Extra Points: LaManna set to end boxing career Saturday

By DAVID WEINBERG

PLEASANTVILLE - Millville boxer Thomas LaManna will be ending his career on Saturday where it started almost 15 years ago.

LaManna (39-6-1, 18 KOs) will face Union City’s Juan Rodriguez Jr. (14-9, 6 KOs) in a super-middleweight bout at Bally’s Atlantic City. He made his pro debut in the same arena on February 11, 2011 with a first-round TKO over Anthony Williams (0-2), of Wilson, North Carolina.

“I’ve done a lot in my career, but I’ve still got one more walk,” LaManna said. “And I’m going out where it all began.”

It began during LaManna’s senior year at Millville High School. He actually fought twice at Bally’s before graduating in June, posting a pair of first-round TKOs.

He’s ending it as a 34-year-old married father of a young daughter.

“I’m not surprised I lasted 15 years,” he said. “I’m not surprised because I loved it. But now I don’t. I just don’t love fighting anymore, so it’s time to stop. It’s time to be done fighting and start looking forward to the next part of my life and my career.”

Saturday’s bout marks the end of what has been a long and successful career that serves as a testament to LaManna’s patience and perseverance.

A victory over Rodriguez would be the 40^th of his career, tying him with former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon (40-8, 36 KOs) for the second-most wins among local boxers in the last 60 years.

The late Richie Kates (44-6, 23 KOs), a former light-heavyweight contender from Bridgeton, holds the record.

“It would mean a lot to me to join the ’40 Club,’” LaManna said. “That’s something not too many people did.”

By some accounts – including his own – he surpassed expectations.

The Atlantic City-area has been home to a plethora of outstanding fighters over the last 50 years, but few achieved the same level of success as the boxer known as “Cornflake.”

He is one of only five local fighters to vie for a major world championship, along with Kates, Seldon, the late Leavander Johnson of Atlantic City and former Atlantic City contender John Brown.

Seldon won the WBA heavyweight championship and Johnson took the IBF lightweight crown.

LaManna came up short in his title shot, losing via first-round knockout to WBC middleweight champ Erislandy Lara four years ago in California, but rebounded to enjoy a nine-fight winning streak.

“Thomas deserved a lot of credit and respect,” local trainer Julio Sanchez II said. “He made the most with what he had and there’s not a whole lot of guys who can say that.”

Although he grew up in Millville, Atlantic City is his boxing home. Saturday’s bout will be his 25^th on the Boardwalk, where he is 23-0-1.

His career has featured fights in other locales, however, including the Millville Motorsports Park, Los Angeles, Orlando and even Mexico.

When Covid shut down the sports world in 2020-21, the enterprising LaManna headed south of the border with his promotional company, Rising Star Promotions, to hold two fights La Terraza Sports Bar in Agua Preita, just across from Douglas, Arizona.

“Those were some crazy times,” he said. “I’ll never forget. … I’m pretty sure my mom (Rising Star CEO Debra LaManna) would never have let me. … But I was going to do some shows in my mom’s backyard in Millville.”

After the setback to Lara, he didn’t lose again for four years before suffering a sixth-round defeat to former WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo last May in Las Vegas.

It was soon after that fight that LaManna began to think about retiring.

“I thought to myself, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this anymore,’” he said. “But I knew I did have enough in me to do it one more time and hopefully go out with a win and go out on a good note.”

In addition to it being his final fight, Saturday also marks another milestone for him.

It was almost exactly 10 years ago that LaManna and his mother formed Rising Star Promotions.

They staged their first show on December 5, 2015 at Claridge Atlantic City and have held 20 more in town at Bally’s, Claridge, Showboat Atlantic City and Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom.

LaManna will continue his role as a promoter, but first, there is one more fight.

One more chance to climb through the ropes.

“People can talk and say whatever they want about me, but I gave it my all and I had an amazing career,” he said. “Boxing took me all over the country, I fought on TV, I fought for a world title. I’m proud of what I accomplished.”