 Manfredo Decisions Bonsante, Retains NABO Title
By Stephen Tobey (May 15, 2004) Photo © Brendon Pierpaoli
 Send this page to friend Give us your feedback
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Peter Manfredo, Jr. retained his North American Boxing Organization junior middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Anthony Bonsante Friday at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
Judge Walter Stone scored the fight 120-109 for Manfredo, while Robert Paolino scored it 118-109 and Clark Sammartino scored it 120-107.
There were no knockdowns. Referee Charles Dwyer deducted a point from Bonstante in the seventh round for holding.
"It was a very frustrating fight," said Manfredo, who is now 21-0 with 10 knockouts."When you're in there, he's grab and hold. He was a very tough, strong kid."
Manfredo, who was fighting in his hometown, consistently landed the left hook, along with some short right hands. Bonstante was able to muscle Manfredo a little on the inside and landed some quick, combinations early in the fight.
Bonsante, whose most notable win was an 11th-round stoppage of Tony Ayala, Jr in 2003, dropped to 24-4-3 with 13 KO s. Most of his recent fights were at middleweight or super middleweight, but he weighed 152 pounds at Thursday's weigh-in, 2 pounds below the 154-pound limit. Manfredo weighed 154.
"I've been 154 for the last two weeks," said Bonsante,who lives in Shakopee, Minn.. "Peter came and fought a great fight. I thought his making the weight would have taken a lot out of him, but he was strong. I give him a lot of credit."
The showdown between middleweights Chad Dawson and Ian Gardner was cancelled because Dawson is under suspension for failing a medical test after his March 27 fight at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
It was the second time a national TV appearance of Gardner's was cancelled due to an opponent's failed physical. In January, a fight on Shobox was scratched when Julio Cesar De La Cruz failed a prefight physical.
In the co-feature, light heavyweight Joe Spina of Providence knocked out Salah Zabian in the fourth round of a scheduled eight. Spina dropped Zabian with two left uppercuts and referee Steve Manfredo stopped the fight in mid-count at 2:17. After the stoppage, a member of Zabian's corner got into a brief altercation with Manfredo protesting low blows that he claimed the referee missed.
US national amateur champion Matt Godfrey of Providence made his pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Glen Morgan of San Antonio. The scores were 39-37 (twice) and 38-37. Godfrey, a cruiserweight, survived a flash knockdown in the third round, but controlled most of the fight. Morgan, who gave as good as he got, dropped to 1-2.
Felix Lora of Miami won a four-round split decision over Josh Beeman of Providence in a junior welterweight bout. The scores were 40-36 and 39-38 for Lora (2-1-1) and 39-38 for Beeman, who is now 2-1.
Reynaldo Rodriguez of Woonsocket, RI won a four-round majority decision over Rashad Sanders of Raleigh-Durham, NC. The scores were 39-38, 40-36 and 39-39. Rodriguez is 5-0 with two knockouts. Sanders is 4-3.
Missy Fiorentino of Cranston, RI won a six-round unanimous decision over Leona Brown of Buffalo in a featherweight fight. The scores were 60-53 (twice) and 59-54. Fiorentino is now 9-0.
For Questions or Comments
E-mail Stephen Tobey
|
