“STEEL CITY KID” PACKS THE HOUSE
Pittsburgh, PA– In his second straight hometown sellout, Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora (43-0-1, 17 KOs) won a clear unanimous decision over Jermaine “Too Sweet” White (17-4, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas Wednesday night at the Great Hall at Heinz Field. Intent on showing his brazen opponent that he could one-up the visitor, Spadafora not only sought to outbox White, but he also showed the Vegas welterweight (147 lb.) he could outwork and, ultimately, out-foul when needed. Afterwards, Spadafora joked that, at 34 and boxing since he was a kid, “You ain’t gonna be dirtier than me.”
REFEREE EARNED HIS PAYCHECK
After losing the first round because of White’s effective combination punching, Spadafora settled down and took the sloppy second with a big sweeping right hook that appeared to open the cut on White’s left eyelid. The hometown favorite then took control with superior precision, especially with straight lefts and body shots, while blocking White’s shoeshine body punches with his elbows. Perhaps realizing that he wasn’t winning a chess match, White swarmed, throwing wildly, then clinching. White’s excessive holding, and a couple Spadafora low blows, drew warnings from Referee Rick Steigerwald, but no points were deducted until the final round, when Spadafora lost his cool from the holding and threw White to the ground, following that with an intentional butt that cost him a point. Nevertheless, the two judges gave the former IBF lightweight (135 lb.) champ seven rounds, while the other called it a shutout. I scored it 78-74, with the first for White and the last two rounds even.
SWEET PEA: “I NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE”
All-time lightweight great Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, who trained Spadafora for the second time, was as dumbfounded as this writer about one tactic by White: When Spadafora pivoted to his own right, White refused to move, literally having his back to the southpaw. Recognizing that blows to the back of the head are not only extremely dangerous but also clearly illegal, Spadafora often pulled his punches at that point, fearful of fouling. He was able to pop White on a few occasions with left hooks from that angle, but it made for a bizarre scene, as White had his back to the local perhaps a dozen times. Whitaker said after the fight, “I’ve never seen a guy fight sideways like that!”
CAN PAUL MAKE IT BACK AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING?
Those hoping for an immediate title shot for the Pittsburgher should, in addition to facing reality, exhibit more patience. Spadafora looked like a solid but unfinished product, and he would not match up well right now, if ever, with swarming brawlers like Ricky Hatton. He said if he can’t land a big fight, he’ll be back again in November, apparently for a hometown show. Marco Antonio Barrera’s name has also been bandied about, but at this point, the risk versus reward for fighting Spadafora probably doesn’t help his cause. He’ll beat the Jermaine Whites of the boxing world ten times out of ten along with most B-level boxers, and though he may not defeat an A-lister anymore, he and promoter Mike Acri should take a risk at some point and accept the role of underdog and possible spoiler to regain the spotlight. Otherwise, the only blemish on his record will come from not what you see, but what you don’t see.
PROSPECT TO WATCH IS JESSE LUBASH
A lot of cities have young, undefeated fighters who may or may not pan out. Pittsburgh, like other places, has had several, most of whom can’t get to or past the elite. It’s easier to spot when they don’t have what it takes than when they do, but 24 year old Jesse Lubash (12-0, 7 KOs) has caught my eye and stole the show last night, punishing veteran trial horse Jason Davis (11-14, 8 KOs) over six. Lubash’s best weapon is a crushing left hook to the body, and he employs an old school, rolling defense, with excellent head and upper body movement. If he continues to progress, Lubash, who comes from a family of boxers, could become a player.
Brian Gorman