Vinny Paz learned early on how to deal with and overcome adversity in his boxing career.

11:21 AM EST on Monday, March 29, 2004

BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

Journal photo / John Freidah Vinny Paz absorbed some punches but still came out victorious against Tocker Pudwill Saturday night in the final bout of his career.

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- Only the strong survive.

That has been Vinny Paz' motto since the age of six. That was when Paz had his first amateur boxing match, and he lost.

"My father said, 'You happy? Quit now and go play baseball.' I said, 'No dad. I like fighting.' "

So began Paz' journey through the world of boxing. It ended Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at Foxwoods Resort Casino when Paz battled back from a sluggish start to outpoint Tocker Pudwill. The judges scored the bout 95-91, 95-91, 96-93, as Rhode Island's most famous boxer handed Pudwill his sixth loss in 45 fights.

Paz (50-10, 30 knockouts) said that heart was the key to his victory.

"If I didn't have the guts to pull this out, I wouldn't have," Paz said. "He was hitting me real hard and I don't know if it was because of my age now or because he could just hit hard. He was punching very hard and I was feeling every shot. Believe me, I went through pain to get this win. (The fight) mirrored my career, and I'm glad I got the 50th win in a blaze of glory like that."

Paz, who won the last five rounds on all three scorecards, posted two late knockdowns to rally for the win. Pudwill was ahead through the first five rounds and was pitching a shutout on two scorecards, but the 41-year-old Paz came alive in the sixth and controlled the fight the rest of the way.

For the past two decades, Paz has been one of the most colorful, entertaining and charismatic professional boxers. Now, after reaching his goal of 50 wins, Paz said that he is going to start a movie career.

The five-time world champion made his pro debut May 26, 1983, registering a fourth-round TKO of Alfredo Rivera. After winning his first 14 bouts, Paz' first loss was a fifth-round TKO to Abdelkader Marbi (Dec. 1, 1984). Paz then won eight straight fights -- including wins over 21-6 Melvin Paul (second-round TKO), 15-2-3 Joe Frazier Jr. (seventh-round TKO), 29-2 Harry Arroyo (10-round decision), 31-0-3 Nelson Bolanos (sixth-round TKO) and 31-5 Roberto Elizondo (10th-round TKO) -- to set up his first world title fight against International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight champ Greg Haugen (19-0).

Paz won a unanimous 15-round decision and the IBF crown from Haugen before a sellout crowd at the Providence Civic Center on June 7, 1987.

Eight months later, in his first tile defense (Feb. 6, 1988), Paz lost a 12-round decision to Haugen in the rematch held in Atlantic City. It would be nearly four years before Paz would became world champion again. He captured the World Boxing Association light middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Gilbert Dele (29-0-1) on Oct. 1, 1991.

Paz soon faced his toughest obstacle when he was involved in a car accident and suffered two cracked vertebrae in his neck. He spent three months in a hospital bed. Doctors were uncertain if he'd ever walk again and told him that he would never be able to fight. Against their orders, wearing a stablizing halo screwed into his skull, Paz reentered the gym and started lifting weights and working out.

"There were times when I thought of giving up," Paz said.

Nearly one year after his accident, Paz returned to the ring for an emotional 10-round decision over Luis Santana (36-14-2) at Foxwoods (Dec. 15, 1992). Paz went on to defeat top contender Brett Lally (sixth-round TKO), former world champion Lloyd Honeyghan (10-round TKO) and Robbie Sims (10-round decision).

Paz then knocked out Dan Sherry (22-5) in the 11th round to capture the International Boxing Organization (IBO) super middleweight championship on Dec. 28, 1993. He then earned a 10-round unanimous decision over Jacques LeBlanc, which led to an International Boxing Council (IBC) super middleweight title fight against legandary boxer Roberto Duran (92-9). Paz won a unanimous 12-round decision.

After losing to IBF super middleweight champion Roy Jones Jr. (28-0) on a sixth-round TKO (June 24, 1995), Paz came back a year later to record a fourth-round TKO of New England-rival Dana Rosenblatt (28-0) for the World Boxing Union (WBU) super middleweight title. Paz lost a 12-round decision to Herol Graham for the World Boxing Council (WBC) International super middleweight championship 14 months later.

Paz responded by winning a 10-round majority decision over Glenwood Brown at Foxwoods on July 26, 1998, but hand surgery kept Paz inactive for more than a year.

Three consecutive wins in 2001 led to a showdown at Foxwoods against WBC super middleweight champ Eric Lucas, who prevented Paz from securing his 50th career win by capturing a 12-round decision onMarch 1, 2002.

But Saturday night, Paz was determined to win his 50th.

Paz thanked his fans after the win.

"People have gone on in life because of my inspiration," Paz said. "It's so touching. I mean I can't express to you what that feeling is to me. "That has been the greatest thing in my life. I won five world titles but by far, the inspiration that I've given so many people and the enjoyment I've given them over the years has been the best thing that has happened in my life.

"I never dreamed of growing up and doing this," Paz said of his career.