PORTLAND – Joey Gamache stood at the postfight podium looking like the Terminator in the second reel. He wore a leather biker’s jacket and sunglasses, the latter in an effort to hide a face not even a movie special effects man could create.

The wrecking-ball fists of new World Boxing Association lightweight champion Tony Lopez had left Gamache not only with a left eye turned into a purple slit and various other facial injuries, those hands of stone also left the now ex-champion from Lewiston with the more lasting sting of the first professional loss of his career.

“I’ll be back,” Gamache (29-1) told the media, promising his future in the fight game was by no means terminated with the 11th-round TKO he suffered in front of 7,107 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center and a national TV audience Saturday afternoon.

Lopez, a 29-year-old, two-time former IBF junior lightweight title holder, was gracious after taking the WBA belt Gamache had held for only four months. The native of Sacramento, Calif., now 41-3-1 (9-2-1 in title fights), agreed the 26-year-old Gamache still has a bright future in the 135-pound division.

“He’s a good fighter,” said Lopez, whose relatively unmarked face backed up his contention that Gamache might have been able to hit him, but was never able to hurt him. “He’s more schooled than I thought. He’s fast, he moves well, he has charisma. He just needs more experience.”

If experience means sticking to a single strategy, than Gamache agreed with Lopez’s assessment.

Gamache came into the fight with the idea of boxing Lopez, who had 28 knockouts to his credit and a reputation as a brawler. For most of the first eight rounds, Gamache stuck to his gameplan and was successful (he was awarded seven of eight rounds by judge Stuart Winston).

But as the fight wore on, Gamache gradually stopped sticking and moving. His left eye, which he said got whacked with a Lopez head butt in the first two rounds, began swelling, impairing Gamache’s vision. Lopez speeded the swelling by aiming overhand rights at the injury.

“It sounds rude, but I was aiming for it. Hey, we’re fighters. This is what we do,” Lopez said.

Gamache might have still pulled the fight out had he stayed on his toes and circled. Instead he relied more and more on exchanging blows and counter-punching inside. Bad idea.

In the final minute of round eight, Lopez opened a previously-existing abrasion under Gamache’s right eye (incurred during sparring). The cut wasn’t serious, but it was telling. The challenger smelled blood.

Midway through the ninth round, Gamache’s nose began bleeding, courtesy of Lopez’s stiff left jab, which was aided by the challenger’s 7-inch reach advantage.

By the 10th round, Gamache’s left eye was swollen shut and he was breathing through his open mouth. A Lopez overhand right near the end of the round visibly wobbled Gamache, who was able to clinch and ride out the storm until the bell.

“It was kind of hard to see those overhand rights coming,” Gamache said, when asked how his vision was at that point.

Even after 10 rounds Gamache led on two of three judges cards and was even on the third.

Lopez went back to his corner after the 10th and said he was met by a tirade from his brother and trainer, Sal Lopez Jr.

“He was screaming at me that I had to make up these last two rounds and make them up big,” said Lopez. “I came out for the 11th with power.”

The power came 40 seconds into the 11th round in the form of an eight-punch barrage, including two crushing overhand rights, that sent Gamache to the canvas for the first time in his career. The crowd fell silent. Gamache struggled up at the count of eight, but referee James Santa waved it over.

“He was physically stronger than me and I got dictated into his fight,” is how Gamache assessed the outcome. “I abandoned my strategy and tried to slug with him. That’s not me. I’m a boxer, I’m not a puncher. Great fighters dictate fights.

“I have no excuses,” continued Gamache, who said he would welcome a rematch with Lopez. “It was a big ring. I was at home. I had all the advantages. His experience was his advantage.”

Lopez said he would give Gamache a rematch any time, only it would be in Sacramento.

Fight promoter Dan Duva, however, said the next fight for both men has yet to be determined.