Show:694990

PROMO

Streak behind him, Spadafora can return focus on a title
By Joe Sager Times Sports Correspondent Published: Friday, July 11, 2014 4:00 am [1]

Weights from Pittsburgh, PA
FightNews July 11th, 2014[2]
Paul Spadafora 143 vs. Hector Velazquez 140.5
Jake Giuriceo 145.5 vs. Travis Hartman 146
Antonio Nieves 121.5 vs. Angel Carvajal 119
Eric Johnson 153 vs. Bruce Runkle 155.5
Ronell Green 125.5 vs. Joseliz Cepeda*
Eric Palmer TBD vs. Derick Lambert TBD**
*No Show, Suspension Pending
**Will weigh in tomorrow.
Venue: Rivers Casino Amphitheater, Pittsburgh, PA
Promoter: Roy Jr. Presents in Association with TNT Promotions

REPORT

Spadafora return to the ring with a win
By Joe Sager Times Baseball Correspondent |  Published: Friday, July 11, 2014 11:11 pm[3]  
PITTSBURGH – Back in the win column.
Coming off his the first loss of his professional boxing career, Paul Spadafora   
rebounded for a unanimous decision (79-73, 79-73, 80-72) over Hector Velazquez in 
a junior welterweight bought Friday night at the Rivers Rumble IV at the Rivers 
Casino Amphitheater.
“I was happy with what he did,” said Ambridge’s Tom Yankello, who is 
Spadafora’s trainer.
Spadafora (49-1-1, 19 knockouts) looked strong throughout the bout against 
Velazquez (56-22-3, 28 KOs).
“He just started getting warmed up,” Yankello said. “In a 12-round fight, who 
knows what might happen? Maybe he destroys the guy?”
With only five weeks to prepare for the fight, Spadafora knew it wasn’t going to be 
easy.
“It was a tough one. I had to earn to get it. I had to dig down and get it,” he said. “I 
am too old to be out of the gym. I am almost 40 years old and I have been out of the 
gym for six months. You can’t do that anymore. I can’t leave the gym and come 
back and think it’ll be the same thing. Time is catching up on me and I need to be 
in way better shape. I pulled out every trick you can pull out and this was just a 
regular dude. I took this week on five weeks noticed and I was out of the gym for six 
months straight.”
A Spadafora punch cut Velazquez between the eyes early in the second round. He 
landed several blows that stunned Velazquez, too, but he lasted the entire eight 
rounds.
“I think he was more aggressive, at times,” Yankello said. “That kid was awkward 
and Paul nullified a lot of what he tried. Paul threw some real good body shots. I 
am happy with what I saw.”
In the undercard bouts, Derick Lambert earned a unanimous decision over Eric 
Palmer, while three other fighters won by TKO: Eric Johnson over Bruce Runkle, 
Antonio Nieves over Angel Carvajal and Youngstown’s Jake Giuriceo over Travis 
Hartman.