The Contender

Background:

One of the most galvanizing boxers on the professional scene today, Joey Gilbert has surely collected an awesome string of accomplishments on the ring. As an amateur fighter at the University of Nevada, he won three consecutive National Championships, four Regional Championships, as well as became Nevada State Golden Gloves Super Middleweight Champion. As a world-ranked professional fighter, he is 9-1, with 7 knockouts. However, the young Italian-American is probably best known to international audience as a result of his participation on the NBC sport show “The Contender” (2005), in which he was the winner of 9 out of the 12 physical challenges.According to many commentators and boxing insiders, Gilbert reminds them of the great Italian middleweights of history. He has the tough durability and furious determination to win shown by boxing legends like Rocky Graziano and Jake La Motta, in addition to possessing the skill of ring craftsmen just like Carmen Basilio and Tony Zale.

Outside of the ring, Gilbert, who hold a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School, is a practicing lawyer. Besides, he is a writer, and with law partner Mark “M.D.” Schoppe pen a book about willpower. He and fellow Contender Alfonso Gomez is also developing a book about boxing. One of the most versatile talents in America, Gilbert is also known as a sport agent, businessman, TV personality, sport commentator, and according to his personal website, he also acts, models and is a professional bodybuilder.

The Doors' Fan

Childhood and Family:

Chicago, Illinois native Joseph Salvatore Chiarmonte, who would later be popular as Joey Gilbert, was born on June 5, 1976, to Italian immigrants, Debbie and Joseph Chiarmonte. His parents separated when Joey was still a little boy, and a few years later his mother, who is a nurse, remarried to a doctor with whom she worked at the hospital. Sometime thereafter, he was adopted and took the surname of his stepfather, Dr. Warren S. Gilbert M.D. As a child, Joey and his family moved to west and settled at Reno, Nevada. After graduating from Bishop Manogue Catholic High School, he studied literature, political science and Italy at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was very active participating in campus activities including the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and boxing. He also obtained a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. Joey's sister is a nutritionist and trainer, whom he works with.

Joey is the owner of a German Shepherd named Champ. His favorite band is The Doors.

In and Out the Ring

Career:

A vigorous student, Joey Gilbert decided to take up the sport of boxing while in college, which he saw as a positive outlet for his unlimited energies and a way to help him develop more self-discipline. He joined the University of Nevada team and within a month of training, had discovered that boxing was his real passion and decided to practice it more intensively. Gilbert quickly expanded his boxing skills and impressed the Nevada coaches with his potential. He won his first fight of the season and went on to win fight after fight. Regardless, he still kept his emerging boxing career from his family and friends.

Guided by three devoted Nevada coaches, Greg Rice, Mike Martino and Pat Schellin, Gilbert's hard work in the gym paid off when at the end of the season he set a record as undefeated fighter and won his first from a total of four Regional Championships. The success, however, did not come without a cost. He broke his nose in the championship round and due to medical reason, he was advised not to compete in the National Championships. Another problem came, this time with his family, how he would explain to his parents about his broken nose. The secret was finally revealed after local newspapers covered the fight and published a story about his success. A tragedy struck in

Gilbert's life when his best friend, Donald Joseph Benardis (D.J.), was tragically killed off in a car accident involving an alcohol-impaired driver. This lost made him devastated, but then, despite his injury, Gilbert decided to fight in the National Championship in honor of his friend's memory. Now with supports from his family and friends, he fought with all his heart in the emotional night, but his injury became an obstacle. His nose began bleeding and his coaches was unable to stop the blood's flow. He kept on fighting until the ring doctor stopped the fight.

Not wanting to waste time, Gilbert returned to the gym as soon as he healed from the surgery to repair his nose. From then, he never lost another fight in college boxing and picked up three consecutive National Championships. He also was named the Outstanding Boxer of the NCAA Tournament twice and was a four-time All American. More importantly, he won the Nevada State Golden Gloves Super Middleweight Championship, and finished his amateur career with a record of 27-1. Thanks to his athletic prowess and exceptional work ethic and coach-ability, Gilbert was able to establish himself as one of the all-time greatest collegiate fighters and an actual All-American Champion.

