By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

LISBON – Armed with a teenager’s trademark self-assurance, Willie Carville had it all figured out.

He’d study business at Husson College in Bangor. And he’d train three nights a week at Portland Boxing Club. At the same time.

The bad news: Carville would be perpetually tired. The good: He’d be doubly equipped to seek fame and fortune in four years.

Funny how things work out.

“It just burned me out,” said Carville, who soon stepped away from school and the gym. “I was trying to be a boxer and a student, and both sides of the equation suffered. Really, it took away my passion for the sport.”

Nobody in Carville’s hometown loved the prize ring than late restaurateur Joe Graziano. If anything could restore the fistic fun for Carville, it was an event and cause with Joe’s name attached.

While working a second-shift job and weighing what’s next in his life, Carville, now 20, is trying his hand as a boxing promoter. Turns out that world is rife with potholes and speed bumps, too.

Together with his father, Jim, Carville planned to present an amateur charity card at Lisbon High School on Saturday, April 9. All proceeds would benefit the Joe Graziano Scholarship Fund, designed to help local students studying culinary arts at Central Maine Community College in Auburn.

But early this week, Carville swallowed his pride and called off the fund-raiser until at least mid-May.

“Due to a lack of available fighters at the moment, we’re not going to be able to put on a show,” Carville said. “It’s something we couldn’t fathom. It’s left a bad taste in all our mouths.”

Carville says he’ll scribble more mental notes and move forward.

“I’m learning that it’s about more than folding out chairs on the night of the fight,” he said. “I’ve learned more through this experience than I did from my brief time in college.”

Catching fight fever

Like most kids who grew up within a baseball’s throw of Route 196, Carville’s youth included at least one memorable field trip to Joe’s famed Italian eatery.

Graziano’s is the area’s unofficial boxing hall of fame. Carville was captivated by the fight posters, action photos and portraits autographed by giants of the sport.

“He threw a pizza party for my class in fifth grade,” Carville said. “For two hours, he just kept bringing out dish after dish. It was completely profit-free, but he knew how much it meant to the kids.”

Around that time, Carville launched his career at the Gamache Boxing Club in the Lewiston Armory basement. In high school, he moved to the Portland gym.

Carville captured three straight regional Golden Gloves championships in the 132-pound class.

Although Carville’s mother, Debbie, never really embraced his non-traditional choice of a youth sport, Willie said she concealed that reluctance with undying support.

Jim, who once played on a Little League baseball team sponsored by Joe Graziano, was an integral part of his son’s ring success. That bond carried over to their new endeavor.

“My dad literally is an angel on my shoulder,” said Carville. “When I don’t want to get out of bed in the morning and go solicit advertising, he calls me to get me going. It was the same when I was in the ring. He’d wake me up at 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning and say it was time to go running.”

Sound advice

Carville said that his maiden voyage into the promotional waters has renewed his relationship with former world champion Joey Gamache of Lewiston and his father, Joe Sr.

Gamache Sr. gave Carville advice on how to design the souvenir program. The younger Gamache hopes to lure some boxers from New York City for the event.

When the fights finally unfold, Carville plans six to eight bouts. And no, despite the need for competitors, he won’t climb through the ropes.

“I’ve seen other promoters try to fight. I heard about a guy in Bangor who ended up getting knocked out on his own card,” Carville said. “There are just too many commitments. I don’t think you can do both and make it work.”

Carville said he likes the busy pace and the task of lining up fights. He’s less crazy about the salesmanship.

“Even though it’s a great cause,” said Carville, “I hate having to ask for money. It never gets easy.”

The theme of the postponed event is “Fight to Educate.”

Carville might ultimately return to college. For now, he’s soaking up the real-world experience, disappointments and all, in an environment that’s as natural to him as breathing.

“I fought eight years, but I’ve never taken on a task like this,” he said. “It’s busy, busy, busy. But I love it.”