Vinny Paz

Infobox_Boxer


name = Vinny Pazwww.vinnypaz.com [http://www.vinnypaz.com]
nationality = Italian American
realname = Vincenzo Edward Pazienza
nickname = The Pazmanian Devil
weight = Lightweight
birth_date = Birth date and age|1962|12|16|mf=y
birth_place = Cranston, RI
home = Cranston, RI
style = Orthodox
total = 60
wins = 50
KO = 30
losses = 10
draws = 0
no contests = 0

Vinny Paz, formerly Vinny Pazienza (born Vincenzo Edward Pazienza on December 16 1962 in Cranston, Rhode Island) is an Italian-American former boxer and world champion in the lightweight and light middleweight weight classes. He boxed under the nickname of "The Pazmanian Devil."

Biography

Paz began his career in 1983 as a 137-pound lightweight.http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=1770186] His first title try came on June 7 1987 in Providence, where he outpointed Greg Haugen over 15 rounds to become the IBF's world lightweight champion. The pair would meet two more times, Haugen recovering the title in an immediate rematch, but Paz prevailing in a 10-round decision in their rubber match in 1990.

Paz failed in title tries in the light welterweight division in 1988 against WBC world champion Roger Mayweather and in 1990 against WBO champion Hector Camacho and WBA champion Loreto Garza.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1D91E3BF933A15756C0A964958260]

In 1991 he moved to the light middleweight division and beat WBA champion Gilbert Dele with an 11-round knockout win in Providence.

In November 1991, he broke his neck in a car accident. His neurosurgeon told Paz he'd never fight again, but Paz launched a comeback a little more than a year later [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2004-12-16-paz_x.htm] returning to the ring against his doctor's recommendations and beating future light middleweight champion Luis Santana by a 10-round decision.

Paz beat Roberto Duran by decision twice and lost a title try at world super middleweight champion Roy Jones Jr. in the 1990s. He inflicted prospect Dana Rosenblatt's first loss (a knockout in 4 rounds) and lost a 12-round decision to Rosenblatt in a rematch during this period also. During this decade he also changed his last name from "Pazienza" to "Paz".

In 2002, Paz lost to WBC world super middleweight champion Eric Lucas in his last world title try.

Paz retired after a 2004 unanimous decision in ten rounds over Tocker Pudwill with a record of 50-10 with 30 knockouts.

Outside of boxing, Paz refereed the Brawl for All at WrestleMania XV between Bart Gunn and Butterbean. [http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Torch_Flashbacks_19/article_25029.shtml] As of December 2007, he is marketing a DVD that showcases all of his boxing highlights.

References

External links

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