Via Ken Hissner: IBF world lightweight champion Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora led 48-0-1 before he tasted defeat. He ended his career 49-1-1 with 19 saves.
In August 1999, Spadafora won the IBF World Lightweight title defeating Israel “Pito” Cardona, 31-2, taking his record to 27-0, at the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, Chester, West Virginia.
Soon after, Spadafora had a match against WBC World Super Featherweight champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr, 20-0. Then, coach Jesse Reid insisted that they go not three but six rounds due to the bragging of Mayweather’s father.
After three rounds, Spadafora took over, causing Mayweather’s nose to bleed and one eye to begin to swell. Mayweather wanted to go out but had to stay with the “Pittsburgh Kid” and be whipped for three more rounds. Reid set up a camera to show the world what happened.
In 2003, Mayweather finished his last fight in lightweight, making it 31-0 to defend his WBC World Lightweight title.
At the same time, Spadafora is currently the IBF 36-0 world lightweight champion, making his eighth fight a draw with Romania’s WBA Super World champion, Leonard Dorin, 21-0, in Montreal , Canada, in Pittsburgh, PA., Over 12 laps.
Spadafora wants a rematch, but Dorin wants nothing to do with it. The referee that night was Rudy Battle, with whom he and Spadafora will enter the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame together in October 2021.
Two skirmishes later, Dorin’s corner ended at the hands of Arturo Gatti.
Spadafora had his last game as weight champion, winning 12 in a row before suffering his first and only loss of his career to Johan “El Terrible” Perez of Venezuela, 17-1-1, by majority decision in November 2013. In July 2014, he ended his career with a decision against Hector “Charro Negro” Velazquez, 55-21-3, of Mexico, at Rivers Casino, in Pittsburgh.
At the same time, WBC World Welterweight champion Mayweather is on a winning streak against WBA World Super Welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico, 42-0-1, with this writer taking the lead. and WBA World Welterweight Argentina champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, 35-4, improved to 46-0. This writer had it even in the end.
Why don’t Spadafora and Mayweather meet when both are world lightweight champions? Who knows? More than not, it’s camp Mayweather wants nothing to do with it.
