MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- Somebody's zero had to go last night in the "Battle of the Unbeatens" and Peter Manfredo Jr. made sure that it wasn't his.
Fighting a taller, and rumored to be a much stronger Sherwin Davis, Manfredo used his quickness to pick Davis apart until he floored Davis 1:17 into the sixth round to score a technical knockout and capture the North American Boxing Organization junior middleweight title at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Manfredo (20-0, 10 KOs) landed a monstrous overhand right that immediately sent Davis (17-1, 11 KOs) flat on his back in the sixth round. The referee started to count to 10, but when Davis didn't move, he gave Manfredo the TKO.
For nine and a half rounds of the main event, Scott Pemberton and Omar Sheika went blow-for-blow in an action-packed fight decided in the 10th.
Pemberton, who was knocked down twice in the fight, picked himself up and floored Sheika for the first time in his career with a right-left combo 56 seconds into the 10th round. Pemberton continued his onslaught until referee Gary Rosato determined that Sheika was out on his feet and ended it at 1:43 of the 10th. Pemberton retained his North American Boxing Federation and International Boxing Union super middleweight titles.
Pemberton was ahead on all three of the judges' scorecards, 88-82, 85-83, and 86-84. Sheika was taken to Backus Memorial Hospital in Norwich.
"I have the will to win," Pemberton said. "I want to win. So when I get to the point where I get hurt, I have to do something drastic to change or I'm not going to win and I'm a winner so I will do whatever is necessary to win."
Utilizing his speed, Manfredo simply picked Davis apart and he led on all three of the judges' scorecards, 50-44, at the time of the stoppage.
Manfredo scored a first-round knockdown with a vicious left hook to Davis' chin with about 30 seconds left in the round. Davis sat on the canvas until the referee counted to six and then got up. Manfredo, sensing a possible quick end to the bout, pushed Davis into a corner and unleashed a flurry of punches for the final 20 seconds of the round but Davis survived.
Davis landed a big left uppercut to Manfredo's nose with about 1:25 left in the third round. It appeared to stun Manfredo, who stopped punching and used the next 30 seconds to recover.
"I felt his power, that's for sure. But I wasn't hurt as in he could have dropped me or anything like that, but I did feel his power," Manfredo said.
Davis was looking for one big punch to steal the fight with Manfredo leading entering the fourth round, but Manfredo continued to use his speed to outwork Davis. Davis began to hold and tie up Manfredo, which frustrated him.
"He was holding a little and that's how I knew that he was getting tired," Manfredo said. "It frustrates you, but it's part of the game. . . . when you're hurt you hold. It's part of survival."
Manfredo ended the fight by showing a little power of his own.
"I could have been a lot more busy but hey, we caught him on the chin and we are happy to get the victory," Manfredo said.
The rematch between Providence's Bobo "The Bull" Starnino (6-1-1, 1 KOs) and South Boston's Martin "The Irish Assasian" Thornton (6-1-1, 3 KOs) which resembled a street fight, turned out to be a draw.
