Decarie Dominates Alvarez

By Marc Abrams (in association with 15rounds.com)

Antonin Decarie scored a ten round unanimous decision over fringe contender Shamone Alvarez of Atlantic City in a welterweight bout at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Alvarez has some success early as he moved in and out and got through with some left hands. Decarie started taking over as early as round three has began to get through with some good right hands. In round five, Decarie sent Alvarez to the canvas with one of those sharp rights and again sent Alvarez down at the end of round eight eight. The plethora of right hands opened up a cut over the left eye of Alvarez. Alvarez was not much of a threat heading down the stretch as the native son Decarie performed well in his first major headlining appearance.

Decarie, 147 lbs of Laval, Canada won by scores of 99-89; 98-90; and 97-91 to raise his record to 25-1. Alvarez, 147 lbs, is now 21-4.

WANT TO ORDER A GSFS SHIRT? Email Yanoboxing@aol.com and get yours today!

Thomas LaManna Poised to Impress in his Pro Debut

By Eugene Sirota

With just hours remaining until he steps into the ring for the first time as a professional, it would be understandable for Millville, NJ's Thomas LaManna to have a few butterflies in his stomach. However, as I interviewed the high school senior over a tray of his mother's homemade baked ziti just after he weighed in at Bally's, he spoke with the confidence of a veteran who's been down this road before.

Self-assured without being cocky, LaManna speaks with maturity well beyond his nineteen years. Although the man he's facing, Anthony Williams (0-2 of Wilson, NC), hasn't fared too well in his pro career to this point, Thomas isn't taking his opponent lightly. "I have prepared for this fight by sparring with the best guys around" LaManna said of his work at the Atlantic City PAL with Shamone Alvarez, Patrick Majewski, Osnel Charles, and Decarlo Perez.

With this fight happening in his own backyard (he's expecting close to 300 friends and family to be in attendance), many distractions are bound to pop up. However, LaManna has not allowed to his focus to be derailed. "Everyday its: school, gym, home." Thomas said of his regimen, "That's it, and I never take a day off, not even Super Bowl Sunday."

The man responsible for handling all those distractions outside the ring (as well as working his fighter's corner) is none other than Thomas' father Vincent. Many of this site's readers probably know Vinny LaManna from his days as a promoter in the 90's. In addition to having over fifty fights under his belt as a promoter, the elder LaManna has managed Ray Mercer, Bert Cooper and Michael Covington.

Guiding your own flesh and blood though the toughest business there is no enviable task, but Vinny LaManna is defiantly up to it. Not only does he have an abundance of experience to draw on, he has also has the help of trainer Hassan Hammed-El and cut-man Joey Eye.

Speaking with father and son, the bond between the two was clear, but don't expect Vinny to baby his son. "He doesn't get any special treatment" said Vinny "I look after all my fighters like they my kids anyway."

Thomas LaManna's fight is scheduled for four rounds in the junior welterweight division.

Other local fighters in action:
Atlantic City's John "The Eastern Beast" Brown (24-18, 11 KO) takes on 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Ricardo Williams (16-2, 9 KO).

Promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions and sponsored by Corona, tickets are priced at $75 and $50 may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail outlets, Ticketmaster Call Center 800-745-3000 and Bally's Atlantic City (day of event).

WANT TO ORDER A GSFS SHIRT? Email Yanoboxing@aol.com and get yours today!

Alvarez Out to make a Statement!

This Friday, Atlantic City's, Shamone "The Truth" Alvarez (21-3, 12KO's) travels across the border, as he looks to get back into the win column when he takes on Canada's, WBA #8 rated welterweight, Antoni Decarie (24-1, 7KO's) at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. The bout, scheduled for ten rounds, will headline this week's edition of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights". Alvarez-Decarie marks the return of Groupe Yvon Michel's highly regarded FAST AND FURIOUS boxing series, and is presented by the Casino de Montreal in collaboration with Videotron, and Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing

The last time anyone saw Alvarez on ESPN was back in March of 2009 at the Mohegan Sun, when he went to war for twelve rounds with hometown favorite Delvin Rodriguez, ultimately losing a razor thin decision and in the process missing out, once again, on his shot at the IBF Welterweight Championship. The bout against Rodriguez was an official IBF Welterweight Title Eliminator, the same Eliminator he lost in two years prior, to eventual IBF Champion, Joshua Clottey.

Alvarez road through the paid ranks has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. After an impressive amateur career, which saw him win numerous state and regional titles, Alvarez turned pro in July of 2002, scoring a first round knockout over Steve Evans. Over the next five years, Alvarez would improve his record to an impressive 19-0, 11KO's, picking up the WBO NABO Welterweight Title along the way and steadily moving up the welterweight world rankings as well as beginning to gain national attention and exposure fighting on ESPN and Showtime.

