Story by John DiSanto – PhillyBoxingHistory.com
Photos by Darryl Cobb Jr. – dcobbjr.com

Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, (21-1, 9 KOs), on the verge of his meeting with DC’s Dusty Hernandez Harrison, (29-0-1, 16 KOs), knows he’s in a must-win situation. The two will square off Thursday night in the 10-round main event at the 2300 Arena in South Philly. The vacant USBA welterweight title will be on the line and the fight will be nationally televised by the CBS Sports Network.

Although he’s just a 24 year old, 22-bout prospect, LaManna says that failure against Harrison would be quite damaging at this point in his career.

“There’s no option,” LaManna said. “There really is no option. I’m on record. I lose this, I’m an opponent. I’m no opponent.”

LaManna has more or less cruised through the majority of his professional run. However, the last time he seriously stepped up, against a streaking Antoine Douglas eighteen months ago, things didn’t go well. Douglas dominated the bout and dished LaManna his first defeat, a TKO in round six. That bout was nationally televised on Showtime’s ShowBox series.

The setback sent LaManna back to the drawing board. He moved down to the welterweight division and began rebuilding his career. Five wins have followed, and now Cornflake finds himself in his toughest match since the Douglas fight. He knows that another misstep would seriously damage his reputation and prevent his move up the rankings.

“I’ve worked too hard and gave up too much, sacrificed way too much,” LaManna said. “Five, six years of camps. I didn’t have a high school life. I had my first two fights (while) in high school, and my third five days after I graduated. So I barely had a (typical) eighteen, nineteen year old life. I was so zoned in and overly focused. So, losing is no option to me. He has Jay-Z, Roc Nation, and all that behind him. I have me, my two fists, my heart, and a dream. I can’t let this slip away. I’m doing all I can to make sure I come out with a win on Thursday.”

Harrison is a familiar opponent to LaManna. Although the two have never engaged in an official fight, they have sparred each other in the past.

“We were in a training camp together,” LaManna said of Harrison. “Around the time I fought Ashandi Gibbs, maybe 2014.”

Opinions on who had the upper hand in that sparring session is conflicted, but everyone hopes that the history between the two will make their actual fight even better.

“It’s like Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman,” LaManna said. “They were familiar with each other. They had a couple sparring sessions, way back when. And it made for a more exciting fight. They took more risks, more chances. Maybe it can be the same with me and Dusty. I know that I’m familiar with him. I believe that I’ve improved a crazy amount, compared to when we sparred. He only improved a little, from what I’ve seen. It will be interesting to see. I can’t wait.”

In the past couple of years, Harrison has been making some noise. However, LaManna feels confident that he’ll go into the fight with the edge over Harrison.

“He’s a stand-up guy,” LaManna said. “He’s more of a boxer. I don’t think he’s going to be as willing to exchange in the fight as he was when we were sparring, because we had bigger gloves and headgear on. Dusty definitely knows what he’s getting himself into. He really didn’t want this fight. I know that for a fact. I don’t know if he was forced into it, but he was pressured into it. So he knows what he’s getting himself into. I don’t expect him to be hesitant, but I definitely expect him to do all that he can to take the safe way out and try to get a win.”

Harrison is known to be aggressive and fights at fast pace, but LaManna expects to see a different Dusty.

“I expect him to be really cautious because he knows that he’s going up against somebody that is actually bigger than him,” LaManna said. “He knows what I’m going to bring for a whole fight. I’m expecting him to try to take me into deep waters – sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth round. He’s gone ten a number of times. I’ve only gone eight. I’ve gone eight quite a few times. I always say, the last two rounds are just another two rounds. It’s all mental. I guess I’ll find out next week if that’s easier said than done. That’s what I’m expecting from him. That’s the only advantage he has over me. I’m not going to lie. He’s gone ten numerous times. That’s all.”

Consistent with his thoughts on going ten rounds, LaManna did not adjust his training for the extra distance he might see on Thursday night.

“What did I do different? Nothing really,” LaManna said. “I did my miles. I did my strength conditioning. Got my sparring in. Did my work in the gym. And I feel good. Anything different? No. It was a different atmosphere in the training camp, because you get training expenses. We brought sparring partners in and all that type of stuff. I’ve done five miles, three or four times. But it was all about smart training, and it definitely paid off. I feel really good.”

LaManna says that his move down to welterweight was the right one.

