15-0 Middleweight Thomas Cornflake LaManna: Real Combat Media Boxing Prospect of the Month
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Atlantic City (August 28, 2014)– At age 22, Millville, New Jersey’s 15-0 middleweight Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna is Real Combat Media’s international boxing prospect of the month. LaManna earned the distinction by cracking the BoxRec’s top 100 en route to winning an eight round unanimous decision over 26 bout Philadelphia veteran Jamaal ‘Da Truth’ Davis in a humdinger of a bout in Atlantic City last weekend.
Tall, skinny and lanky, LaManna’s build actually resembles somewhat of a cornflake in your breakfast cereal, hence the unique nickname which is his calling card. Perhaps LaManna’s greatest strength is his ordinary appearance. This has given his overconfident opponents the false impression LaManna can simple be taken. LaManna’s last five opponents had a combined 93 professional bouts, and all of them had winning records. Eight of LaManna’s bouts have been at Bally’s Hotel and Casino, and Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, where he is sure to get good exposure.
LaManna has a promising future. A fighter with an I.Q., Thomas LaManna has promise not just as a boxer, but also as a trainer, promoter, and salesman of sporting goods. LaManna is more of a well-rounded individual as a professional athlete in boxing for his age than most professional athletes will realize in a lifetime.
LaManna’s potential for success is found in a hard work ethic combined with a confident attitude. Other fighters perhaps have more talent, but LaManna is one of the rare breed of fighters who always seem to find a way to adapt to the style of his adversary and get the job done. Against Davis, LaManna did not immediately use his size to box from the outside against his shorter foe. Davis took the fight to the inside, but got outboxed by LaManna on the inside for the first four rounds anyway. LaManna then outboxed Davis with jabs thrown out of range in rounds five, seven and eight, offering Davis nothing. Davis went to the body in the sixth, winning one round, and punching himself out in the process.
LaManna may soon we ready to step up to the plate and fight in a ten rounder. He still needs work with his jab, and has not yet learned how to use the power he has (LaManna staggered Davis early with a power shot, and appeared surprised he was able to do it).A good test next would be LaManna in an eight or ten rounder against 10-9 Philadelphia veteran Latif Mundy. LaManna has reached the point of being worthy of better opposition.
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