ATLANTIC CITY — After walking through the backstage curtain, Thomas LaManna uttered a cleansing curse and walked into an empty hallway at Bally’s Hotel and Casino to process the moment. Thirteen years earlier, LaManna made his professional debut in the same building and now received his greatest recognition as a professional.
On Saturday, June 8, the 32-year-old from Millville, Up-to-date Jersey defeated Juan Carlos Abreu via third-round stoppage, dropping the Dominican three times to end the fight at 2:15 and winning the vacant WBA “golden” middleweight title, a second-class belt that according to LaManna, it puts him first in line to fight the established champion. It was a milestone in the Up-to-date Jersey athlete’s career, validating a career that has had ups and downs.
“It’s just a real feeling to have equipment that does something in boxing. Now I’m going from the hunter to the hunted,” said LaManna (38-5-1, 17 knockouts).
Originally, LaManna was supposed to fight Johan Gonzalez, but Gonzalez dropped out, and in mid-April his opponent was Abreu (26-8-1, 24 KO). However, only LaManna was eligible to win the belt after Abreu missed weight and officially weighed in at 162.5 pounds, although he had to drop a few pounds after unofficially weighing in at around 166 pounds.
LaManna weighed 159.5 pounds.
Abreu’s weight issues centered on his abs, something LaManna began to focus on after scouting in the first round. Abreu got into range and was able to land a right hand here and there, but it was the jab of the 6’1” LaManna that controlled the action for the most part. LaManna was finally able to make an impression on Abreu in the third quarter when a right uppercut scored the first knockdown.
“It was a shot to the chin, I know because the hand was a bit ring-shaped. The second and third were more expressive because for the last minute we were like robots rocking their socks off. Whoever lands first will be one of us. We grabbed him and got him out of there,” LaManna said.
The victory was the culmination of a long run for LaManna, during which he won his first 16 fights as a professional but struggled to achieve a signature victory, suffering losses in subsequent fights to the likes of Antoine Douglas, Jorge Cota and Brian Mendoza. and suffered a first-round knockout loss in 2021 to Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight world title.
The victory over Abreu, his eighth in a row, is his best to date, as Abreu has shown his class in a close majority decision loss to Charles Conwell in 2022 and going six rounds to Jaron Ennis in 2020.
LaManna’s longtime trainer, Reggie Lloyd, tells The Ring that Abreu’s high knockout percentage didn’t worry him too much because Abreu doesn’t maintain a high work rate and only looks for gigantic punches. He said the key is to maintain good defense and stay busy.
“Just touch the body, stay behind the jab and take advantage of his height. We know this guy likes to turn his back, so I told him to employ his jab and put his right hand to his body, but it broke him,” Lloyd said.
LaManna says he plans to petition the WBA to get a second chance at Lara, but is open to other gigantic fights at 160 pounds.
“Let’s try to consolidate, it’s a great story. But financially, [Lara] don’t really draw much. Regardless of the gigantic fights at 160 pounds. I was connected to Chris Eubank, we were talking about Jarrett Hurd, me and Danny Garcia would be crazy here in Atlantic City. Now that I’ve won this belt, I think it’s going to solidify it a little bit where I get the right opportunity,” LaManna said.
Other results
Chiara Dituri (9-1, 3 KO) of Brooklyn, Up-to-date York, picked up her second straight victory after suffering her first career loss, defeating Perla Lomeli (5-2) of Mexicali, Mexico by split decision. Two judges scored the fight for Dituri 77-75 and 78-74, while the third judge scored it 77-75 for Lomela.
Gabriel Gerena (6-0, 5 KO) earned his first victory since graduating last month with a degree in finance from Rutgers Business School, defeating Lyle McFarlane (2-6, 1 KO) to a stoppage in the fifth round of a six-man bout. round planned junior welterweight fight. Gerena, 22, is from Piscataway, Up-to-date Jersey
Lightweight Justin Palmieri (2-0, 1 KO) of Maple Shade, Up-to-date Jersey earned his first career stoppage, defeating Andrew Toppin (0-2) once in the first round with a body shot before finishing him with a right hand to the body after followed by a left hook to the chin in the second round, which led to throwing in the towel at 2:10. Palmieri, 24, trains alongside LaManna and Reggie Lloyd.
Palmieri, who turned professional last November, had a tiny amateur career of just eight fights, although he had not competed for more than two years before his debut.
“I’ve always had the style of a pro, I’ve never had that super swift pace. I always wanted to pick my shots and really count them. It was just a matter of time, I wasn’t going to be an Olympian or anything like that, so I just wanted to get to the pros as soon as possible,” Palmieri said of his decision to turn pro.
Damian Tinnerello (2-0, 2 KO) of Berlin, Up-to-date Jersey earned his second straight victory in three months, defeating Jordan Drayton (0-1) of Brooklyn at 2:57 of the first round of their four-round junior middleweight fight . Tinnerello, 21, who has been serving in the Air National Guard for a year, had one knockdown with a right hand before a left hook to the body ended the matter.
“I set him up for that stabbing. We executed our game plan, stayed composed and patient. I saw an opportunity and I took it. He didn’t belong there, so I eliminated him,” Tinnerello said.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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