On This Day In Boxing History!

1975: Paul Spadafora Was Born!

Paul Spadafora

Birth Name: Paul Ross Spadafora

Birth Place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada

Pro-Debut: October 18th, 1995

Alias: "The Pittsburgh Kid"

Stance: Southpaw

Division: Lightweight

Height: 5′ 9″  

Reach: 69″  

Bouts: 51

Rounds: 381

Ko’s: 38.78%

Career: 1995-2014

Record: 49-1-1, 19Ko’s

Paul Ross Spadafora, known as “The Pittsburgh Kid,” was born on September 5, 1975, in McKees Rocks, a borough outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A gifted southpaw, Spadafora built a standout amateur record of 75 wins in 80 bouts, though his professional aspirations were nearly derailed before they began. In a controversial incident, while riding in a car driven by a speeding friend, he was struck in the Achilles tendon by police gunfire after the driver refused to stop.

Recovering from that setback, Spadafora made his professional debut on October 18, 1995, scoring a knockout of Steve Maddux. He won four fights that year, followed by eight victories in 1996, six of them by knockout. In 1997 he added six more wins, two by stoppage, and remained unbeaten through 1998 with another six victories, three by knockout, including one on a card that also featured retired veterans Tim Witherspoon and Dan Maloney.

Spadafora raised the level of opposition in 1999, defeating veteran Rocky Martinez by decision before outpointing Israel Cardona on August 20 to win the vacant IBF lightweight championship. That year he also stopped Renato Cornett in eleven rounds. He defended his title three times in 2000, edging Victoriano Sosa by decision, halting Mike Griffith in the eleventh, and outlasting Billy Irwin over twelve.

By 2001 he was a regular attraction on HBO Boxing, defending his title against Joel Perez and winning a non-title fight before outpointing Angel Manfredy and Dennis Holbaek in 2002. On May 18, 2003, he faced WBA champion Leonard Dorin in a unification bout, which ended in a closely fought draw. Later that year, Spadafora announced he was vacating the IBF title to move to junior welterweight, citing difficulties making the lightweight limit.

Trouble outside the ring soon overshadowed his career. On October 29, 2003, Spadafora was arrested after shooting his pregnant girlfriend, Nadine Russo, during an argument, posting $50,000 bond afterward. Further arrests followed in 2004, including drunk driving, drug use, and parole violations. On February 23, 2005, he was sentenced to 21 to 60 months in prison for the attempted murder of Russo.

After serving 32 months, Spadafora returned on November 2006, stopping Jesus Francisco Zepeda before being sent back to prison briefly on a parole violation. He resumed his career in April 2008 with a dominant shutout win over Shad Howard in Erie, Pennsylvania, improving to 42-0-1 at that point. He continued fighting until his retirement in 2014, concluding with a decision loss to Héctor Velázquez.

Outside the ring, Spadafora’s personal struggles were constant. His father had died of a drug overdose when he was young, and he grew up in poverty, facing bouts of homelessness. Alcoholism, repeated arrests and an "infamous sparring session" marred his career, causing him to miss marquee fights against stars like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Arturo Gatti. Still, Spadafora finished with an impressive professional record of 49 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, with 19 knockouts.

After retiring, he moved to Las Vegas, where he began training fighters and running a garage gym. He chronicled his turbulent career in his book “Fighting Till The End.” In October 2024, he was hospitalized after a severe dog bite from his pit bull, which severed an artery in his arm. Despite such setbacks, Spadafora’s reputation as a slick defensive boxer with a sharp jab and counter-punching ability endured.

In 2020, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame, recognized as one of the state’s most skilled but underappreciated champions. Today, Paul Spadafora is remembered both for the brilliance of his IBF lightweight title reign and for the turbulent personal battles that defined his life outside the ring.

1994 Ike Williams Dies!

Ike Williams   

Born: August 2nd, 1923

Birth Place: Brunswick, Georgia

Residence: Trenton, New Jersey

Pro-Debut: March 15th, 1940

Division: Lightweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5′ 9″  

Reach: 68″  

Bouts: 154

Rounds: 1145

Ko’s: 40%

Record: 126-24-4, 61Ko’s 

Died: Age 71, September 5th, 1994

Ike Williams, born August 2nd, 1923 in Brunswick, Georgia was a former lightweight world boxing champion. Williams was known for his great right hand, and was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time as well as Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1948.

During his career, Williams faced and defeated former lightweight champions Sammy Angott, Bob Montgomery, and Beau Jack.

Ike Williams was a legendary American boxer born on August 2, 1923, in Brunswick, Georgia. He became one of the greatest lightweight champions of all time, noted for his powerful right hand and exceptional speed.

Williams grew up in Depression-era poverty and moved to Trenton, New Jersey, with his mother after his parents separated. Teased for his accent, Williams sought self-confidence and took up boxing as a teen, quickly excelling and winning the 1938 Trenton Golden Gloves featherweight title. He also starred in track and baseball at Trenton High School before turning professional in 1940, circumventing age restrictions by modifying paperwork.

