10.05.04 – Ron DiMichele: ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do.’ This old adage is certainly not the case with Providence, RI junior middleweight Peter Manfredo Jr. After 20 professional fights and 20 victories, the fighter known as ‘The Pride of Providence’ has drawn a bead on the target. A victory Friday night over sturdy Anthony Bonsante of Shakopee, Minnesota will vault Manfredo Jr., currently ranked fifth, several rungs up the WBO junior middleweight ladder and put him in line for a shot at WBO title holder, Daniel Santos. But first, Manfredo Jr must get by Bonsante.
“He’s a tough kid,” said Manfredo Jr of Bonsante prior to a recent workout at Manfredo’s Gym in Pawtucket, RI. “He just keeps coming. He puts on a lot of pressure and he’s got a good chin.”
Peter Manfredo Jr (20-0, 10 KO’s) is coming off an impressive ESPN2 Friday Night Fights sixth round knockout of previously undefeated Sherwin Davis. For the Bonsante bout, Manfredo Jr will be moving up to Friday Night Fights main event status.
“I don’t worry about being on TV,” says Manfredo Jr. “All I think about is getting the job done.”
Scott LeDoux-trained Anthony Bonsante (24-3-3, 13 KO’s) is noted for his 2003 11th round TKO victory over aging Tony Ayala Jr. He is an aggressive, fundamentally sound, confident fighter with a lot of heart who has fought most of his fights at the middleweight limit. Manfredo Jr downplays the weight differential.
“I don’t think that’s a concern because my weight’s usually high and I always have to come down. I’m probably going to be just as big as him.”
This bout will come down to Anthony Bonsante’s size and aggression against Manfredo Jr’s slick boxing skills. Late round stamina will likely play a big role. Look for Peter Manfredo Jr to box, show a lot of angles, and skillfully pick his shots with the larger Bonsante to win a close and physically demanding decision.
The Peter Manfredo Jr -Anthony Bonasante bout is the May 14th ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights main event. The bout is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s CES productions and will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI. Also on the card will be the highly-anticipated showdown between outstanding New England middleweight prospects Chad Dawson (15-0, 10 KO’s) of New Haven, CT versus Canadian-born, Goody Petronelli-trained Ian Gardner (15-1, 7 KO’s) of Brockton, MA. Matt Godfrey, the 2004 U.S. Nationals Heavyweight Champion, will make his televised pro debut on the card.
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