Paul Spadafora
Template:Short description Template:Infobox boxer
Paul Ross Spadafora (born September 5, 1975)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is an American retired professional boxer. He is the former IBF lightweight champion of the world, and has challenged once for a light welterweight world title. In 2020, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Personal backgroundEdit
Known as "The Pittsburgh Kid", Spadafora is from McKees Rocks, a borough outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His childhood was poverty-stricken: his father died of a drug overdose when he was nine, and he was homeless for several weeks as a teenager. He started boxing when he was eleven, and left school in 9th grade to focus on it.<ref name=Harlan>Template:Cite news</ref>
Troubles outside the ringEdit
Spadafora was an alcoholic from a young age and at one point also abused drugs.<ref name=Harlan/> He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for shooting his girlfriend Nadine Russo in the chest in October 2003 after a night of drinking, and in February 2005 was sentenced to six months in a bootcamp-style rehabilitation center.<ref name=Harlan/> He had by then become engaged to Russo and she had born his second child.<ref name=Harlan/> He ultimately went to prison for the crime.<ref name=sued>Template:Cite news</ref>
In September<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and October 2011, Spadafora was twice arrested on DUI charges. The following September he pleaded guilty.<ref name=sued/>
On September 23, 2012, his manager filed suit against him in Allegheny County court for breach of contract.<ref name=sued/>
ComebackEdit
Despite his troubles outside the ring, Spadafora repeatedly expressed his intention to return to the ring. In November 2006 he returned after a 32-month layoff to stop Jesus Francisco Zepeda in round five at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On April 25, 2008, again in Erie, Spadafora returned to the ring to fight Shad Howard. Spadafora repeatedly connected with sharp jabs and combinations enroute to an 80–72 unanimous decision.
In 2010 he defeated Italian boxer Ivan Fiorletta by knockout.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2012 he defeated Humberto Toledo.<ref name=sued/>
On April 6, 2013, Spadafora defeated Robert Franckel for the NABF Super Lightweight Championship.
Spadafora suffered the only loss of his career on November 30, 2013, losing to Johan Pérez by majority decision to lose the WBA Light Welterweight title.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
RetirementEdit
Paul Spadafora retired from boxing following his 2014 fight with Héctor Velázquez.
In April 2016, Spadafora was charged with assault for an altercation with a woman outside of Redstone Tavern in Crafton, Pennsylvania, and was sentenced to anger management classes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In December 2016, Spadafora was arrested after police responded to an altercation where Spadafora was accused of attacking his brother with a knife, stabbing him in the thigh, and kicking his mother in the back. In March 2018, Spadafora plead guilty to simple assault, resisting arrest, and terroristic threats, and was sentenced to time served and released on parole.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
As of 2024, Paul Spadafora is living in Las Vegas and training boxers in a gym built in his garage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In October 2024, Spadafora was hospitalized after being bitten by his pet dog, severing an artery in his left arm.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Professional boxing recordEdit
Template:Abbr | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
51 | Template:Yes2Win | 49–1–1 | Héctor Velázquez | UD | 8 | Jul 11, 2014 | Template:Small | |
50 | Template:No2Loss | 48–1–1 | Johan Pérez | MD | 12 | Nov 30, 2013 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
49 | Template:Yes2Win | 48–0–1 | Robert Franckel | UD | 10 | Apr 6, 2013 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
48 | Template:Yes2Win | 47–0–1 | Solomon Egberime | UD | 10 | Dec 1, 2012 | Template:Small | |
47 | Template:Yes2Win | 46–0–1 | Humberto Toledo | UD | 8 | Aug 18, 2012 | Template:Small | |
46 | Template:Yes2Win | 45–0–1 | Alain Hernandez | RTD | 5 (10), Template:Small | Nov 20, 2010 | Template:Small | |
45 | Template:Yes2Win | 44–0–1 | Ivan Fiorletta | TKO | 8 (10), Template:Small | Mar 12, 2010 | Template:Small | |
44 | Template:Yes2Win | 43–0–1 | Jermaine White | UD | 8 | Sep 30, 2009 | Template:Small | |
