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10/12/2006 Archived Entry: "A Message From Joey Spina: Peter, I’m coming for you!"
A Message From Joey Spina: Peter, I’m coming for you!
By J. D. Vena
This will likely be the only time in the history of boxing where the names Rocky Marciano and Joey Spina appear in the same sentence. The simple fact however, is that the two, especially early on in their careers can be compared on many levels. Though Marciano has been considered among the all-time greats for the past few decades, there was a time when Marciano was often criticized for his crude but effective style and the way he won, whether it was controversial or ugly. In fact Matt Ring of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin once said of Marciano, “Watching him pitch those haymakers, one couldn’t help wondering if the twenty-four knockouts on his record weren’t scored against cigar store Indians.”
Marciano’s haymakers ended up mowing down 49 consecutive opponents, most of which cannot be compared to tobacco décor. Marciano’s relentlessness and punching prowess kept him unbeaten in a short but productive career, which began in Providence, the same city where Joey “KO Kid” Spina has compiled a record (19-0-1 with 14 KO’s) against what some would deem “ham and egger” opposition.
True, Spina’s steady breakfast menu has been nothing to really behold, except for those that have managed to last the distance with the 29 year old. The problem there is that these boxers, former world champion Carl Daniels and fringe contenders Jose Spearman and Manu Ntoh were said to have been cheated of victory by Providence hometown decisions. Legend has it that Marciano was a beneficiary of some of these same questionable verdicts against the likes of “Tiger” Ted Lowry and then prospect, Roland Lastarza (in New York). But as Marciano had a couple of times, Spina’s power (there, I did it again) once enabled him to overcome a sizable deficit in the scorecards when a brutal body shot all but caved in the ribs of Contender star, Jesse Brinkley last May in a fight billed as “Put Up Or Shut Up.” Behind on all three judges scorecards, Spina won the fight on an 11 round TKO and in 20 pro fights, Spina has found ways to “put up” whether it’s particularly artful or not.
Brinkley (right)slumps to the canvas
This Saturday night, in another show billed as “Put Up Or Shut Up,” Spina will try to keep his undefeated record in tact and graduate with a pugilistic degree from Providence when he faces cross-town rival and Contender semi-finalist star, Peter Manfredo, Jr. in a java temperatured match-up at the Dunkin Donut Center.
Manfredo, 25, would agree with Spina’s skeptics and also admitted that the two haven’t felt too neighborly toward each other in recent months.
“There’s real bad blood between us,” Manfredo told the press at an open workout yesterday at his father’s gym. “I want to hurt this kid. He disrespected me, trash talking about me, my father and my wife. He kept calling me out and Saturday’s the big night. He just swings for the fences, looking for home runs, and that’s when you strike out. He’s not a boxer, I am; I throw short punches, he throws looping punches”
Manfredo puts on finishing touches for Saturday's fight
The two got to know each other early on when the then stablemates appeared on some of the same cards promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s CES shows earlier in the decade. The last time they appeared on the same show, Peter was headlining a 12-rounder in an ESPN show against Anthony Bonsante and Spina knocked out Salah Zabian for several minutes in a 4-round preliminary bout. Around this time, Manfredo and Spina were sparring and according to Peter’s father, “Peter embarrassed him every time.”
“I wouldn’t say he embarrassed me,” Spina told the CBZ. “He definitely got the better of me as he should have. I only had a few fights and didn’t take boxing very seriously then. I was playing boxing then not actually boxing. Today, I’m better because I don’t have to worry about finding work and I’m completely dedicated to training with no distractions.”
He’s even changed locals. Two years ago, Spina moved his training regimen from the cozy confines of the 401 Gym in Providence to Las Vegas to work with former light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustapha Muhammad. According to Spina, the move has been more rewarding than he could have expected.
“With Eddie, there is no better motivator,” said Spina. “He’s been through everything and I’ve been trying to absorb everything he tells me. The atmosphere (in Vegas) is great. He doesn’t let anyone slack off.”
Spina says he plans on bringing lots of pressure, which is what’s been Manfredo’s biggest problem thus far in his career. Manfredo is 25-3 with 11 KOs, with his losses coming against Alfonso Gomez, a soft welterweight who out-threw Manfredo in their first encounter later avenged by Peter in the series. His other defeats came at the hands of Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora in the Contender final and in their rematch. With the exception of their last fight, Mora seemed to have more in the tank and Manfredo had a difficult time dealing with Mora’s size.
At the time when Manfredo fought Bonsante in 2003, Manfredo was competing at the jr. middleweight limit while Spina was campaigning over the light heavyweight limit. Though Peter has shown solid overall skills and has fought better competition, the advantage of strength and size should go to Spina.
“He says he’s going to be there to fight me and I hope he does,” said Spina. “That will make it easier for me. I know I’m going to bring the pressure and let’s see if he can stand it. I want him to know that I’m coming for him.”
With all of the attention this fight has attracted in the compact state of Rhode Island, there is a lot of pride at stake for the “Pride of Providence,” Manfredo and Spina but Spina looks at the bigger picture.
“(Manfredo’s people) were saying that I was afraid to take this fight,” said Spina. “I’ve never turned down anyone Jimmy (Burchfield) has put in front of me and I never will. When it’s all said and done, this fight isn’t about bragging rights, it’s about bringing it to the next level. Getting to that level just happens to be fighting a kid I don’t like from my hometown.”
“I’m going to wear him down and take him out by the eighth,” predicted Manfredo. “I have too much skill for him.”
The level of skill sometimes didn’t matter much to Rocky Marciano and if Spina (Damn! I did it again) is able to bring it to the next level, it may not matter too much either.
Manfredo and Spina training photos provided by Emily Harney
Spina-Brinkley photo provided by Jeri Coli
