Joey Gambero wins VT Golden Gloves

By ZENDA FARRELL | Milton Independent Sports Writer

The Ladyjackets and their coaches are all smiles as they enjoy their victory over the defending champion Lamoille team.

They call him Joseph “The Destroyer” Gambero. Milton resident and 2006 MHS graduate Joey Gambero won the Vermont Golden Gloves Heavy Weight Novice Division Championship by decision on Feb. 9 after winning the preliminary round, also by decision in January. In both matches he went the full 6 minutes (three 2 minute rounds) against his opponent before being named the victor.

“I felt pretty confident going in,” said Joey, after defeating John O'Neil from the Windsor Boxing Club to claim the Novice title. “I had boxed him before and he beat me but with all my training and some changes that we made, I felt good about going up against him again.”

Twenty-year-old Gambero, decided to take up boxing only a year ago. He has been training at the Precision Boxing Club in South Burlington under the supervision of trainer Robert Baker who says, “Joey is a hard worker, the hardest worker I have in my club. He didn't know how to box when he came to me but he adopted the system and he executes the moves to perfection. He pays attention to every detail and he has the strategy down.”

After attending the VT Golden Gloves as a spectator in 2006, Joey decided that boxing was something he thought he would be good at and wanted to try. “I had always watched it on television and after I went to the Golden Gloves I knew I wanted to try it, so I went to Precision Boxing and met with Robert Baker. I started training and I love it.”

Training is serious business for Joey - the 6-ft., 195 pound athlete dropped 85 pounds, (down from 275 pounds) with his rigorous, no nonsense schedule. A typical day for Joey consists of work with Eastshore Drywall Company and then off to the gym for 3 hours of training. According to Joey, his workouts start out with a set of 60 sit-ups, 30 pushups, a 2 mile run and then he jumps rope, runs another mile, does a second set of push-ups and sit-ups, runs a mile and lifts some weights. After the “warm-up," the actual boxing workout where he spars and learns new moves begins. Finally, he runs one more mile before calling it a night.