-Photo Credit: Jose Hernandez/BRC-

MONTREAL (April 18, 2009) – Former world title challenger Peter Manfredo, Jr. knocked out tough Tunisian veteran Walid “Tempete de Sable” Smichet in the seventh round of today’s scheduled 10-round co-feature at Montreal Casino

The 28-year-old Manfredo (32-6, 16 KOs), star of The Contender, Season I, got his career back on the right track with a strong performance against Smichet (20-6-3, 14 KOs), who had been knocked out only once in 28 prior pro fights, by Renan St. Juste in 2006. Manfredo accomplished what neither unbeaten world title contender John Duddy nor Canadian middleweight champion Sebastien Demers had been able to do in their 10 and 12 round fights, respectively, against Smichet.

“It was a nice win and good confidence builder,” Manfredo remarked. “I hurt him in the third and after that I knew I could hurt him anytime. He was tough, though, and came back fighting. I hurt him again in the sixth and knew that it was only a matter of time. I was bigger, stronger and better than him and proved it today, not only to the fans, but to myself. I’m a top-level performer who only had three weeks to get ready for this fight. I’m coming down to middleweight and I want Duddy. Today, I did what he couldn’t do and plan on being ringside Friday night (vs. Billy Lyell in Newark, NJ) for his fight.”

Manfredo recently reunited with his original promoter, Jimmy Burchfield (Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., who said after the fight, “What a victory! A war, back-and-forth action, but Peter boxed beautifully and stuck with his game plan. He hurt Smichet a number of times, picking him apart, throughout the fight. It was a devastating punch; knockout of the year candidate.”

Manfredo floored Smichet in the third, staggered in the sixth, and put him to sleep with a vicious left hook at the end of the seventh.

“A great win,” Manfredo’s manager Larry Army added. “We couldn’t be happier with his comeback fight. The middleweight division is ripe for Peter’s pickings.”

Go to www.cesboxing.com for more information about Classic Entertainment and Sports and Manfredo.