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 The Storm That is Paul Spadafora
By Sean Stowell (July 17, 2004)
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The past year hasn't been kind to Paul Spadafora. Two arrests, a stint in rehab, two cutmen who have passed away, and a boxing career that's looking to regain the momentum it had a few years ago, are all things swirling around the former IBF lightweight titlist, and that doesn't even include an impending court date this fall.
He will have some sort of stability tonight when he fights in his native Pittsburgh at the Chevrolet Amphitheatre against unknown Francisco Campos. It will be Spadafora's second fight since a controversial draw with Leonard Dorin in May of last year in a lightweight title bout, a fight that marked the unraveling of the 28-year-old.
He let his longtime trainer Jesse Reid and co-trainer Tom Yankello go, and hired Emanuel Steward shortly after the Dorin bout. In October of last year he was arrested for urinating in public and two days later he was arrested over a shooting that wounded his girlfriend, Nadine Russo. In March, his longtime cutman Frank Delio passed away, which led Spadafora to Al Gavin, who died from a stroke last week.
Things seem to be settling down somewhat for Spadafora, who gave up his lightweight title to campaign at 140-pounds. He's re-hired Reid, found a new cutman in Malcolm Garrett, and has undergone substance abuse counseling to help deal with his problems.
"The stuff that happened this year, all that dumb stuff, that ain't me," Spadafora said Thursday at a press conference. "I wouldn't mind if it was me. But it's not me. Like being out there all messed up drinking. I learned an important lesson."
That lesson has come at a price. His comeback bout in April (his first since Dorin) against Ruben Galvan was non-televised and held in a hotel ballroom. The only way for fight fans to see Spadafora against Campos is to be at the Chevrolet Amphitheater. Campos, making his United States debut, is 17-0-1 with 9 KOs.
Spadafora, undefeated in 37 bouts with one draw and 14 KOs, is a new person according to Reid.
"It's been wonderful working with Paul again," Reid told MaxBoxing.com. "He loves the game and I'm happy we did what we did in deciding to move up a weight class. He feels reborn."
Reid feels that if Spadafora and Dorin had fought at 140-pounds, the "Pittsburgh Kid" would have stopped him.
"He's 5-foot-9 and was trying to make 135-pounds," Reid said. "He didn't have any body fat so he was burning his muscles instead of fat."
In the months following the Dorin fight, Reid and Yankello were released. The two trainers didn't see eye-to-eye and members of Spadafora's team felt a change was needed. Reid figured one of them would be gone, but not both.
"We had problems," Reid admits concerning his relationship with Yankello. "Paul likes to make people happy and I know he didn't make the decision to get rid of both of us."
This time around, Reid will be the only voice in the corner, and it is also the first time he has signed a contract with a fighter he has worked with. He's worked with several fighters over the years, including Roger Mayweather, but went with verbal agreements until his second stint with Spadafora. According to Reid, he signed a four-fight deal starting with this fight, and there is an option to renew when the four fights are up.
Reid feels loyal to Spadafora, and Spadafora feels loyalty to him. Fighting in front of a hometown crowd with a stable corner may be the beginning of a new chapter in his life, where he will be on solid ground as the storm passes.
For Questions or Comments
E-Mail Sean Stowell at seanstowell@hotmail.com
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