For starters, Will Thrills

Will Rosinsky called it just a coincidence that as he stepped through the ropes, his fans already roaring, the Jay-Z lyrics blasting through BB King Blues Club were blaring “this time it’s for the money.” It, indeed, was the first time the four-time Golden Gloves champion was boxing for dollars, and signified the beginning of the next step in his career.
“Between the fans and the song, just the way everything played out,” he said, “it was exactly how I pictured it.”
So was the result. In his professional debut, the Archbishop Molloy graduate proved he could throw the leather for pay. Rosinsky, the light heavyweight, stopped Valentine Fortanelly (0-3, 2 KOs) 2:10 into the opening round of the Lou DiBella-promoted Broadway Boxing card, blistering his opponent with a series of combinations to the head and body, that ended the fight barely after it had began.
Such a night was not guaranteed, even as Rosinsky made a name for himself in amateur circles, winning the 2006 National Golden Gloves. He had his doubts. Nevertheless, prior to his fourth and final Gloves, he made his decision to go pro.
It looked like a wise decision last week. Nearly half the crowd was pro-Rosinsky, and many others who did not know the Richmond Hill native soon joined the party. They chanted his name prior to the opening bell, throughout the victory and after his arm was raised without headgear for the first time.
“Of course I was nervous,” he said.” It’s not even so much about winning and losing, it’s about looking good, giving the fans what they want.”
Then there were the physical differences of the pro game - longer rounds (three minutes compared to two), smaller gloves, less cushioning.
“My first jab I hit him with, I felt like his whole face was in my glove,” Rosinsky said. “I felt like every punch was going to hurt him. At the same time, you feel every punch. I had no idea what to expect. I could talk to all the pros, but you don’t know until you’re the one who’s getting hit and doing the hitting.”
Rosinsky prepared for his first pro fight by extending his sparring sessions, going to five-minute rounds as opposed to three. He threw nearly the same amount of punches, but looked in better shape - less body fat - and his shots carried more authority. Rosinsky did appear to run out of gas late in the round, after landing a series of blows. He quickly caught his breath, and ended the fight, helped by a series of left hooks.
“Between the adrenaline and everything, I wasn’t going to be able to keep up that pace; I was on course to throw over 200 punches,” he said. “At that exact moment, I realized I got to slow down. I started to pick body shots, saw some openings and finished him.”
It was a head-spinning night for the Richmond Hill native, who had family, friends and classmates in attendance. His mother, Alfie, was there, too, in the front row, nervously watching ringside until the fight began, and her son was rarely touched.
“It was exciting,” she said. “We were never so close to him fighting. It’s kind of scary, but he has the talent.”
Rosinsky has yet to pick a promoter, although he said he was leaning towards DiBella’s organization. Irish Ropes, who handles middleweight contender John Duddy, has also showed interest. But on this night, he was content with the easy victory and the congratulations he received afterwards.
“It was perfect,” he said. “Unbelievable.”
Just as Vinny Maddalone stepped in to the ring, a brief rumble broke out in the crowd. Bottles and chairs were thrown. When it was finally cleared away, Maddalone, the heavyweight brawler, gained everyone’s attention, stopping Joe Stofle (11-14-2, 7 KOs) 2:47 into the first round. Maddalone (30-4, 21 KOs), who has won his last three bouts since he was knocked out by former world champion Evander Holyfield last March, sent Stofle to the canvas early, and bludgeoned him with a series of roundhouse right hands and body shots.
Light middleweight James Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) bounced back from his first loss by out-pointing Lloyd Joseph (12-7-3, 5 KOs).