Then came his shot at his first world title opportunity, all he needed to do was get by Joshua Clottey. Alvarez, was competitive, and fought a tough fight, but in the end, it wasn't enough, something Alvarez blaims on his lack of experience to that point in big fights. Clottey would go on to challenge for and win the IBF Championship, just a year later, while Alvarez was forced to sit inactive and watch from the sidelines.

Finally just a little over a year after the Clottey fight, and a switch of promoters to Star Boxing, Alvarez got his career back on track, winning a ten round decision over former U.S. Olympian Terrance Cauthen. Then came the aforementioned bout with Rodriguez, one that was very debatable, but one that the humble Alvarez blaims on no one but himself.

"I let the fight be too close. I should have never let it get as close as it was. If I stuck to my game plan, I would have easily walked out of there that night as the winner, but hey, that's boxing. It was a learning experience for me. I know if I ever get on that stage again, what I can and can't do if I want to come out on top. It is never a good idea to leave it up to the judges hands, especially in someone's hometown, and I have no intentions of doing that on Friday night."

Alvarez once again bounced back from his defeat against Rodriguez, when he took on heavy-handed Alexis Camacho in March of 2010. Alvarez controlled the bout against Camacho before scoring a brutal one punch knockout in the 7th round of their scheduled ten rounder.

In his most recent outing, Alvarez was upset by Ghana's Ayi Bruce, losing another close decision, one that Alvarez says was very hard to swallow.

"The loss to Bruce was tough for me, because there is no way that he even belongs in the same ring as me. I take nothing away from the kid, he is tough, but he is just nowhere near on my skill level. I had an off night and that's all it is, that was not the Shamone Alvarez I, or everyone else knows in that ring that night."

Though he has three losses on his record, Alvarez has by no means ever been "beat up" in the ring. Each of his losses has been close, and he has been highly competitive in. Each time in his career Alvarez has had his back to the ropes, he has be able to bounce back, something Alvarez guarantees will once again happen this Friday.

"I know I am going to bounce back just like I have in the past. The important thing is not how you lose, but how you bounce back, and that's where my mind is right now. Everyone is going to see the real Shamone Alvarez in the ring this Friday. I know I am one of the top welterweights in the world, and for those who don't believe it, make sure to tune in."

Alvarez-Decarie is promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel in association with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and is presented by Casino de Montreal in collaboration with Videotron. ESPN2 will begin live coverage at 9PM ET.

WANT TO ORDER A GSFS SHIRT? Email Yanoboxing@aol.com and get yours today!

Locals Alvarez, Mussachio Highlight Saturday's Card at Bally's Atlantic City

By E.A. Sirota

Atlantic City welterweight contender Shamone “The Truth” Alvarez will square-off against Ayi Bruce of Ghana this Saturday at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The scheduled twelve round bout will serve as the main event of a card promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing. Alvarez (21-2 12 KO’s) is coming off the biggest win of his eight year pro career, a seventh round knockout victory over Alexis Camacho this past March. With a win over the experienced Bruce (17-3 12 KO’s), Alvarez would capture the vacant IBA title and would be one step closer to a major title shot in 2011.

Philadelphia’s Raymond Serrano, whose last win came over the aforementioned Bruce in October, will face Geoffery Spruiell in the co-feature. Even though twenty-one year old Serrano (13-0 6 KO’s) is sixteen years his opponent’s junior, he enters the ring with almost as much pro experience as the Spruiell (8-9 2 KO’s).

In other action, Wildwood native Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio will battle Floridian Theo Kruger in an eight round light heavyweight bout. Mussachio (15-1 5 KO’s) is seeking his forth straight victory since losing to Tommy Karpency last October.

Mussachio, who also currently works as a guidance counselor at a nearby elementary school, is one of the true nice guys in the sport. Where some athletes are praised for merely staying out of trouble, Mussachio actually improves his community everyday through his work with troubled youths.

Millville junior middleweight Ismael Garcia (2-0) will fight for the second time in three weeks when he takes on Joe Yerdon of Berlin, NY. Garcia scored a unanimous decision over Corey Preston (who happens to also be on the card against Philadelphia's Rashad Brown) last month at Harrah's.

In a battle of New Jersey based super middleweights, Atlantic City’s, Isiah Seldon (2-0, 1 KO), the son of former heavyweight titleholder Bruce Seldon, will square off against the always tough Dover native Todd Eriksson (2-4-1, 1 KO) in a four round bout.

Rounding out the card is female junior welterweight Althera Sanders fighting an opponent to be announced.


WANT TO ORDER A GSFS SHIRT? Email Yanoboxing@aol.com and get yours today!

Shamone Alvarez Speaks on December 4 Fight and Mike Jones!

WANT TO ORDER A GSFS SHIRT? Email Yanoboxing@aol.com and get yours today!