WBA ‘regular’ junior middleweight champion Erislandy ‘The American Dream’ Lara 27-3-3 (15) is looking at moving up in weight after his championship defence against Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna 30-4-1 (12) at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on Saturday night.
The fight will be on the undercard of the intriguing heavyweight clash between former unified champion Andy ‘The Destroyer’ Ruiz Jr 33-2 (22) and Chris ‘The Nightmare’ Arreola 38-6-1 (33).
The 38-year-old Houston-based Cuban will not be satisfied unless he makes it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
“A victory against LaManna will put me in position to challenge the other champions at middleweight,” southpaw Lara said.
“I am looking at unification bouts. I want the biggest bouts possible, but I must win this fight first.
“There are a lot of meaningful fights at middleweight and I want them all. I want to be a Hall-of-Famer and go down as one of the best Cuban boxers to ever do it.
“For my legacy to be thought of that way, I have to fight the best.”
The 160-pound division is stacked with talent with American WBC champion Jermall ‘Hit Man’ Charlo 31-0 (22) leading the pack. Japan’s Ryota Murata 16-2 (13) holds the WBA belt while Kazakh bomber Gennady Golovkin 41-1-1 (36) is the IBF champion. American Demetrius Andrade30-0 (18) is the WBO boss.
Lara will need to get past LaManna first, who has won two fights on the trot since losing back-to-back fights to Jorge Cota and Brian Mendoza last year.
“Training camp has been hard. I am working with my coach Ismael Salas and things have just been very calculated and scientific,” Lara said.
“We got great sparring and I’m feeling young in my mind, body and soul. I like the way the camp is being managed and I expect to have a lot of success in this fight based on the preparation I have had in Las Vegas.
“Thomas LaManna is really big and tall and brings a unique style to the ring. This is not an easy fight at all and I know I will have to be my very best to come out victorious.
“He has never fought for a world title so I am fighting a person who is looking to accomplish his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion. I am fully prepared, focused, and I’m expecting a tough fight.
“I’m looking to become a two-division and three-time world champion. I take great pride in being a fighter that puts everything on the line.
“I want to face any-and-all challengers, and this will continue May 1. My goal is to be an all-time great and a legend in the sport. I’m moving up in weight to become a world champion and show the world I’m ready for new challenges.”
