This Thursday night at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, popular Italian Super Featherweight Floriano Pagliara returns to the ring when he takes on Willie Villanueva of Alberquercue, New Mexico.
Pagliara, from the coastal city of Cecine, Italy now resides in Brooklyn has become one of the biggest favorites on the Broadway Boxing series.
The friendly and approachable IBF Medeteranian Super featherweight Champion sports a respectable 13-4 (7ko) record and is quickly becoming one of the top ticket sellers in the New York Area. Boxing is just one of his many interests and talents. Floriano’s has many outside interests that separates him from a lot of pugilists.
“Floriano has such a great personality that people of this community have grown to love him,” said Pagliara’s American promoter Rich Komissar of RKO Boxing International.
“It’s amazing that in such a short period of time that he has gained fans from all five boroughs. Local businesses from New Yorks many Little Italy sections sport his posters every time he fights. The folks on Artur Avenue in the Bronx love him. The same with Corona , Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and especially the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. I am so proud to be involved with such a great young man. He really gives 1000% of himself. He is a true sportsman and gentleman. I’ve been around boxing and fighters all of my life. I can honestly say I’ve never met any fighter with such a true heart. He is truly intoxicating to be around”.
Rich isn’t the only Komissar that has become close to the Champ. “He has become a part of our family. He treats me as a son would treat a father and I certainly feel the same towards him. Unlike most sons, Floriano asks for nothing and gives unconditionally” Komissar jokingly added. “My wife adores him”
Komissar, who’s son Dan is in the restaurant business in New Jersey has recently noticed the close relationship between his son and Floriano can grow into a business relationship “Floriano is a trained chef by trade back in Cecine which is along the Tuscan coast. Floriano and his future bride Stefi (a certified Organic Nutrtionist) are self described “Foodies”. They both love to cook.
Floriano and Danny Komissar have talked about collaborating together and possibly opening up an eatery sometime in the future” The younger Komissar is planning a fact finding trip to the Tuscan region in late summer and early fall 2012.
Komissar, a cancer survivor since a 2007 bout with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma is involved with the Lymphoma Research Foundation. The Komissar family, along with their friends take part in twice annual Lymphomathon fundraisers.
“This year Floriano has offered to become a part of our team. We plan on raising double or maybe triple our regular fund raising efforts. This is very personal to me as I am a survivor of lymphoma and for Floriano to get involved more than touches my heart.”
Besides the Lymphomathon project, Floriano is a member of the Long Island New York Chapter of National Cooley’s Anemia Foundation which raises money to help children affected by a disease which attacks mostly youngsters from the Mediterranean areas of the world.
Additionally, he recently joined fellow boxer and foundation founder “Captain” Boyd Melson’s Team Fight To Walk which raises money for spinal cord research and the Veteran Boxers Association Ring 8 NY which is an organization that caters to the needs of retired boxers.
Floriano is trained by Don Saxbey out of Gleasons Gym in Brooklyn New York and advised professionally by Rich Komissar of RKO Boxing International the legendary New York fight personality Tommy Gallagher.
axbey added “Floriano is ready for this important fight against Villanueva, he is in the gym everyday and he has been developing more of an American style and we have seen the improvement which has led to a three fight winning streak, He is ready to go go go.”
