New England Chatta

New England Chatta - June 24, 2000

JD Vena

Laying Down the Law: Manzello Puts His Foot Down

    Over the past couple of decades, there have been very few world class
boxers that have sprung from New England. Most of New England's boxers have been more comfortable compiling records filled with more tomato cans than most Stop & Shops aisles before leaving the state for a money bout with a world class fighter. Medfield's Peter McNeeley has been one of these fighters.

    "The Hurricane" has made his way travelling from local auditoriums and
gymnasiums all the way to the MGM Grand. In compiling a 47-5 record with 35 knockouts, McNeeley has fought every class of fighter in the game of boxing. It has been against the tomato cans however, that the Hurricane has been able to blow through more successfully.

    This past Saturday at the Leominster National Guard Armory, McNeeley's
manager, Vinny Vecchione promoted a successful (money-wise) club-fight card
pitting his fighter against Leominster Mass Police Officer, Joe Siciliano. Though Siciliano was unbeaten going into the bout, he brought with him just one professional win. As one would expect, McNeeley overwhelmed his undeveloped foe in less than a round. The big surprise of the night was that Siciliano was not the most limited prizefighter on Vecchione's card.

    The other opponents brought in to lose were the most hapless bunch of
fighters the CBZ has ever witnessed. Jim Holly, a 46-year old ring veteran
and boxing manager of Ashtabula, Ohio brought with him five people posing to
be practitioners of the "Sweet Science." Holly also participated in what
would prove to be his 52nd loss in 57 bouts in a career that has spanned 17
illustrious years. Half of his fights have been lost via first round KO. Unbeknownst to newly appointed Massachusetts State Boxing Chairman, Nick
Manzello, Holly was suspended in 2 states, which should have made him ineligible to revisit his familiar world of unconsciousness.

    "When I received the information from Fight Fax, it didn't mention that
Holly was suspended in two states," said Manzello. "Had I known about this,
(Holly) wouldn't have been on the card. We (the commission) have to have the
boxers checked out 72 hours before the show goes on. At that time, many of
the opponents who were scheduled for Vecchione's show pulled out.

    Instep Holly and his band of boxers, whose careers looked to be headed in
the same direction as Holly's. Two of his fighters had lost all five of their bouts by knockout according to Fight Fax. Two other of his fighters could not be verified by Fight Fax and another of his fighters carried the same name as a fighter who had fought Haverhill's Jeff Fraza on a June 6th card in Boston. I can assure my dear readers that the Alonzo Sojourney that fought former world title challenger, Lamar Murphy this past Saturday night in Leominster wasn't the same boxer. It was also learned that all of Holly's fighters share the same address. It is the CBZ's view that the Ashtabulans are probably residents of a sober house

    "I have an investigation in progress with the Ohio State Boxing Commission to get to the bottom of this. You mark my words, they'll never fight in this state again," promises Manzello.

    The only problem is how can this be prevented from happening with another
group of no-hopers?

    "It's hard to avoid visitors such as Holly," said Manzello. "Siciliano sold over $13,000 worth of tickets. He was a big attraction for the people in the area. At the same time, you can't afford to bring in exceptional fighters that won't fight over 6 rounds for a few thousand dollars. What I would like to do is influence the local managers and promoters to put their fights in with one another."

    "I admit, I wasn't too prepared for this card because it was announced before I was even named chairman of the commission. July 7th (Tony Cardinale and Dino Duva's fight card) will be the first fight card that I will be fully involved with and I can assure you that the fighters (from Ashtabula) won't be fighting here anymore."

    Boxing has been successful to those who dedicated years of hard work and discipline to the sport's demands. It has carried people from mean streets to deluxe apartments in the sky (no pun intended Mr. Jefferson). This scribe has always appreciated people who use the sport of boxing as a vehicle of socio-economic advancement, they just need to learn how to fight beforehand.