LiveWorld Transcripts

HBO presents

Lightweight Champion Paul Spadafora
"Boxing After Dark"

March 18, 2000

HBO presents "The Pittsburgh Kid," Paul Spadafora, undefeated Lightweight champion who talks about his own career in boxing, winning the title, and being the champion.

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HBOSports: You are here to watch the fights with "The Pittsburgh Kid," Paul Spadafora, undefeated Lightweight champion. Ask him about tonight's "Boxing After Dark" fight card, his own career, and his upcoming fight on the debut airing of HBO's new boxing program, "KO Nation."

Paul Spadafora: Hi, everyone! I'm glad to be here!

EZGuest179: Who do you think is the best fighter (in all weight classes) of them all?

Paul Spadafora: Roy Jones, without a doubt!

BoxingDad: How do you start out your fight? Do you compose yourself and save your energy for the following rounds, or do you go all out and lose a lot of it?

Paul Spadafora: I just go however the round is. I am trained to go all out and go for it. I am trained to go either way. If I need to pick it up, I will pick it up; if I need to slow it down, I will slow it down.

EZGuest237: Why is it that fighters such as you do not fight the best-of-the-best until you have to? Has boxing become to you what is has for most of the fans - a political arena where the fight is won way before it gets to the real fight?

Paul Spadafora: I believe that the fighters don't make that choice - I believe the managers make that choice. I believe that if it was up to the fighter, they would fight for the belt right then - you want to get it as soon as you can. I would want to fight the best as soon as possible. The promoters and the managers make the final decision. No, I love the sport. I don't think of the political aspect. I just go in and fight the fight. I feel the fight is won in the ring. There are definitely political things that happen, but I don't look at it like that. I just go and fight.

EZGuest18: What happened in your last fight? Your fighting style seemed to change so much since your other fights on TV.

Paul Spadafora: We went 12 rounds and I won by unanimous decision. It was a hard fight. I got caught in the 3rd round, and I had to go 9 more rounds like that. I had a very, very strong learning experience. That was probably the hardest learning experience I ever went through. You have to take your chances like that. You have to get the experience. Styles makes fights. My style is the same. The guys you put in front of me, like Cordona and Cornett, and now Sosa, they are all completely different styles. I just believe styles make fights; you gotta be able to change and fight in different ways.

JohnnyThomas: What does Paul do as a warm-up exercise and how does he improve his punches?

Paul Spadafora: I feel that jumping rope is the best warm-up exercise. To improve your punch, you have to go from the fundamentals and go up. Just work on your fundamentals and improve your power and speed, and work on your balance at all times.

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