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After a snowstorm induced postponement of one night, the New England megafight between super middles Peter Manfredo and Scott Pemberton took place tonight on a CES Promotion at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Pemberton, at age 39, represented the old guard of New England boxing while Manfredo, at 25, was the fresh face of it’s future. Would the towering, experienced and big punching Pemberton school Manfredo or would the combination of father time and the youth of “The Pride of Providence” prove too much for “The Sandman”?
Round one: the first begins with both fighters bolting to the center of the ring a! nd pawing at each other with jabs. The size difference between Pemberton and Manfredo is apparent from the beginning, with Pemberton being the bigger of the two. Manfredo is the first to follow up on his jab with an overhand right that lands to the side of Pemberton’s head. Manfredo follows that momentum with another jab, followed by a right hook that finds it’s target. Manfredo is pushing the pace of the fight so far and has proved able to get inside and land his straight right. With twenty seconds left in the round, Manfredo lands another straight right hand that sends Pemberton stumbling back to the ropes. Manfredo lands one more right hand in the closing seconds in what was a dominant round for Manfredo.
Round two: Much like the first, both fighters come out of the corner jabbing at each other in center ring without l! anding. Also as in the initial stanza, Manfredo follows the jab again with another right hand that sends Pemberton into the ropes, covering up. The younger man chases Pemberton to the ropes and unloads with a barrage of scoring hooks to the body and caps it off with a left hook upstairs that lands to the jaw of Pemberton. The fight gets back to the center of the ring and Manfredo continues to establish his early dominance, stalking Pemberton around the ring with his jab. The round closes with Pemberton throwing and landing his right hand often.
Round three: The third starts with Mandredo bolting over to Pemberton’s side of the ring, where he stumbles “The Sandman” with an overhand right to the jaw and then downs him with an uppercut. Pemberton rises and Manfredo continues his onslaught with a series of hooks upstairs with the older man on the ropes. Manfredo lands a very wide left hook that sends Pemberton down yet again. The M! assachussets veteran gets up once again but is immediately tagged with an overhand right that prompts the referee to stop the fight.
After two disappointing losses to Sergio Mora in 2005, Peter Manfredo, 25-3 (11), has greatly improved his standing with this, his biggest victory to date. For Scott Pemberton, 29-5-1 (25), the curtain may be closing on what had been a magnificent late period career, as this comes hard after a similarly one sided handling at the hands of IBF Champion Jeff Lacy last fall.
