Millville boxer plans to keep fighting

By DAVID WEINBERG

Thomas LaManna has no plans to cease combating.
Regardless of struggling a first-round knockout loss final Saturday, the 29-year-old Millville boxer will not be but prepared to hold up his gloves.
“Completely not,” he stated Friday. “The combat clearly did not go the way in which I needed, however it’s not going to cease me.”
LaManna (30-5-1, 12 KOs), a 2011 Millville Excessive Faculty graduate, was going through on two-time junior-middleweight champion Erislandy Lara for the WBA world middleweight title at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California.
Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) registered the win in a single minute, 20 seconds, sending LaManna to the canvas with a straight left that landed on his proper ear. LaManna fell on his again, his head bouncing off the canvas. Referee Thomas Taylor stopped the bout and not using a rely.
“It solely lasted a minute, 20, so I’ve watched the replay about 80 instances,” LaManna stated. “I am not blaming anyone however myself for what occurred. He caught me with a left earlier and I keep in mind considering, ‘I simply took his finest shot. I’ll beat the (bleep) out of him for the subsequent 12 rounds.’ However it did not work out that means. He punched and I went out. It is boxing. It occurs.
“I used to be 100% aware the entire time and 100% OK. I went to the hospital afterward alone simply as a precaution and I used to be tremendous. The hardest half was that I had a chance to combat for a world title and I did not actually get an opportunity to point out what I might do.”
LaManna was making an attempt to hitch Bruce Seldon and the late Leavander Johnson as the one boxers from Atlantic, Cape Might or Cumberland County to develop into world champions.
Seldon received the WBA heavyweight crown with a seventh-round TKO over Tony Tucker on April 8, 1995. He retained the title with a Tenth-round TKO over Joe Hipp 4 months later earlier than struggling a first-round TKO loss to Mike Tyson on Sept. 7, 1996.
Johnson turned IBF light-weight champion on June 17, 2005 with a seventh-round TKO over Stefano Zoff. Precisely three months later, he misplaced by way of Eleventh-round TKO to Jesus Chavez. Johnson collapsed in his dressing room after the bout and died from head accidents 5 days later, on Sept. 22, 2005.
Two different native boxers got here up quick in title bids. Bridgeton light-heavyweight Richie Kates dropped a pair of controversial bouts towards the late Victor Galindez in 1976 and 1977, respectively. Atlantic Metropolis’s John Brown misplaced title challenges towards Shane Mosley (IBF light-weight) and the late Diego Corrales (IBF super-featherweight) in 1999, then misplaced a pair of challenges towards IBF super-featherweight champ Steve Forbes in 2000 and 2001.
LaManna, who was ranked sixth by the WBA on the time of his combat, is hoping to begin his comeback in a couple of months whereas additionally serving as a promoter.
Rising Star Promotions, which was shaped by him and mom Debbie LaManna, plans to reapply for a license with the New Jersey State Athletic Management Board with the objective of internet hosting a card in August in Atlantic Metropolis.
Atlantic Metropolis has not held a boxing occasion since March of 2020. Philadelphia-based promoter Marvin Shuler is scheduled to have one at Showboat Resort on Might 27, in accordance the Management Board’s occasion calendar.
The Skilled Fighters League combined martial arts group held three playing cards at Ocean On line casino Resort the final three weeks and has three extra scheduled for June.
Whereas Atlantic Metropolis was closed for enterprise, Rising Star staged three reveals at sports activities bar in Mexico. LaManna fought on two of these playing cards, however needs to renew his profession within the U.S..
“I’ve gotten to the place I’m by doing each, by selling and combating,” he stated. “And I need to proceed to maintain doing each. It took me a pair days to recover from the loss, I am not going to lie. However I am not able to cease combating but. I (received a title shot) as soon as and I can do it once more.”