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By Mitch Abramson - Vinny Maddalone is not highly ranked, but he is hard-working, and every punch he threw against Terrell Nelson on Wednesday in Manhattan came with malicious intent.
When he wobbled Nelson with a left hook, the crowd shrieked, and when the bout was stopped at 45 seconds of the second round, a bit prematurely it seemed, with Maddalone leaning his 234 pounds on Nelson and firing away with punches, the room erupted with noise: boos, cheers, applause. No other fight on the card at the Roseland Ballroom elicited the same types of sound, and the reason was simple: they were heavyweights, a couple of local guys from the neighborhood, throwing caution to the win, and everyone likes to see the big boys rumble, even if top American heavyweights are in short supply.
(Maddalone just signed a contract to fight undefeated Denis Boytsov in Germany on Nov. 15.)
There used to be a time in this country’s history when heavyweights were glorified, even elevated to myth-like status, men like Jack Johnson and Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali and even Mike Tyson. They were all American fighters, and fans identified with them, where they came from, how they got to be champion; fans shared their victories and defeats as if linked by blood. [details]
When he wobbled Nelson with a left hook, the crowd shrieked, and when the bout was stopped at 45 seconds of the second round, a bit prematurely it seemed, with Maddalone leaning his 234 pounds on Nelson and firing away with punches, the room erupted with noise: boos, cheers, applause. No other fight on the card at the Roseland Ballroom elicited the same types of sound, and the reason was simple: they were heavyweights, a couple of local guys from the neighborhood, throwing caution to the win, and everyone likes to see the big boys rumble, even if top American heavyweights are in short supply.
(Maddalone just signed a contract to fight undefeated Denis Boytsov in Germany on Nov. 15.)
There used to be a time in this country’s history when heavyweights were glorified, even elevated to myth-like status, men like Jack Johnson and Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali and even Mike Tyson. They were all American fighters, and fans identified with them, where they came from, how they got to be champion; fans shared their victories and defeats as if linked by blood. [details]
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