LaManna Fuel

Thomas LaManna speaks on Fuel Fight Gear

By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent

New York, NY (February 14, 2013)–In a second exclusive interview with Real Combat Media, and in response to allegations by fighter Bryant Pappas and sports writer Daxx Khan in regards to the six round middleweight bout Pappas lost in Poughkeepsie, New York in May 2012 to Josh Williams with Thomas LaManna working the corner as a second, rising unbeaten middleweight prospect Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna came clean about his involvement with the Fuel Fight Gear and Ediroc Sportswear companies. LaManna, now 10-0, has two scheduled bouts taking place in New Jersey next month listed on BoxRec.

 

The dispute in controversy centers around a set of Fuel Fight Gear ‘Fuel Diablo’ gloves worn by Williams the night of the fight. The first question raised by the controversy was where did the Fuel Diablo gloves used by Williams come from? The second question examined was whether or not the Fuel Diablo gloves worn by Williams were new or well used. In conversation with Daxx Khan after the initial interviews with LaManna and Pappas, Daxx Khan called attention to the key fact if a fighter uses a set of worn out gloves rather than new ones, with glove padding is worn down, then that fighter can do more damage to his opponent and has an unfair advantage. The worn down gloves are not allowed. The inquiry with the Inspector General’s office in New York State, the online petition to Governor Andrew Cuomo by Pappas, and possible pending litigation by the Pappas camp, centers on whether the New York State Athletic Commission did their job-or not.”

 

According to LaManna, the NYSAC did their job. According to Pappas, the NYSAC did not do their job.

 

After Real Combat Media interviewed Pappas, LaManna responded to the

Pappas allegation he was an employee of Fuel Fight Gear and stated he was never an employee of Fuel. Real Combat Media has ascertained LaManna was never employed by Fuel, but was in a verbal sponsorship agreement with Fuel Fight Gear for a time, and involved with them to promote their fight gear in the ring and out.

 

Real Combat Media: “Respond to the Pappas allegations. He cited an online Wikibin page stating professional boxer Thomas LaManna was appointed director of product placement and handling for Fuel Fight Gear. Were you ever signed to a contract by Fuel Fight Gear, or their successor company, Ediroc Sportswear?”

 

Thomas LaManna: ” I never signed with Fuel Fight Gear or Ediroc. Fuel Fight Gear asked me to wear their stuff: headgear, gloves, cup, and custom trunks.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Could you please define Fuel Fight Gear’s sponsorship?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Fuel Fight Gear sponsored me in April 2011, from the beginning (of my professional boxing career).  They noticed what I could do for them in and out of the ring. A lot of people know me, and Fuel Fight Gear knew I could help their business grow.”

 

Real Combat Media: “You were asked to sell Fuel Fight Gear merchandise. Did you wind up getting taken advantage of by the company?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Exactly. They took advantage of me for all I did for them.

They gave me a title and asked me to sell their stuff. I was a sponsored athlete who helped Fuel Fight Gear at their expense.”

 

Real Combat Media: “At what point did you part ways with Fuel Fight Gear?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “A week or two after my fight with Ivory Joyner in Arkansas (LaManna won the bout by second round technical knockout on December 16, 2011). I spoke with the Fuel Fight Gear people and we parted ways businesswise.”

 

Real Combat Media: “You last wore Fuel Fight Gear boxing trunks for your fight with Daniel Crabtree in Nutley, New Jersey, on February 17, 2012.”

 

Thomas LaManna: “That was the last time (I wore Fuel boxing trunks).”

 

Real Combat Media: “Fuel Fight Gear went out of business (something to do with the use of the word ‘fuel’ which perhaps represented a conflict of interest with certain gasoline fuel companies). Do you wear the trunks of their new company, Ediroc Sportswear?”

 

Reader’s Note: The Ediroc Sportswear website can be found online at Ediroc.com

The current line of Ediroc Pro Boxing equipment is at http://ediroc.com/proboxing/

 

Thomas LaManna: “For my last fight on November 10, 2012, with Erick Hernandez Perez, I purchased an Ediroc outfit and boxing trunks. Ediroc sportswear makes a good product. I don’t have anything to do with Ediroc Sportswear, I just like their new products. What I bought for Ediroc, I have receipts for everything.”

 

Real Combat Media: “How did middleweight Josh Williams wind up getting sponsored by Fuel Fight Gear?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “After I fought Josh (LaManna won a four round unanimous decision over Williams at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey, on November 14, 2011) I persuaded Fuel Fight Gear to sponsor Josh, so he could bring their product line back to his home state of Arkansas.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Did Brandon Foster, the manager and trainer of Josh Williams, who was the principal in the Williams corner with you for the Williams fight against Bryant Pappas, buy any boxing gloves from you on behalf of Fuel Fight Gear or from Fuel Fight Gear directly?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Yes. Brandon Foster bought 12 pairs of Fuel Fight Gear Gloves through me, type X2 in December 2011 before I fought on the Ivory Joyner fight card at Batesville Armory in Arkansas, which my dad Vinny promoted.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Let’s cut to the chase and solve the mystery as to where the Fuel Diablo gloves worn by Josh Williams in his middleweight bout with Bryant Pappas on May 12, 2012, at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. Did Brandon Foster, manager and trainer of Josh Williams, order the gloves in the bout from Fuel?”

