Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna doesn’t have any illusions about where he’s at in his career.
The realization that the same call he received for his next assignment won’t be around with another defeat is all the motivation he needs to deliver his best-ever performance. It will take just that for the long shot underdog from Millville, New Jersey to push past Jermall Charlo in their May 31 clash on PBC on Prime from Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LaManna, 39-5-1 (18 KOs), enters the clash armed with a nine-fight win streak. However, most have been of the confidence building variety since a first-round knockout to Erislandy Lara in their May 2021 vacant secondary WBA middleweight title fight in Carson, California.
“I’ve been in this same exact seat,” LaManna said during Wednesday’s promotional press conference at The Mayan in Los Angeles. “I came up drastically short against Lara, I don’t ever want to go through that again. Personally, it messed me up. It put my family back with a lot of things. I don’t want to mess that up for them again.
“We all know the task at hand. I know what I’m up against. We all know this is my last shot. I’m gonna make it my last shot, my best shot. I’m gonna give it my all.
LaManna is a +750 underdog to prevail against Houston’s Charlo, 33-0 (22 KOs), a former two-division titlist. Their bout serves as the co-feature to the Caleb Plant-Armando Resendiz interim WBA super middleweight title fight.
In theory, the show is designed to build towards a Plant-Charlo grudge match later this year.
Plant, 23-2 (14 KOs), repeatedly emphasized the importance of not looking past May 31. Charlo carries that same mindset for the most part, as he views this fight as his true introduction to the super middleweight division.
As shown last weekend in New York City, just one upset can ruin future plans. Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, 17-2 (13 KOs) – who was on hand during Wednesday’s event - dominated Ryan Garcia in an upset win atop a May 1 DAZN Pay-Per-View event.
The outcome dampened the enthusiasm behind, if not altogether canceled, a previously signed rematch between Garcia and Devin Haney later this fall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Garcia was upwards of a -1000 favorite, not far off from where Charlo sits headed into his clash with LaManna.
“We’re just gonna upset the applecart,” insisted LaManna, who has stopped his last four opponents. “He's a two-division world champion. He’s been at the top level. I can’t take that away from him.
“This is why we fight the fights. We just gonna have to see. I’m gonna shock the world.”
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on and .