Middleweight Prospect Antoine Douglas Defeats Cornflake
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Westbury, NY (March 24th, 2015) Ringside– With a silent corner and no game plan, middleweight prospect Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna of Millville, New Jersey, sat in the middle on the ring after being knocked down a third time in the sixth round by 17-0-1 Antoine Douglas in the main event of an eight bout card on ShoBox The Next Generation on Showtime, promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions, GH3 Promotions and Promotions, at The Space in Westbury, on Friday evening, March 13, 2015. Both scheduled main event bouts of the evening ended in disaster in the sixth round. In LaManna’s case, the handwriting on the wall began as soon as the opening bell sounded.
During the first five rounds, and during the rounds as well, the corner of Omar Douglas was loud, serious, encouraging and spirited. In the LaManna corner, any possible edge in size and strength LaManna had dissipated immediately as the corner was silent for the entire bout. The experienced corner men of Antoine Douglas, observing the enemy’s key tactical mistakes and subsequent silent corner, took immediate keen advantage of the situation to set the tempo in the bout and control the action. Thomas LaManna, with no sound advice, fought most of the bout in backwards defensive retreat.
LaManna’s corner appeared silent the entire bout and between rounds. LaManna, with no game plan, tried to fight backing up, but was unable to use his taller height and superior reach. Douglas continued to apply relentless pressure, moving forward all night and fighting his way inside. Eventually Douglas timed LaManna. A few times, LaManna moved forward and threw a few jabs moving in and out, and showed the ability to smother Douglas with his larger size when Douglas came i. Without a game plan executed in advance or in the corner, and with no real sound advice on how to respond, LaManna quickly appeared totally lost. For this reason it was just a matter of time. Unable to change his approach, and without his corner telling him what he was doing wrong or what to do right, LaManna eventually became an easy target. Douglas, simply measuring distance, landed accurately, kept getting closer, and finally took LaManna down three times for a TKO in the sixth, ending the mismatch.
The first knockdown appeared not to be a knockdown. LaManna inexplicably took a knee without getting hit, then got up and objected, as perhaps it was a slip. LaManna then threw his best punch and knocked out the mouthpiece of Douglas, who did not move and instead decked LaManna on his back in a corner. The LaManna corner got no help from referee Harvey Dock, who ignored the blue mouthpiece of Douglas on the canvas, and allowed Douglas to finish LaManna off with a chopping right hand to the head without a break.
One wonders why LaManna would have taken this bout, given the poorly organized corner and lack of any game plan. The plan of Douglas, to come forward and get inside with pressure, cutting off the ring to the extent LaManna would eventually have nowhere to run, was slowly but surely executed to perfection. In addition, Douglas had some power, whereas LaManna’s punches had no apparent effect. Douglas came to fight. LaManna, moving backwards, ran away for all six rounds. There’s an old expression, you can run but you cannot hide. Since LaManna was letting Douglas tag him on the inside from the onset, eventually Douglas was going to close the show. He did.
Quality sparring involves practicing the game plan you will attempt to execute in the ring against a similar opponent. Back to the drawing board involves recognizing one mistakes.
For Thomas LaManna, the entire corner and training regimen needs to be changed, to avoid a repeat performance against a legitimate 10 round opponent who comes in to win.
The argument LaManna had superior experience in the ring in comparison to Douglas did not hold water. In reality, Douglas had fought a quality world class 10 round draw last August with Michel Soro in a different WBA regional bout in New York, a performance and experience putting Douglas a full class above Thomas LaManna in this bout, and proving an accurate forecast of a mismatch on paper. The inexperienced LaManna should never have taken this bout, and the poor quality of fights used to build the record of Thomas LaManna was blatantly obvious. The 17-0-1 record of Douglas clearly has a better quality of opponent than the 16-1 record of LaManna. For example, unbeaten super welterweight prospect Frank Galarza, who was present in the fighter dressing rooms in Westbury, stopped Yolexcy Leiva in the first round in June 2012, an opponent Thomas LaManna subsequently struggled to barely beat by six round split decision in August 2012.
The game plan for LaManna to win was there. Several times, LaManna moved in and out with combinations which caught Douglas. LaManna needed to move forward, and in and out with his jab, to set the tempo of the bout and keep Douglas out of range. Both LaManna and LaManna’s corner seemed unable to use this game plan to win as LaManna’s obvious chance. Also, LaManna had size, reach and strength advantage, and should have used them to smother Douglas and tie him up inconsistently. Douglas has superior hand speed and power. LaManna has some power, but was unable or unaware of how to use it to the correct advantage, with jab combinations in and out, coming forward or side to side, but not backing up. The keys to victory were there for both sides. LaManna lacked the instincts or the corner to do anything. LaManna’s silent and invisible corner was a horrible disaster. LaManna looked like an innocent lamb being sent to the slaughter.
Result: Omar Douglas TKO 6 Thomas Lamanna, Middleweights (2:44)
Douglas wins vacant WBA Fedelatin Middleweight title
Douglas knocked down LaManna three times in the tenth round.
Referee Harvey Dock stops contest with LaManna knocked down in center ring.
The Space at Westbury Undercard Results
Referees: Pete Santiago, Eric Dali
Ismael Barroso TKO 6 Issouf Kinda, Lightweights
Barroso knocked down Kinda in fifth round. Fight stopped as Kinda had blurred vision.
17-0-2 Venezuelan Barroso wins vacant WBO NABO and interim NABA Lightweight titles.
Jerry Odom TKO 1 Andrew Hernandez, Super Middleweights (2:47)
Rematch of Odom disqualification ends with first round stoppage of 8-0-1 Hernandez.
Adam Lopez KO 2 Pablo Cruz, Super Bantamweights (1:42)
Lopez wins slugfest between unbeaten Texas super bantamweights. Cruz down twice.
Tommy Rainone TKO 6 Allen Litzau, Welterweights (2:57)
Rainone down in second, Litzau down in sixth. Litzau faded and corner threw in the towel.
Joshua Marks Win 6 Rich Neves, Super Welterweights (59-54, 59-54, 59-54)
Marks dropped Neve in second and outworked him in rounds two to six to score the upset.
Patricia Alcivar Win 6 Peggy Maerz, Female Super Flyweights (60-54, 59-55, 59-55)
Two minute rounds. Boom-Boom Alcivar, age 38, outworked 42 year old Canadian Maerz.
Dave Meloni Win 4 Richard Bonds, Super Featherweights (39-36, 39-36, 39-36)
Competitive opening bout of the eight bout Westbury card. Clear unanimous decision.
COMMENTS
English