 

Thomas LaManna:Brandon Foster did not order the Fuel Diablo boxing gloves used by Josh Williams from me.”

 

Real Combat Media: “But Brandon Foster had a relationship with Fuel Fight Gear and could have ordered further products from them on his own without you after you had a verbal parting of the ways with Fuel. The Josh Williams bout with Bryant Pappas took place in May 2012, five months after you severed your relationship in late December 2011 with Fuel Fight Gear for good. You don’t have knowledge of if, what and when Foster could have purchased from Fuel Fight Gear after December 2011, or knowledge of whether or not Brandon Foster purchased anything from Fuel Fight Gear after that date, as you were no longer affiliated with the company.”

 

Thomas LaManna: “That’s correct. I don’t know.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Let’s get the correct facts straight and out on the table involving New York State Athletic Commissioner Ralph Petrillo, whose good name and character have been called into question. After digging heavy for critical details involving the NYSAC inspectors and boxing glove inspection in the Josh Williams dressing room on the evening of May 12, 2012, in Poughkeepsie, New York, Real Combat Media has uncovered a new detail not mentioned in previous interviews. Josh Williams was not wearing Fuel Fight Gloves on both of his hands when commissioner Ralph Petrillo arrived. Tell the truth. You were a second in the dressing room that night. What did you see take place involving the Fuel gloves?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Inspector Ralph Petrillo, when he came down to the dressing room, the inspector in the room (Inspector Ruggero) gave the right Fuel Fight Gear Diablo glove to Petrillo. Ralph Petrillo recognized what the gloves were, regulation gloves. Petrillo had the glove in his hand, felt it as a new glove and the New York State Athletic Commission officials followed procedures from that point.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Let’s talk about the left Fuel Fight Gear Diablo glove on the hand of Josh Williams. Was it tape on already without a NYSAC commission official signing off on the hand tape?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “The Fuel Fight Gear Diablo left glove was on the left hand of Josh Williams. It was tied, but it was not taped. The New York State Athletic Commission did their job. An NYSAC inspector (Ruggero) was with Josh Williams in the dressing room at all times, while he was getting his hands wrapped, and while he was having his boxing gloves put on. There were three inspectors involved, and someone was supervising matters in the dressing room at all times. Ralph Petrillo, Felix Figueroa and another inspector were in the room. At one point, Figueroa stepped out to get Petrillo, leaving the third inspector (Ruggero) in charge.”

 

Real Combat Media: “If the NYSAC did their job, how do Bryant Pappas and Daxx Khan know different?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “What Bryant Pappas is claiming is not so, because he was in the other dressing room right next door, and he did not see what happened. How is he going to claim something if he was not there?”

 

Real Combat Media: “Who is the guy named ‘Rich’ Bryant Pappas and Daxx Khan keep referring to?”

 

Thomas LaManna:Daxx Khan said he (Rich) worked our corner (the Josh Williams corner). Not one person besides Brandon Foster and me worked the corner.”

 

Real Combat Media: “So ‘Rich’, whoever he is, was in the dressing room working one of the other corners. But he wasn’t in your corner.”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Why make stuff up? What’s it going to prove?”

 

Real Combat Media: “Though there is no list of approved pro boxing gloves in New York State, would the NYSAC verify Fuel Fight Gear gloves are in fact regulation?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “If you like, I can obtain a letter from the NYSAC stating Fuel Fight Gear gloves are approved regulation gloves for profesisonal boxing.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Where did the set of Fuel Fight Gear Diablo gloves used by Josh Williams in the Bryant Pappas six round middleweight bout come from? As we discussed in the previous interview, regulation gloves provided by a fighter’s corner can be approved for use by a boxing commission at their discretion, depending on the rules of that state. Given that understanding, if the gloves did not come from: the ring guy who supplied the boxing gloves and the ring; promoter Brian Burke; the New York State Athletic Commission; if Fighter Josh Williams did not supply the gloves; if manager and trainer Brandon Foster did not supply the gloves. Then where then did they come from? Where did the Fuel gloves used by Josh Williams come from? That is the question.”

 

Thomas LaManna: ” I did not supply the gloves.”

 

Real Combat Media: “The big question. The big tuna. If you did not supply the set of Fuel Fight Gear Diablo boxing gloves used by Josh Williams, who did?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Your guess is as good as mine.”

 

Real Combat Media: “Where are the Fuel Fight Gear gloves used by Josh Williams now?”

 

Thomas LaManna: “Gloves come into the possession of the NYSAC after a bout is over. Where are the gloves used by Josh Williams now? I don’t know. No clue.”

 

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