Peter Manfredo Jr.

Peter Manfredo Jr. (born November 26, 1980) is a former American professional boxer and former IBO middleweight champion.

He has challenged twice for upper-level world titles, at middleweight and super middleweight, as well as having won the NABO, IBU and European Boxing Association (EBA) light middleweight titles.

The son of Peter Manfredo Sr., a former professional boxer and world kickboxing champion who holds a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Manfredo Jr. grew up watching his father train and mentor boxers at the family’s gym in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Having started boxing at seven, Manfredo Jr. competed in his first match at nine.

As an amateur Manfredo defeated future WBC, WBA, IBF Super middleweight champion Carl Froch., but lost several decisions to future undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in national competitions and even lost a decision in the 2nd round of the 1998 National Golden Gloves to future and fellow Contender finalist Sergio Mora

Manfredo Jr. eventually turned professional at the age of 19 and in his debut, he won a four-round decision over Steve Garrett.

Less than two years later, he captured the EBA Light Middleweight Championship with an eighth-round TKO over Mike McFail.

He successfully defended his EBA belt two months later, winning a unanimous ten-round decision over Charles Clark.

He then proceeded to fight in 165 amateur bouts, including a bronze medal-winning performance at the 2000 Eastern Olympic Trials.

Manfredo is the only boxer in New England history to receive the Outstanding Boxer Award at the Junior Olympics, as well as win the title for the Silver Mittens, and the New England Golden Gloves.

In October 2002, in front of a packed arena of fans at the Dunkin Donuts Center in his hometown of Providence, Manfredo Jr. stepped up in weight class and won a seventh-round TKO over former WBC and WBA Light Welterweight champion Frankie “The Surgeon” Randall.

Manfredo Jr.’s nineteenth consecutive victory came at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia with a sixth-round TKO over Leonard Townsend.

In January 2004, he went on to win the NABO Junior Middleweight title in a sixth-round fight against the previously undefeated Sherwin Davis in an ESPN2 co-feature at Foxwoods Casino.

In 2005, he entered reality tv show The Contender, and was placed on the East Coast Team.

He was challenged to fight Alfonso Gomez in the first fight, and lost—much to everyone's surprise.

But when Jeff Fraza was withdrawn with chickenpox, he was brought back in—by "fate" he said.

In his second chance, he beat Miguel Espino in the first round, and went on to face Joey Gilbert in the second round.

Here, an accidental headbutt stopped the fight, and Manfredo was given a win on points.

He then was re-matched up with Gomez, whom he beat, in the semi-final.

In the final fight he was defeated by Sergio Mora in a seven-round unanimous decision, and Mora became the Contender champion.

Manfredo fought a second bout against Mora on October 15, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Mora defeated Manfredo by a split decision in the rematch.

Many ringside observers felt Manfredo won the fight convincingly, but Mora was awarded a controversial split decision.

Manfredo fought Scott Pemberton on February 2, 2006, to a sold out crowd in the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, on ESPN.

It was his first fight at Super Middleweight, as he won by a 3rd-round knockout.

On October 14, 2006, Manfredo defeated Joey Spina with a 3rd-round TKO also at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

On April 7, 2007, Manfredo fought Welsh undefeated Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe in Calzaghe's 20th title defense.

The fight was originally scheduled for March 3, but had to be re-arranged for the later date.

The show, from the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff was aired on HBO in the United States.

Manfredo lost the fight when the referee stopped the contest in the third round, with Manfredo appearing unable to reply to Calzaghe's unending barrage of shots.

Manfredo claimed his plan was to have Calzaghe (then 34) "run out of gas".

Manfredo himself believed that the fight was stopped prematurely.

One month later Manfredo easily defeated Ted Muller in a ninth round stoppage at Twin River Casino in Lincoln Rhode Island.

Manfredo's next fight was June 20, 2007, just one month after his previous victory over Muller, at Foxwoods Hotel and Casino, against tough veteran (14-1) David Banks, who was featured on season 3 of the Contender.

Manfredo got the relatively easy decision 97-93 on all the judges' cards.

Manfredo then signed to fight former World Champion Jeff Lacy on December 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, as the final bout on the undercard to the Floyd Mayweather vs Ricky Hatton main event.

Manfredo lasted the distance against Lacy, but lost by unanimous decision.

On March 14, 2008, Manfredo defeated Shane Benfield, then (29-5), at the Twin River Events Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

A series of attacks to the body from Manfredo eventually forced a stoppage after 2:30 of the sixth round.

May 3, 2008, Peter defeated Luis Lopez by KO in the 3rd round at the Coeur D'Alene Casino Idaho.