Paul Spadafora

Paul Ross Spadafora (born September 5, 1975) is an American retired professional boxer. He is the former IBF lightweight champion of the world, and has challenged once for a light welterweight world title. In 2020, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. A Southpaw with slick defense, quickness, and ability to fight in the pocket and in range, his talent was well-regarded.

Personal background Known as "The Pittsburgh Kid", Spadafora is from McKees Rocks, a borough outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His childhood was poverty-stricken: his father died of a drug overdose when he was nine, and he was homeless for several weeks as a teenager. He started boxing when he was eleven, and left school in 9th grade to focus on it.

By age 16, Spadafora had won multiple Golden Gloves titles while competing in football and basketball at Sto-Rox High School. Encouraged to focus on boxing, he left school to pursue the sport full-time. In December 1994, he suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg when a police officer’s weapon accidentally discharged following a car crash, an injury that ended his hopes of qualifying for the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing team. https://www.si.com/mma/2013/04/05/paul-spadafora-boxer-comeback

Professional Career After recovering from the gunshot wound, Spadafora made his professional debut on October 18, 1995, defeating Steve Maddux by unanimous decision. He won his first 15 professional bouts, including eight by knockout, before longtime trainer and mentor P.K. Pecora died of a stroke in 1997. Continuing under trainer Tom Yankello, Spadafora captured the vacant IBF lightweight title on August 20, 1999, defeating Israel Cardona by unanimous decision. https://www.si.com/mma/2013/04/05/paul-spadafora-boxer-comeback

Later that year, he gained attention for an unofficial sparring session with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas, which members of Spadafora’s camp have long maintained Spadafora got the better of. The sparring session has remained a notable part of his boxing legacy and is frequently cited by fans and media. https://www.si.com/mma/2013/04/05/paul-spadafora-boxer-comeback

Spadafora defended his title eight times in a span of nearly four years. https://www.si.com/mma/2013/04/05/paul-spadafora-boxer-comeback

Troubles outside the ring Spadafora was an alcoholic from a young age and at one point also abused drugs. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for shooting his girlfriend Nadine Russo in the chest in October 2003 after a night of drinking, and in February 2005 was sentenced to six months in a bootcamp-style rehabilitation center. He had by then become engaged to Russo, and she had borne his second child. He ultimately went to prison for the crime.

In September and October 2011, Spadafora was twice arrested on DUI charges. The following September he pleaded guilty.

On September 23, 2012, his manager filed suit against him in Allegheny County court for breach of contract.

Comeback Despite his troubles outside the ring, Spadafora repeatedly expressed his intention to return to the ring. In November 2006 he returned after a 32-month layoff to stop Jesus Francisco Zepeda in round five at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, Pennsylvania.

On April 25, 2008, again in Erie, Spadafora returned to the ring to fight Shad Howard. Spadafora repeatedly connected with sharp jabs and combinations en route to an 80–72 unanimous decision.

In 2010 he defeated Italian boxer Ivan Fiorletta by knockout. In August 2012 he defeated Humberto Toledo.

On April 6, 2013, Spadafora defeated Robert Franckel for the NABF Super Lightweight Championship. https://www.si.com/mma/2013/04/05/paul-spadafora-boxer-comeback

Spadafora suffered the only loss of his career on November 30, 2013, losing to Johan Pérez by majority decision to lose the WBA Light Welterweight title.

Retirement Paul Spadafora retired from boxing following his 2014 fight with Héctor Velázquez.

In April 2016, Spadafora was charged with assault for an altercation with a woman outside of Redstone Tavern in Crafton, Pennsylvania, and was sentenced to anger management classes.

In December 2016, Spadafora was arrested after police responded to an altercation where Spadafora was accused of attacking his brother with a knife, stabbing him in the thigh, and kicking his mother in the back. In March 2018, Spadafora plead guilty to simple assault, resisting arrest, and terroristic threats, and was sentenced to time served and released on parole.

