Paul Spadafora

Paul Ross Spadafora (born September 5, 1975) is an American retired professional boxer. He is the former IBF lightweight champion of the world, and has challenged once for a light welterweight world title. In 2020, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. A Southpaw with slick defense, quickness, and ability to fight in the pocket and in range, his talent was well-regarded.

Personal background Known as "The Pittsburgh Kid", Spadafora is from McKees Rocks, a borough outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His childhood was poverty-stricken: his father died of a drug overdose when he was nine, and he was homeless for several weeks as a teenager. He started boxing when he was eleven, and left school in 9th grade to focus on it.

By age 16, Spadafora had won multiple Golden Gloves titles while competing in football and basketball at Sto-Rox High School. Encouraged to focus on boxing, he left school to pursue the sport full-time. In December 1994, he suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg when a police officer’s weapon accidentally discharged following a car crash, an injury that ended his hopes of qualifying for the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing team.

Professional Career After recovering from the gunshot wound, Spadafora made his professional debut on October 18, 1995, defeating Steve Maddux by unanimous decision. He won his first 15 professional bouts, including eight by knockout, before longtime trainer and mentor P.K. Pecora died of a stroke in 1997. Continuing under trainer Tom Yankello, Spadafora captured the vacant IBF lightweight title on August 20, 1999, defeating Israel Cardona by unanimous decision.

Later that year, he gained attention for an unofficial sparring session with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas, which members of Spadafora’s camp have long maintained Spadafora got the better of. The sparring session has remained a notable part of his boxing legacy and is frequently cited by fans and media.

Spadafora defended his title eight times in a span of nearly four years.

Troubles outside the ring Spadafora was an alcoholic from a young age and at one point also abused drugs.

In September and October 2011, Spadafora was twice arrested on DUI charges. The following September he pleaded guilty.

On April 25, 2008, again in Erie, Spadafora returned to the ring to fight Shad Howard. Spadafora repeatedly connected with sharp jabs and combinations en route to an 80–72 unanimous decision.

In 2010 he defeated Italian boxer Ivan Fiorletta by knockout. In August 2012 he defeated Humberto Toledo.

Spadafora suffered the only loss of his career on November 30, 2013, losing to Johan Pérez by majority decision to lose the WBA Light Welterweight title.

Retirement Paul Spadafora retired from boxing following his 2014 fight with Héctor Velázquez.

In April 2016, Spadafora was charged with assault for an altercation with a woman outside of Redstone Tavern in Crafton, Pennsylvania, and was sentenced to anger management classes.

In December 2016, Spadafora was arrested after police responded to an altercation where Spadafora was accused of attacking his brother with a knife, stabbing him in the thigh, and kicking his mother in the back. In March 2018, Spadafora plead guilty to simple assault, resisting arrest, and terroristic threats, and was sentenced to time served and released on parole.

In November 2023, Spadafora’s official biography, Fighting Till the End, by Chris Scarnati, was published. The book remained on Amazon’s best-seller list for several months. A documentary based on the biography is currently in development.

As of 2024, Paul Spadafora is living in Las Vegas and training boxers in a gym built in his garage. In October 2024, Spadafora was hospitalized after being bitten by his pet dog, severing an artery in his left arm.

Professional boxing record