Brick City Boxing

New York area fighter managed himself to a 10-0 record but recently added his first manager to help leverage his talent.

By: Christopher Roche

Undefeated Long Island welterweight Tommy “The Razor” Rainone is a case study in perseverance. The 28 year-old southpaw from Plainview has had his ups and downs with the business-side of boxing, but his determination has yielded him a perfect 10-0 record in the ring.

Tommy Rainone

Since turning professional in 2006, Rainone has been self-managed. As anyone familiar with the boxing world knows, the business side of the sport can be very difficult. As evidence of that, Rainone’s next scheduled bout, which was to take place on February 15, fell through.

Rainone is looking to get back in the ring in March, and he said he is always in top shape and ready to fight. He said, “I’m training hard and keeping myself in shape as always and there are a few different shows in New York in March so I’m hoping to be able to get on one of them.”

As part of that hard training, Rainone revealed one of his unique methods for getting battle ready. He explained how he steps into a 10x10 ring for five-minute rounds, with the heat blasting on him.

“My buddy Chris is an amateur boxer and a trainer who has his own studio gym in the basement of his house. When the time came to step up to six rounds I wanted to add an element that would help increase my mental strength as well as my overall stamina and durability. Once a week come fight time I would go to his gym, and we turn on the space heaters so the gym is like an oven. We spar five-minute rounds in a ring the size of a hamper.”

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Rainone is used to moving around a lot in the ring, so the close-quarters sparring is something that takes him out of his comfort zone and ultimately helps him.

He said, “There is nowhere to go. The action is at close quarters and non-stop, not being able to use my legs much in a ring of that size forces me to fight a little different than I am normally comfortable with. Having to do it for five-minute rounds instead of three, in such a small area, is something that really helps me for a number of reasons. It also helps me prepare for the unexpected.”

I asked Rainone what it was like managing his professional career while training and holding down a regular job. He elaborated on the difficulties of managing, training and working his regular job as a night auditor at a Hotel.

“On top of working a regular job and all the hard work that comes along with being a fighter it has been very frustrating at times. It [managing] is almost like a third job because it takes up a lot of time and involves quite a bit of effort and emotion,” explained Rainone.

Rainone recently decided to relinquish his managerial duties. He has since enlisted the help of Luigi Olcese, who fans might recognize as the man who guides New York City star Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea’s career.

“I felt like it was the right time in my career to get myself a little help in a reliable person, so I had a meeting with Luigi Olcese on Thursday [February 7] who manages my good friend Maureen Shea,” said Rainone, who has three wins by knockout. “He has done a very good job with her and we are on the same page with regards to what I’m looking to accomplish in my career and the path that must be taken to get there, so he is now my new manager and I’m looking forward to working with him and having an exciting year.”

Rainone is looking to stay busy in 2008, and he hopes to step up to eight-rounders after his next two fights. As long as he stays busy and keeps on winning, Rainone’s fan base will grow, and his career could be off to the races. Rainone has guided himself to an undefeated record, which is an impressive accomplishment not to be overlooked. Along the way, he has garnered a nice local following, but he explained that he is often a road warrior looking for fights.

“I want to thank everyone for their loyalty and support. I am from Long Island, and most of the people that support me are from the metro area [NY], so fighting in places like South Carolina, Saratoga, Philadelphia and Monticello, one after the next, has not been the easiest thing to do. A couple of those fights were right in my opponents’ backyard.”

Rainone desperately wants to reward his fans with some home cooking, and he mentioned how the strong fan support actually pushes him even harder to perform at his best.

Rainone said, “Hopefully, with the help of my new manager as well as a little luck, (because I had a couple of local fights set but they fell through) most of my upcoming fights will be close to home, which will enable me to have that strong crowd support which gives me that extra push.”

So far, Rainone has not needed any extra motivation to achieve success in the ring; his record speaks for itself. His decision to expand his team will likely help him capitalize on the success he has achieved inside of the ring, and with the help of his fans, Rainone just might get that edge he is searching for. After all, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little “extra”. Rainone is confident the pieces to the puzzle are coming together as he looks to propel his career to new heights.