In November 2023, Spadafora’s official biography, Fighting Till the End, by Chris Scarnati, was published. The book remained on Amazon’s best-seller list for several months. https://www.timesonline.com/story/sports/local/2024/01/10/book-review-fighting-till-the-end-a-candid-examination-of-flawed-champion-paul-spadafora/72176409007/ A documentary based on the biography is currently in development.

As of 2024, Paul Spadafora is living in Las Vegas and training boxers in a gym built in his garage. In October 2024, Spadafora was hospitalized after being bitten by his pet dog, severing an artery in his left arm.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes51Win Héctor VelázquezUD8Jul 11, 201450Loss48–1–1 Johan PérezMD12Nov 30, 201349Win48–0–1 Robert FranckelUD10Apr 6, 201348Win47–0–1 Solomon EgberimeUD10Dec 1, 201247Win46–0–1 Humberto ToledoUD8Aug 18, 201246Win45–0–1 Alain HernandezRTD5 (10), Nov 20, 201045Win44–0–1 Ivan FiorlettaTKO8 (10), Mar 12, 201044Win43–0–1 Jermaine WhiteUD8Sep 30, 200943Win42–0–1 Ivan Orlando BustosTKO6 (8), Jun 24, 200942Win41–0–1 Shad HowardUD8Apr 25, 200841Win40–0–1 Oisin FaganSD10Mar 9, 200740Win39–0–1 Frankie ZepedaTKO5 (10), Nov 22, 200639Win38–0–1 Francisco CamposTKO10 (10), Jul 17, 200438Win37–0–1 Rubén GalvánUD10Apr 29, 200437Draw36–0–1 Leonard DorofteiSD12May 17, 200336Win36–0 Dennis Holbaek PedersenUD12Nov 9, 200235Win35–0 Angel ManfredyUD12Mar 9, 200234Win34–0 Charles TschorniawskyUD10Aug 14, 200133Win33–0 Joel PerezUD12May 8, 200132Win32–0 Billy IrwinUD12Dec 16, 200031Win31–0 Rodney JonesUD10Sep 9, 200030Win30–0 Mike GriffithTD10 (12), May 6, 200029Win29–0 Victoriano SosaUD12Mar 3, 200028Win28–0 Renato CornettTKO11 (12), Dec 17, 199927Win27–0 Israel CardonaUD12Aug 20, 199926Win26–0 Eugene JohnsonUD8Mar 30, 199925Win25–0 Rocky MartinezUD10Jan 22, 199924Win24–0 Dezi FordTKO10 (12)Dec 4, 199823Win23–0 Sam GirardUD10Oct 23, 199822Win22–0 David ThomasTKO2 (8)Aug 30, 199821Win21–0 Jose ApontePTS12Jun 23, 199820Win20–0 Amado CabatoTKO7 (8)May 27, 199819Win19–0 Troy FletcherUD8Mar 26, 199818Win18–0 Roger BrownUD8Dec 11, 199717Win17–0 Hector RamirezTKO2 (?)Oct 15, 199716Win16–0 Kino RodriguezUD6Sep 13, 199715Win15–0 Bernard HarrisUD8Aug 13, 199714Win14–0 Julio Cesar MerinoTKO5 (?)May 23, 199713Win13–0 Joe LafontantPTS6Mar 1, 199712Win12–0 Greg McLeanKO2 (6)Dec 22, 199611Win11–0 Mark AndreskeTKO5 (?)Nov 21, 199610Win10–0 Jeff WhaleyTKO2 (8)Sep 27, 19969Win9–0 Antonio GonzalezUD4Jun 22, 19968Win8–0 Calvin FagginsTKO2 (4)Jun 10, 19967Win7–0 Erik JoshuaUD4May 7, 19966Win6–0 Julio IbarraTKO3 (?)Mar 31, 19965Win5–0 Michael LopezRTD3 (4), Feb 20, 19964Win4–0 Lacebian CrockettKO1 (?)Dec 13, 19953Win3–0 Anthony HardyUD4Nov 15, 19952Win2–0 Nathaniel HardyTKO2 (?)Nov 7, 19951Win1–0 Steve MadduxPTS4Oct 18, 1995

Paul Spadafora

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