Madison Square Garden Converse Sneaker Brigade: Lightweight Johnny Verderosa While The Heat Lasted
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Success in boxing, professional sports in life often boils down to discipline versus the reactive mind. In the case of lightweight prospect Johnny “The Heat’ Verderosa, between 1979 and 1984, Verderosa lit the fire of the American boxing scene in the lightweight ranks. Verderosa had the talent, the fire, the flame and the personality to go all the way.
Much like the late Irish Billy Collins Jr., the early 1980s was the time for Verderosa and Collins to rise to the top. Neither did, and in this Real Combat Media online historical lookback, the circumstances for Verderosa were not the same as Collins. Verderosa was a party animal by his own admission, which interfered with his discipline and ability to rise to the top of the 135 pounds lightweight division.
Verderosa rose out of the Police Athletic Club to win two New York City Golden Gloves titles and then enter the professional ranks. Verderosa, Kevin Rooney and Al Taub were the Converse sneaker brigade, all three amateurs who fought won the Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden wearing converse sneakers because they had no money for boxing shoes. Verderosa’s 28-3 pro record with 20 knockouts (according to Verderosa) tells an incomplete story. Verderosa gave up on his career, when he still had enormous potential. For Verderosa, a CBS television darling, all of the talent was there, and the heart was there. Her personality could not settle at lightweight, light-welterweight and welterweight. If it had, a bout between Verderosa and Alexis Arguello could have been as much of a super fight in its time as Floyd’s bout with Manny Pacquiao did later on.
Verderosa opened his career at 22-0, including ruining the career of 24-0 Robert Mullins in a USBA Super Featherweight title bout by first-round knockout on CBS. Mullins then went 8-24-1 for the rest of his train wrecked career. Verderosa defended his USBA title against Enrique Solis, Nico Perez and Julio Diablito Valdes, and his career seemed to be going places. However, a third stoppage loss in April 1982 to Cornelius Boza Edwards in Atlantic City at the Playboy Hotel & Casino sent the career of Verderosa into a tailspin.
Verderosa returned at welterweight with a fourth-round stoppage of former world lightweight champion Sean O’Grady in March 1983, which ended O’Grady’s career after he dropped O’Grady twice. 26-0-1 Reyes Antonio Cruz then decisioned Verderosa over 10 rounds in Atlantic City at the Sands in May 1983, sending Verderosa’s career into oblivion. Verderosa then scored three wins over club fighters, only to get stopped by 16-2 Kel Robin at Harrah’s in Atlantic City in January 1984. Verderosa was capable of winning the three bouts he lost. He did not prepare properly for those bouts. His flame was extinguished. Verderosa is today a member of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.
According to a new interview, Verderoza, acknowledging his flaws in discipline and training regimen at times in his career, had a greater problem making weight at 130 (he called it `30) when he was really a 140 pounds fighter. Verderosa stated he had to lose eight pounds the day before the weigh-in for the Boza-Edwards fight, sapping him of his strength and stamina. Verderosa looked better fighting more naturally at a higher weight against O’Grady, but despite this win, was unable to get his boxing career back on track at light welterweight and welterweight from that point forward.
“I told my manager, I cannot make the weight (at super featherweight). You cannot have to lose eight pounds the day before a fight. I didn’t belong in the ring with Boza Edwards or anyone that day (because of the extreme weight loss). When I fought Sean O’Grady, I was strong, I was a completely different fighter. I didn’t have to lose eight pounds the day before the fight. Boza-Edwards was not a fair fight. If my manager had any scruples, they would not have let me fight that fight. I fought ten men who were ranked in the top ten in three different divisions (during my career), and I bat seven out of ten.”
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