43 | Template:Yes2Win | 42–0–1 | Ivan Orlando Bustos | TKO | 6 (8), Template:Small | Jun 24, 2009 | Template:Small | |
42 | Template:Yes2Win | 41–0–1 | Shad Howard | UD | 8 | Apr 25, 2008 | Template:Small | |
41 | Template:Yes2Win | 40–0–1 | Oisin Fagan | SD | 10 | Mar 9, 2007 | Template:Small | |
40 | Template:Yes2Win | 39–0–1 | Frankie Zepeda | TKO | 5 (10), Template:Small | Nov 22, 2006 | Template:Small | |
39 | Template:Yes2Win | 38–0–1 | Francisco Campos | TKO | 10 (10), Template:Small | Jul 17, 2004 | Template:Small | |
38 | Template:Yes2Win | 37–0–1 | Rubén Galván | UD | 10 | Apr 29, 2004 | Template:Small | |
37 | Template:DrawDraw | 36–0–1 | Leonard Doroftei | SD | 12 | May 17, 2003 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
36 | Template:Yes2Win | 36–0 | Dennis Holbaek Pedersen | UD | 12 | Nov 9, 2002 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
35 | Template:Yes2Win | 35–0 | Angel Manfredy | UD | 12 | Mar 9, 2002 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
34 | Template:Yes2Win | 34–0 | Charles Tschorniawsky | UD | 10 | Aug 14, 2001 | Template:Small | |
33 | Template:Yes2Win | 33–0 | Joel Perez | UD | 12 | May 8, 2001 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
32 | Template:Yes2Win | 32–0 | Billy Irwin | UD | 12 | Dec 16, 2000 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
31 | Template:Yes2Win | 31–0 | Rodney Jones | UD | 10 | Sep 9, 2000 | Template:Small | |
30 | Template:Yes2Win | 30–0 | Mike Griffith | TD | 10 (12), Template:Small | May 6, 2000 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
29 | Template:Yes2Win | 29–0 | Victoriano Sosa | UD | 12 | Mar 3, 2000 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
28 | Template:Yes2Win | 28–0 | Renato Cornett | TKO | 11 (12), Template:Small | Dec 17, 1999 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
27 | Template:Yes2Win | 27–0 | Israel Cardona | UD | 12 | Aug 20, 1999 | Template:Small | Template:Small |
26 | Template:Yes2Win | 26–0 | Eugene Johnson | UD | 8 | Mar 30, 1999 | Template:Small | |
25 | Template:Yes2Win | 25–0 | Rocky Martinez | UD | 10 | Jan 22, 1999 | Template:Small | |
24 | Template:Yes2Win | 24–0 | Dezi Ford | TKO | 10 (12) | Dec 4, 1998 | Template:Small | |
23 | Template:Yes2Win | 23–0 | Sam Girard | UD | 10 | Oct 23, 1998 | Template:Small | |
22 | Template:Yes2Win | 22–0 | David Thomas | TKO | 2 (8) | Aug 30, 1998 | Template:Small | |
21 | Template:Yes2Win | 21–0 | Jose Aponte | PTS | 12 | Jun 23, 1998 | Template:Small | |
20 | Template:Yes2Win | 20–0 | Amado Cabato | TKO | 7 (8) | May 27, 1998 | Template:Small | |
19 | Template:Yes2Win | 19–0 | Troy Fletcher | UD | 8 | Mar 26, 1998 | Template:Small | |
18 | Template:Yes2Win | 18–0 | Roger Brown | UD | 8 | Dec 11, 1997 | Template:Small | |
17 | Template:Yes2Win | 17–0 | Hector Ramirez | TKO | 2 (?) | Oct 15, 1997 | Template:Small | |
16 | Template:Yes2Win | 16–0 | Kino Rodriguez | UD | 6 | Sep 13, 1997 | Template:Small | |
15 | Template:Yes2Win | 15–0 | Bernard Harris | UD | 8 | Aug 13, 1997 | Template:Small | |
14 | Template:Yes2Win | 14–0 | Julio Cesar Merino | TKO | 5 (?) | May 23, 1997 | Template:Small | |
13 | Template:Yes2Win | 13–0 | Joe Lafontant | PTS | 6 | Mar 1, 1997 | Template:Small | |
12 | Template:Yes2Win | 12–0 | Greg McLean | KO | 2 (6) | Dec 22, 1996 | Template:Small | |
11 | Template:Yes2Win | 11–0 | Mark Andreske | TKO | 5 (?) | Nov 21, 1996 | Template:Small | |
10 | Template:Yes2Win | 10–0 | Jeff Whaley | TKO | 2 (8) | Sep 27, 1996 | Template:Small | |
9 | Template:Yes2Win | 9–0 | Antonio Gonzalez | UD | 4 | Jun 22, 1996 | Template:Small | |
8 | Template:Yes2Win | 8–0 | Calvin Faggins | TKO | 2 (4) | Jun 10, 1996 | Template:Small | |
7 | Template:Yes2Win | 7–0 | Erik Joshua | UD | 4 | May 7, 1996 | Template:Small | |
6 | Template:Yes2Win | 6–0 | Julio Ibarra | TKO | 3 (?) | Mar 31, 1996 | Template:Small | |
5 | Template:Yes2Win | 5–0 | Michael Lopez | RTD | 3 (4), Template:Small | Feb 20, 1996 | Template:Small | |
4 | Template:Yes2Win | 4–0 | Lacebian Crockett | KO | 1 (?) | Dec 13, 1995 | Template:Small | |
3 | Template:Yes2Win | 3–0 | Anthony Hardy | UD | 4 | Nov 15, 1995 | Template:Small | |
2 | Template:Yes2Win | 2–0 | Nathaniel Hardy | TKO | 2 (?) | Nov 7, 1995 | Template:Small | |
1 | Template:Yes2Win | 1–0 | Steve Maddux | PTS | 4 | Oct 18, 1995 | Template:Small |
See AlsoEdit
- Billy Conn, another professional boxer from Pittsburgh nicknamed "the Pittsburgh Kid".
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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