Known as the “Trenton Tornado,” Williams won his first professional fight at 17 and built a streak of thirty-two consecutive wins, fourteen by knockout, within twenty-seven months.

Williams, for part of his career, was managed by Blinky Palermo. According to Williams, he was blackballed by the boxing managers guild when he sought to manage himself. Palermo informed him he could resolve his problems with the guild, and Williams agreed to let Palermo manage him. Williams testified before the Kefauver Commission that Palermo did not arrange for him to throw any fights, but that he robbed him of his purses. Nevertheless, Williams did claim to have taken a dive against Chuck Davey, a much-hyped contender for the welterweight crown.

He became the World Lightweight Champion in 1945 by knocking out Juan Zurita, defending his title eight times against six different challengers until May 1951, when he was stopped by Jimmy Carter.. Williams defeating former lightweight champions Sammy Angott, Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack, Kid Gavilan, Johnny Bratton, Tippy Larkin, Freddie Dawson, Joe Miceli, Gene Burton, Lulu Costantino, Dave Castilloux, Luther (Slugger) White, Lester Felton, John L. Davis, Charley Salas, Livio Minelli, Eddie Giosa, Enrique Bolanos, Bobby Ruffin, Fitzie Pruden, Cleo Shans, Ralph Zannelli, Rudy Cruz and Jesse Flores was honored as The Ring magazine’s Fighter of the Year in 1948 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. His final career record stood at 125 wins, 24 losses, and 5 draws, with 60 knockouts.

Knocked out NYSAC Lightweight Champion Bob Montgomery in six rounds to become the Undisputed World Lightweight Champion - August 4, 1947.

Named The Ring Magazine and Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year - 1948.

Lost the title to Jimmy Carter by a fourteenth-round knockout - May 25, 1951.

In 1960, Williams testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee that was looking at underworld influence on boxing. He said he was offered big money to throw fights against Jimmy Carter, Kid Gavilan, Freddie Dawson, and Juste Fontaine, but he rejected each one. However, he conceded that he wished he had taken $100,000 to lose to Gavilan in 1949 and $50,000 to lose to Carter in 1951, since he lost both fights anyway. He also said that he never saw a penny of $65,000 in purses from two title fights in 1948. Palermo spent it before he get his hands on it.

Inducted The Ring Magazine Boxing Hall of Fame - 1978.

Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame - 1983.

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame - 1990.

The Associated Press named Williams the 4th greatest lightweight of the 20th century - 1999.

The Ring Magazine ranked Williams as the 5th greatest lightweight of all-time - 2001.

The Ring Magazine ranked Williams as the 78th greatest puncher of all-time - 2003.

NBA World Lightweight Champion

1945 Apr 18 – 1951 May 25          

NYSAC World Lightweight Champion

1947 Aug 4 – 1951 May 25

September 5th

1904: Sam Langford D15 Joe Walcott

1910: Abe Attell KO17 Billy Lauder

1911: Sam Langford ND10 Joe Jeannette

Tommy Gibbons pro debut KO5 Oscar Kelly

1930: Tommy Freeman W15 Young Jack Thompson

1964: Carlos Salazar born in Buenos Aires, Argentina

1973: Javier Jauregui born in Guadalajara, Mexico

1975: Paul Spadafora was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1987: Virgil Hill KO4 Leslie Stewart

Sot Chitalada KO4 Rae Ki Ahn

Chang Ho Choi KO11 Dodie Penalosa

1994: Ike Williams passes ahe 71

1995: Hi Yong Choi W12 Keiji Yamaguchi

1998: Former World Middleweight Champion Billy Soose passed away at home age 83  

Richie Woodhall W12 Glenn Catley

Takanori Hatakeyama W12 Yong-Soo Choi

1999: Injoo Cho W12 Keiji Yamaguchi

2003: Ivan Calderon W12 Lorenzo Trejo

2004: IBF Lightweight Champ Paul Spadafora, 29, is charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, reckless endangerment by Pennsylvania State Police in Mercer County.

2008: Melissa Hernandez W10 Ela Nunez

2009: Luis Concepcion TKO12 Omar Salado

Ibeth Zamora Silva W9 Ana Fernandez

Ju Hee Kim TKO4 Waranya Yoohanngoh

2014: Roman Gonzalez TKO9 Akira Yaegashi

Naoya Inoue TKO11 Wittawas Basapean

2015: Juergen Braehmer RTD7 Konni Konrad

Anabel Ortiz WTD6 Sandra Robles         

Ibeth Zamora Silva W10 Esmeralda Moreno

2018: Umar Salamov vKO2 Denis Liebau

2020: Jamel Herring WDQ8 Jonathan Oquendo

2024: Imam Khataev TKO7 Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna

Mary Spencer W10 Naomi Mannes