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United States Vinny Paz, a former professional boxer and five-time world champion, is known for his remarkable career and an inspirational comeback from a severe spinal injury that left him with multiple world titles across lightweight, light middleweight, IBO middleweight, IBC super middleweight, and WBU super middleweight divisions. His story has been adapted into a film and continues to inspire audiences globally.
Vinny Paz participated in a celebrity ad campaign for Wocket Smart Wallet, following a celebrity shoot with Joey Fatone. This partnership was focused on media inquiries and brand promotion.
Five-Time World Champion Boxer Vinny Paz discussed the pending release of his film 'Bleed for This,' his new boxing venture, and winning ideas, including NXT-ID's Wocket.
Vincenzo Edward Pazienza, born on December 16, 1962, in Cranston, Rhode Island, began his professional boxing career in 1983. Early in his career, Pazienza established a strong presence on the U.S. East Coast, achieving notable victories against opponents like Melvin Paul, Joe Frazier Jr., Harry Arroyo, Nelson Bolanos, and Roberto Elizondo. His first world title opportunity came on June 7, 1987, where he defeated Greg Haugen over 15 rounds to become the IBF world lightweight champion in Providence, Rhode Island. He defended this title before a series of fights with Haugen, ultimately prevailing in their rubber match in 1990. After initial attempts at junior welterweight titles, Pazienza moved to the junior middleweight division in 1991 under trainer Kevin Rooney, winning the USBA championship against Ron Amundsen. He then secured the WBA world junior middleweight title by defeating Gilbert Delé, becoming only the second fighter to win world championships in both the lightweight and junior middleweight classes.
A significant turning point in Pazienza’s career occurred on November 12, 1991, when a severe car accident resulted in a broken neck. Doctors informed him that he might never walk or fight again. Despite medical advice, Pazienza embarked on an intensive recovery, training while wearing a Halo, a medical device screwed into his skull. Thirteen months after the accident, he made an unprecedented return to the ring, defeating Luis Santana by decision. This comeback became a defining moment of his career. Following this, he achieved further success, including wins against Brett Lally and former world champion Lloyd Honeyghan. In 1993, he won the vacant IBO middleweight world title with a knockout over Dan Sherry.
Pazienza continued to build on his legacy by defeating Roberto Durán twice by unanimous decision for the IBC super middleweight title. Although he lost a world title bid against IBF world super middleweight champion Roy Jones Jr. in 1995, he went on to win the vacant WBU super middleweight world championship in 1996 by defeating Dana Rosenblatt. In 2001, he legally changed his last name to Paz. His final professional fight was in 2004, where he defeated Tocker Pudwill by unanimous decision, concluding his career with a record of 50 wins and 10 losses, including 30 knockouts and five world titles across various weight classes. He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2025.
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