LINCOLN, R.I. (Nov. 19, 2013) –Moments after Peter Manfredo Jr. sat down for Tuesday’s press conference at Twin River Casino, a waitress brought him a dinner roll with several packs of butter, a ticking time bomb for a fighter trying to keep his weight on point several days before a weigh-in.
“You must’ve had this sent to me, Rich!” joked Manfredo as he waved in the direction of his opponent, Rich Gingras, sitting at the opposite end of the table.
Manfredo, Gingras, and former four-time world champion Jaime Clampitt — all of whom now either live or train in Rhode Island — gathered Tuesday for the final leg of their press tour as they wrap up training camp in preparation for “Pride & Power” on Friday, Nov. 22, 2013, the finale of this year’s Twin River Fight Series presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports.
Manfredo, dubbed “The Pride Of Providence,” will face the hard-hitting Gingras (13-3-1, 8 KOs) in in the 10-round super middleweight main event while Clampitt (21-5-1, 7 KOs) will return to the ring for the first time in more than three years in her farewell fight against Brooklyn’s Dominga Olivo (8-8-1).
“I actually went and bought two VIP tickets myself,” CES president Jimmy Burchfield said. “That’s how bad I want to see this fight!”
Intra-state rivalries tend to bring out the worst in the fighters involved, but the only shots fired Tuesday were good-natured jabs between Manfredo and Gingras, who share a mutual respect for one another despite the fact they’re preparing for what could be the most difficult test of their respect careers Friday night.
“I remember watching Peter when he was on The Contender long before I even fought my first fight,” Gingras said. “He’s someone we all grew up idolizing.”
“You’re making me feel old!” quipped Manfredo.
“All kidding aside, it’s just an honor to be a part of this event. I know Rich is a tough kid who trains hard and he’s going to be ready to fight. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to take this fight. I’ve known [Gingras’ trainer] Orlondo [Valles] for a long time, too, and [trainer] Jose [Santos]. They do a great job. It’s going to be a great fight. The fans are in for a real treat.”