WATCH: Thomas LaManna on Juan Carlos Abreu showdown, coming back from Lara loss

When Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna got the word that his opponent would be switched from Yohan Gonzalez to Juan Carlos Abreu, he wasn’t so worried.

Though the New Jersey based middleweight was already well into training camp for the June 8 bout at Bally’s Atlantic City, he had some familiarity with the 36-year-old Abreu (26-7-1, 24 knockouts), having sparred him once last year while the two were working to get junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos Jr. ready for one of his fights.

Now they will meet in a 12-round main event where the results will matter. The card will mark the promotional return of Main Events, the Kathy Duva led company which is promoting their first show since 2020, and their first show in their home state of New Jersey since 2018.

“It was good work but I’m trying to make it look a little easier than we did in sparring on June 8,” said the 32-year-old LaManna (37-5-1, 16 KOs) of Millville, N.J.

“With Juan Carlos it’s a little bit easier, I know him so I know at least a little bit what to expect. He’s a veteran, I’m a veteran, it’s for the WBA gold world title, his career is on the line and so is mine somewhat too. It’s another step from where I came from with the whole Lara thing to get this opportunity to fight for a second tier version of the world title with the WBA. It means a lot and I’m gonna give everything to make sure I win.”

Abreu was fought a high level of opposition in his 13-year pro career, having started his career at 16-0-1 and faced world champions Humberto Soto and Jaron Ennis in losing efforts, and lost a majority decision to Charles Conwell two fights ago. The fight will be Abreu’s first at middleweight.

For LaManna, this fight is his first significant step forward since he faced Erislandy Lara in May of 2021, when he suffered a first round knockout loss on the Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Chris Arreola pay-per-view. Afterwards, LaManna says he battled depression and weight gain, ballooning up to over 238 pounds before gradually working his way down. Since then he has won seven straight fights.

“It feels good, I’m proud of myself for never giving up, never quitting, always believing that I had it in myself to give myself a second, third, fourth, fifth chance, whatever it takes to eventually fulfill my dream and that’s become a world champion, with any regard. Obviously I wouldn’t be the actual world champ but I would be a second tier and I could consolidate with Lara, that would be a story in its own,” said LaManna.

“By far it’ll be the best win of my career. It’ll mean everything because it’s not like I was being handed anything. Just like when I was gonna fight with Yohan Gonzalez, it wasn’t like a gimme, I’m gonna have to work for it. That’s what’s gonna make the night special is that I’m gonna have to work for this win, and when we get it done and they say and the new all the hard work will have paid off.”

Rest of the card:

Chiara Dituri vs. Perla Lomeli

Gabriel Gerena vs. Lyle McFarlane

Saleh Ali vs. Michael Ruiz

Jean Pierre Valencia vs. TBA

Carlos Rosario vs. Terell Bostic

Delvin McKinley vs. Richard Hernandez

Justin Palmieri vs. TBA

Damian Tinnerello vs. TBA

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].