Spadafora, Dorin likely headed for rematch
PITTSBURGH (AP) – There was only one unanimous opinion after the Paul Spadafora-Leonard Dorin lightweight title unification fight ended with a most unanticipated outcome: a draw. Their next fight will be a rematch, not the expected bout against WBC champion Floyd Mayweather that would have united all three major titles.
Spadafora (36-0-1), the IBF champion, rallied with counter punches to the body and point-scoring combinations in the later rounds Saturday night to overcome Dorin’s early domination and avoid his first career loss.
On a night when no two scorecards, unofficial or not, resembled each other, judge Pat Russell of La Mesa, Calif., scored it 115-113 for Dorin. Judge Gueremo Perez of Panama had it 115-114 for Spadafora. Judge Gary Merritt of Muncie, Ind., had it 114-114.
Spadafora was fighting before his hometown fans in a bout he was expected to win, yet was fortunate to get the draw. Dorin had a 344-259 advantage in punches landed, according to the CompuBox computerized scoring system.
That’s why the boxer who calls himself the Pittsburgh Kid is willing to travel to Romania, Dorin’s homeland, for the rematch. That’s a change for Spadafora, who has left the Pittsburgh area only once in eight fights since winning the IBF title in 1999.
“We’re going to do a rematch, without a doubt,” promoter Mike Acri said. “It was a great fight.”
If a TV deal can be landed – each boxer got $500,000 for the HBO-televised fight Saturday – a September rematch is likely.
“I’m prepared to fight anywhere in the world,” Spadafora said. “But he came to my hometown to fight, and I’ll go to his hometown to fight.”
The 5-foot-9 Spadafora couldn’t exploit his 5-inch height advantage until the final three rounds. He had cuts above and below his right eye that bled most of the bout.
Dorin (20-0-1), the WBA champion and two-time Olympic bronze medalist, came out the aggressor and stayed that way until the last few rounds, landing more punches and more damaging ones. Spadafora wanted to prove he could trade punches and work from the inside out, but, in doing so, allowed Dorin to pile up an edge in points.
“I cannot say if I won or lost,” Dorin said. “It was between two champions. … It was a good fight, but I didn’t lose that fight.”
Until this fight, Spadafora preferred a defensive style, jabbing, moving and staying out of trouble until his opponent got tired. Only then would he become more aggressive, trying to land punches rather than duck them.
“If I had to do it over, I probably would do the fight the same way,” Spadafora said. “But I’d throw more punches and mix it up more. … I felt like I was doing what I needed to do to win the fight, but I should have done more.”