By David Weinberg
The crossroad for local boxer Thomas LaManna is the Las Vegas Strip.
The Millville High School graduate will be fighting former two-division world champion Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) in a super-middleweight bout Saturday at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort.
A victory puts LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KOs) in position for a world title bout. A loss essentially ends that dream.
“This is my final shot at greatness,” LaManna said. “I know what’s at stake.”
He’s been toiling in the sport for 15 years, mostly in Atlantic City. Twenty-three of his 45 career fights have been on the Boardwalk.
LaManna made his professional debut on February 11, 2011, notching a first-round TKO over Anthony Williams at Bally’s Atlantic City.
Four months later, he graduated from Millville High School.
It was also around that time that he earned the nickname “Cornflake.”
As he tells it, he was given the moniker by a fellow fighter while working out in the gym one day.
“You ever watched ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air?’” he asked on a PBC video. “He was the only white dude in the whole series and when I first started boxing, I was the only white dude in the whole gym. I got ‘Cornflake’ stitched on my trunks before one of my fights and it stuck.”
(Fun fact: the late James Avery, who played Phillip Banks on the series, was a 1963 Atlantic City High School graduate).
LaManna has enjoyed a successful career in terms of longevity and accomplishments. His 39 career victories rank third behind the late Richie Kates (44-6, 23 KOs) and former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon (40-8, 36 KOs).
There was a brief point when he walked away. In 2017, frustrated with the politics of boxing, he retired at age 25, but returned three months later at the urging of family, friends, and New Jersey Athletic Control Board Commissioner Larry Hazzard.
“I thought he had a lot of potential that hadn’t been tapped into, yet, and I also told him he wasn’t being fair to his fans,” Hazzard said in an earlier interview. “I didn’t want them to start calling him ‘Cornfake’ instead of ‘Cornflake.’”
Along the way, he’s earned a number of regional and local titles, most recently winning the vacant WBA Gold middleweight crown with a third-round TKO over Juan Carlos Abreu at Bally’s last June 8.
But the biggest belt, the one every fighter longs to wrap around his/her waist, has eluded him.
LaManna came up woefully short in his first chance at a world championship. Current WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara knocked him out in 1 minute, 20 seconds of their title bout on May 1, 2021 in Carson, California.
Disappointment and depression followed. He gained 50 pounds and lost his desire and focus.
“I came up drastically short against Lara,” he said. “I failed miserably in that fight. Personally, it messed me up and it put my family back with a lot of things. I don’t ever want to go through that again.”
He picked up a quick win in Mexico three months after the Lara fight, then took a year off to rebuild his mind and body before resuming his career with renewed focus.
LaManna enters Saturday night riding a nine-fight winning streak, though none of those fighters is close to Charlo in terms of ability.
Charlo, 35, hasn’t fought in a year and a half, but is still considered a heavy favorite.
“My whole mindset changed after the Lara fight,” LaManna said. “I didn’t want to fight anymore. But when I decided to come back, I wanted to do it the right way.”
He’s come a long way since that February night in 2011.
The teenager who knocked out Anthony Williams is now 33 years old, with a wife (Christine) and young daughter (Brooklyn).
He’s also become a promoter, helping his mother (Debbie) to build Rising Star Promotions into one of the best organizations on the East Coast.
He will eventually turn all his attention to that role. But not if he can pull off the upset on Saturday.
A big win over Charlo could bring all sorts of opportunities, including one more chance at a championship.
Fifteen years since he first stepped into the ring, it’s still all he’s ever wanted from the sport.
“It’s been a long journey to this point and I’m ready to go,” he said. “We all know the task at hand. We all know this is my last shot. But I’m gonna make it my best shot.
“I know what I’m up against. (Charlo) is a two-division world champion. He’s been at the top level. But this is why we fight the fights. We’re gonna upset the apple cart. I’m gonna shock the world.”
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points.
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