“It feels great,” LaManna said. “My weight is real good. I’m strong. I haven’t been more than 157 in like two weeks. I’ve been ten pounds away from the weight for like the past two weeks, which is great. Maybe this heat is doing it, but I’m hydrated, I’m strong, I eat. I eat my three meals a day, and now it’s time to relax, cut down and maintain.”

LaManna was originally supposed to fight Harrison one day later and about 70 miles east, at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. However, the announcement that the casino would be the latest AC gambling joint to close for business forced a change in venue and date for the LaManna-Harrison fight.

“There was always the possibility that Russell (Peltz) was going to do the fight anyway,” LaManna said. “He made the offer to do the show. Rock Nation called to make the offer (to fight Harrison). It just so happened that GH3 (Promotions), Vito Mielnicki, and Sal Musumeci of Final Forum had the CBS deal. So they all collaborated with Russell, which only makes sense. If you’re going to do it in Philly, you got to have Russell involved. They put it together and the fight’s happening. I told everybody from the jump, I don’t care when, where, how, off TV, on TV, belt, no belt, I want to rumble. So I knew it was going to happen. I just didn’t know how quick, or long, or what it was going to take to make it happen.”

The winner of the bout goes home with the USBA welterweight title, and a ticket into the rankings.

“I’m fortunate to do this,” LaManna said. “A lot of people never get to fight for a title, whether big or small. It feels great. With this belt, the winner gets into the world ratings. And that’s when the real fun starts.”

LaManna is good friends with newly crowned WBA junior lightweight champion Jason Sosa, and the idea of winning a belt of his own is a big incentive for LaManna.

“It’s definitely a personal motivation, I’m not going to lie,” LaManna said of fighting for the USBA title. “Last week I was over Sosa’s house, and the first time I saw his belt, I was like, ‘Holy S***!’ It really hit me. I realized that I was fighting for a belt as well. It’s a meaningful belt, not one of these made up belts. It’s an actual meaningful belt that really jump-starts the goal that I’ve been trying to reach for all these years I’ve been pro. So it’s a start. Thank God.”

And LaManna likes his chances of bringing home that belt.

“It’s not like I’m going in over my head.” LaManna said. “May the best man win. He’s training hard. I know that I’m training extra hard. And the winner is going to be top-fifteen rated welterweight fighter. I guess that’s the best way to put it.”

Although, most of LaManna’s fights have taken place in Atlantic City, LaManna is no stranger to the 2300 Arena.

“I’m very fortunate,” LaManna said. “It feels great. I’m the main event on national TV, in a familiar location, Philadelphia. My last fight in Philly, on the Felix Verdejo card (December 2014), I got lucky. I was the middle fight, the crowd was bumping. I was in a pretty decent fight with a rugged guy, but that crowd, those lights, that atmosphere. It was just crazy, and I don’t expect nothing less from this.”

With most boxing cards happening on the weekend, the LaManna-Harrison show will be on a rare Thursday night.

“I was actually scared – a Thursday night in Philly and it’s on TV – thinking my people wouldn’t come out,” LaManna said. “But we have over 150 people coming. At this point, I’m telling them to buy at the door or online. So, I have my crowd coming. I would assume that Dusty has his crowd coming. So it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere. It’s going to be great. I’m excited. Just thinking about it gets me hyped.”

A win over Harrison puts LaManna in the ratings and keeps him moving forward, but all of his focus remains aimed at Thursday night.

“Boxing-wise, I haven’t seen past Dusty Harrison in forever,” said LaManna, who is also a boxing promoter. “I’m still doing a show November 12th (as a promoter), which is my birthday, at the Claridge. But I haven’t even put that together. I was supposed to fight on that show. Obviously, I’m not going to now. Boxing-wise, I haven’t seen past Dusty. I haven’t seen past September 15th in God knows how long. I really haven’t. After this, I want to go out to Vegas for the Andre Ward-Kovalev fight. And I just want to take a vacation. It’s been hard and crazy. It’s going on three months that I’ve been training for this fight. This is my last fight of 2016. It will be my fifth fight in about a year, but I haven’t seen past Dusty in… I don’t know how long.”

Just a few more days remain until the fight.

“On Thursday, September 15th, you have two young fighters, one undefeated, one with one loss, in a neutral location, for a meaningful belt, that get a shot at a world rating,” LaManna said. “That’s what boxing is all about. It’s on TV, so the country gets to see it. That’s what boxing is about. I’m very excited and I can’t wait to do the only thing I really know how to do, on this national stage, against this opponent. So I’m excited.”

To read more about the Philly fight scene – past and present – visit www.phillyboxinghistory.com.