Under deliberation of one of his most crucial and loved mentors, world-renowned boxing referee and ex-NCAA Boxing Champion Mills Lane, Gilbert, with numerous amateur championships in his pocket, turned professional in the summer of 2000 in a fight at Harrah's Casino. In this battle, he scored a second-round knockout of his opponent. A few months later, he began his law studies. Realizing it was not an easy task to maintain his professional career, while also pursuing his education, Gilbert commenced to put together a team of highly qualified people to assist him, and with an intention of representing athletes after law school, to set up a first-class professional organization. The resultant, Sig Rogich, owner and president of Rogich Communications and former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland and advisor to Presidents Ronald Reagan, becomes his manager, in addition to serving as a mentor to Gilbert and Team Gilbert in their professional enterprises, and attorney and future law partner Mark Schopper becomes his agent. Pat Conners, founder, owner, and CEO of Tetrus Building Materials, Inc., a multi-million dollar company based in Reno, NV, is the financial advisor of the Gilbert Team. His sister, Gina Gilbert-Green, serves as his health advisor.

With the member of Team Gilbert in spot, Gilbert made a reputation in the arena of boxing as a technical fighter, as he carefully planned his fight strategies according to the strengths or weaknesses of his opponents. As what a boxing writer has described him, “A technical fighter, Gilbert's no showboat. His main edge is his mental strength, his uncanny ability to not get rattled in the ring.” After training with the legendary trainer of champions, Pepe Morales, in Mexico, he returned to the US and went on to improve his professional record. He relocated to Las Vegas and trained under Kenny Rayford. Gilbert fought three times in one summer and won his first two fights with immediate knockouts. He is now 9-1, with seven knockouts.

With some degree of prominence he has collected from the ring, Gilbert became a regular figure on the articles of countless magazines and newspapers. He also received offers to make endorsements and worked as international model for clothing company likes Dsquared2 in fashion shows in the United States and Milan, Italy. However, Gilbert did not experience a notable turn in his life until 2005, when he was approached to take part in the NBC reality-TV/sport show “The Contender,” hosted by Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard. Winner of 9 out of the 12 physical challenges on the show, Gilbert soon emerged as one of the standout participants both in and out of the ring. He defeated Jimmy Lange in the first round of this competition, but in the Quarter Finals lost to Peter Manfredo, in a divided decision. The fight was stopped in the fifth round because of an accidental headbutt from his opponent, which sent him to hospital.

After “The Contender,” Gilbert's popularity grew even higher. He won a 6 round unanimous decision in the super middleweight division against James North on the undercard of the Jeff Lacy vs. Scott Pemberton card. He later also was able to defeat Jimmy Lange at a rematch fight at he Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA for the vacant middleweight NABO title.

Outside of boxing, Gilbert made endorsements for a number of fitness-related, fashion and lifestyle companies, among others, as well as appeared in dozen of magazines, such as Sports Illustrated. He also appeared as a color commentator on several Showtime boxing specials, ESPN Radio, and keeps on doing local television color commentary. In April 2005, he was appointed by Stallone as the spokesperson for Sly's new line of nutrition products, Sylvester Stallone's Instone Nutrition. In an interview, Gilbert said, “I'm very excited to represent Sylvester Stallone's Instone, because it is committed to providing its consumers with the best that nutritional science has to offer. I share Sly's passion for helping people use the right health products and training techniques to achieve strong, athletic, healthy physiques - whether they're in the professional boxing ring or at home working out in the garage.”

Gilbert also writes a book with his friend and law partner Mark “M.D.” Schoppe, which is about how to develop and increase the Willpower. He is also co-writing a book with fellow Contender Alfonso Gomez.

Awards:
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