Vinny LaManna

Vinny Lamanna ShoBox Interview: My Son Thomas LaManna Will beat Antoine Douglas

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

In a Real Combat Media interview exclusive, promoter, manager and advisor Vinny LaManna, the father of middleweight prospect Thomas LaManna, predicted his son would win a hard fought decision over Antoine Douglas in the 10 round main event on Showtime’s ShoBox The Next Generation televised boxing card on Friday evening, March 13, 2015. The matchup could be a barnstormer, the most exciting bout between two unbeaten prospects for fight fans this year.

Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna, now 16-0, seven knockouts, Millville, New Jersey, a Russell Peltz promoted fighter, squares off against Antoine ‘Action’ Douglas, 16-0-1, 10 knockouts, Burke, Virginia, a Vito Melnicki GH3 Promotions fighter,

The close matchup on paper between LaManna and Douglas is reminiscent of the May 1982 televised middleweight prospects bout between 17-0 Mark Frazie of Portsmouth, Ohio, versus 10-0-1 Dwight Tiger Walker. Frazie won their first meeting by fifth round disqualification, and also won their second meeting, later in 1982, by 10 round decision. Frazie lost to the top ranked middleweight,Wilford Scypion, in 1982, by 10 round decision, and eventually finished his career at 29-10 in 1988. Walker went on to win a 10 round decision over Scypion in 1985, the final year of his career, in which he fought seven times, finishing his career at 22-6-1. ShoBox is a magnificent showcase to judge the potential of rising prospects. At this point, LaManna and Douglas are still in the developing stages of their professional careers, and the book is still out on how far each fight can go.

Real Combat Media: “Is your son, Tommy LaManna, ready to go 10 rounds?”

Vinny LaManna: “He’s been in the gym. He’s ready. He’s gone eight rounds. So what’s another two rounds? Antoine Douglas has gone 10 rounds once. Other than that, he’s only gone six rounds.”

Real Combat Media: “Who has fought better quality opposition, Tommy or Antoine Douglas? Your view.”

Vinny LaManna: “People are saying Antoine Douglas has fought the tougher opposition, and that’s not true. Douglas has fought some (fighters with) better records. However, Douglas has never fought anyone with the willingness to win, except for the Frenchman (Michel Soro) and we all know what happened there (a 10 round draw at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York last July).”

Real Combat Media: “How has Tommy’s training regimen been different in preparation for the Douglas bout?”

Vinny LaManna: “Tommy has had a full training camp focused on him. He has had training focused on him. Sparring partners have been brought in. he has approached this as a world title fight.”

Real Combat Media: “Who is Tommy’s trainer?”

Vinny LaManna: “Chino Rivera, who also trains Joey Dawejko and Jason Sosa.”

Real Combat Media: “How do you feel about Tommy’s first big time television exposure?”

Vinny LaManna: “Wonderful! A star is going to be born.”

Real Combat Media: “The Middleweight division is the GGG division (Gennady Golovkin). This doesn’t bother you as Tommy goes on the way up?”

Vinny LaManna: “We’re a long way from GGG.”

Real Combat Media: “How do you feel about fighting on live television?”

Vinny LaManna: “We think it’s great!”

Real Combat Media: “Do you think the officiating in New York will be fair? Your referee will be Harvey Dock.”

Vinny LaManna: “We think it is fair. We think the New York State Athletic Commission is fair. They are very professional, and that’s what I like. (And) Cornflake is essentially from the (New York-New Jersey) area.”

Real Combat Media: “Your thoughts on the nature of LaManna versus Douglas.”

Vinny LaManna: “I’m friends with promoter Vito Melnicki. This is a great opportunity. The television public like to see white and black (LaManna is white, Douglas is black). At the end of the day, it is seventy-five percent black fighters. The rest are Hispanic, Caucasian and other. It is a great fight, because you have two undefeated kids putting their undefeated records on the line. This bout puts them on the next plateau in their young careers.”

Real Combat Media: “Describe Tommy’s mindset?”

Vinny LaManna: “It’s all motivation, discipline and concentration. It is ninety percent mental. My son Tommy puts one hundred percent his all in what he does. I look at Tommy as a model for his employer, who does the best at his job.”

Real Combat Media: “The World Boxing Association Fedelatin vacant Middleweight belt is at stake. Does the belt have any significance? (in terms of acquiring a world ranking)”

Vinny LaManna: “My son Cornflake has a little bit of Spanish in him. It is a minor title. Ratings? Who knows?? If my son wins this WBA title, he is going to go up in the International Boxing Federation ratings. He is currently ranked number three by the United States Boxing Association.”

Real Combat Media: “Where does this fight take Tommy’s career, one way or the other?”

Vinny LaManna: “At the end of the day, this bout is on national television. We have Russell peltz, one of the best promoters in the world. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose.”

Real Combat Media: “Tell me how ready the fighters are for this crossroads bout.”

Vinny LaManna: “Tommy’s being doing everything (bodybuilding)> He’s ripped. He’s got Abs. He’s got no baby fat. When you see him, you’ll say Tommy’s been training for this one. Douglas will be ready (too), absolutely.”

Real Combat Media: your prediction for this bout?”

Vinny LaManna: “I predict Tommy will win a hard fought decision. My son’s got a great chin. There might be a clean knockdown (of Douglas). At the end of the day, we hope we will not get a spotty draw. We want a victory. This fight will be won from the fifth round on. I think Cornflake……we won’t give away our game plan. I think it’s going to be push and shove for the last five rounds.”

Real Combat Media: “I remind you again, the critics are still saying Antoine Douglas has fought the better opposition, and that’s why Douglas is favored to win. Your view?”

Vinny LaManna: “Antoine Douglas might have fought (fighters with) better records, but they did not have the willingness to win. When Jamaal Davis fought Tommy, Davis trained eight weeks to win, and you don’t beat Davis unless you are a superstar and trains hard to win. We got more out of that fight than all of our other bouts, it was an educational experience for us. The last guy we fought, Gilbert Alex Sanchez, was a Maurice Harris type fighter. Maurice Harris, when he trained properly, was the most underestimated heavyweight on the scene, because if you slept on him, he would upset you. He got robbed of a 10 round decision against Larry Holmes.”

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