Football
Teri Berg 18y

Manfredo, Pemberton set to make or break it

Peter Manfredo Jr. might not be Marlon Brando when the cameras are rolling. But this Eastern seaboard middleweight got a shot Brando's Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront" only dreamed of having.

Now the question is: After all the fame, fortune and experience he has gained from his role in the inaugural season of "The Contender," can Manfredo be successful at the next level?

Even after losing the "Contender" title match to Sergio Mora in May 2005, then getting the bad end of a split decision in their October rematch, Manfredo has no doubts.

"I was fighting ranked guys before 'The Contender,' and I'll work my way up the rankings again," Manfredo said. "I feel like I'm ready to fight the best."

Whether the feisty Providence, R.I., native is ready, he faces serious obstacles in his first post-"Contender" bout. Not only is Manfredo, 25, trying to return to 10- and 12-round form after fighting five-rounders throughout "The Contender" season, but he's jumping up a weight class as well -- from 160 pounds to 168. More daunting still, he's taking on a world-class opponent.

Due to the snowstorm that covered New England over the weekend, "The Pride of Providence" will square off in a 10-round headliner Monday at the Dunkin Donuts Center in his hometown against his close friend and former sparring partner, and former No. 1 super middleweight contender, Scott Pemberton (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET).

The event's undercard features fellow "Contender" alums Alfonso Gomez and Miguel Espino as well as 2004 Olympic super heavyweight and Manfredo stablemate Jason Estrada in his sixth professional bout. The fights will be aired live after the Pro Bowl on ESPN, which -- along with Tournament of Contenders LLC, the promotional arm of "The Contender" -- is promoting the event.

Has Manfredo bitten off more than he can chew?

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't," he said. "Scottie's a good fighter -- he can hit, he can bang, he's got a beautiful right hand. No question, a dangerous fight.

"I could've taken an easy fight, but I think I'm ready to step up. Am I ready? I guess we'll find out."

The main event between Manfredo (24-3, 10 KOs) and "The Sandman" (29-4-1, 24 KOs) has been billed "The Contender Special: East Coast Pride." But promoter Jimmy Burchfield better characterized the expected brawl when he recently called it "the ultimate crossroads fight."

"The winner of this fight gets his career rejuvenated," Burchfield said. "The loser is going to have to take a serious look at doing something other than boxing."

Manfredo's not exactly holding a one-way ticket to Palookaville if he bows to Pemberton. He's still young and hard to knock down, and he has an impressive learning curve.

No doubt, he will improve his conditioning and technique now that he's training under Freddie Roach, who's coming off of a big victory with another of his protégés, Manny Pacquiao. Still, each man in this main draw will suffer a serious professional blow should he falter.

Manfredo's rep and pride were bruised by his first-episode upset loss to a game Gomez on "The Contender" (he returned to the show only as a replacement for a contestant who contracted chicken pox), as well as by his two defeats at the hands of Mora. Another loss likely would break the momentum the popular reality series has given him and call into question his claims of legitimacy.

"This fight is indeed a crossroads fight," Sugar Ray Leonard said. "This fight will push Peter to the limit. He has to win -- and continue to win -- but Pemberton has to win, too."

Leonard, who co-starred with Sylvester Stallone on "The Contender" and plans to attend the Providence event, said, "This is the kind of fight that will make your palms sweat."

As high as the stakes are for Manfredo, for Pemberton, this fight might be his win-or-go-home moment.

After a year as the No. 1 contender, Pemberton sits at the WBC's No. 18 spot, having taken a quick beating in November from defending champ Jeff Lacy. The second-round knockout accounts for part of his tumble in the rankings, but Pemberton's age (39), his chin (shaky) and his prospects (few) probably have dropped him further than his considerable talents and showmanship deserve.

A classic old-school New England grinder, Pemberton has an attacking style, a right hand that has been money in 24 KOs and a heart bigger than anything Tinsel Town could construct. Talkingboxing.com has called him "one of boxing's top 10 most exciting fighters in the world" for his ring performances -- a sentiment ESPN seconded in handing him Fight of the Year awards in 2003 and 2004 (both for victories over Omar Sheika).

But Pemberton's also a hard-luck case. He turned pro at 26, with no Olympic credentials or backers to bankroll his career. And despite his steady rise in the rankings, Pemberton had never earned a purse of more than $30,000 until the Lacy fight. A longtime contender and fan favorite, Pemberton was in line for a championship bout, but didn't raise the pulses of the title holders and their promoters. His only crack at a belt came as a replacement opponent for Lacy after Joe Calzaghe bowed out with an injury.

He's training for this fight at his usual haunt, the Fall River Police Athletic League gym, a half-hour from his home in South Dartmouth, Mass. And when he's finished for the day, he goes home and works on remodeling his new house -- a modest three-bedroom fixer-upper he finally was able to buy for his fiancée and two kids with the $120,000 purse he earned in his only title shot.

"Scott's about as real as you can get as a fighter," said his trainer, John Scully. "Very real."

So real, in fact, that when Pemberton's mail carrier, a fan of "The Contender," discovered that he knew Manfredo and pressed him to get an autograph, he was happy to help her out.

Still, no matter how authentic or deserving Pemberton is, time is running out for him. A victory over Manfredo won't necessarily boost his ranking nor put him back into title contention. But it will fill his wallet, give him some longed-for exposure and help ease the pain of his fall to Lacy.

Pemberton would like another crack at "Left Hook," he said, and is not thinking about retirement.

Just like he's not thinking about what's next, should he lose to Manfredo.

"I appreciate him giving me the opportunity for this fight," he said. "I almost feel sorry I'm gonna have to dust his ass."

Sounds a lot like Malloy's philosophy of life: "Do it to him before he does it to you."

Given his hard-knock story and longshoreman's charm, Pemberton himself could have been a "Contender." But since it's likely not going to happen for him, he's happy just to share the limelight (and money) that comes with this fight -- as long as he's the only one left standing.

Teri Berg is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached at bergteri@yahoo.com.

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