then he was Commonwealth featherweight champion in 1967 after defeating the Scot John O'Brien. His defense is often compared to that of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Famechon's style, like Mayweather's Crab style, consisted of a low lead hand and a high rear hand. The key difference being that Famechon held his rear hand in a cross guard position with the glove open to catch punches.

Famechon's offensive relied heavily on the use of the lead left hand.

Later life Famechon received the Keys To The City in 1969 on his return to Australia after his World Title win against Jose Legra in London.

Famechon was the first Melburnian to become King of Moomba in 1970 when appointed by the Moomba Festival festival committee.

In 1971, he and long time friend Frank Quill, wrote his autobiography, Fammo.

Famechon was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 1997. and is only the third Australian boxer to be honoured in this way after Les Darcy and Lionel Rose.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours for significant service to boxing at the elite level.

Famechon died in Melbourne on 4 August 2022 at the age of 77.

Professional boxing record