'Pittsburgh Kid' Paul Spadafora Out Of Prison

Albion, PA (AHN) - Former IBF lightweight champion Paul Spadafora was released Thursday from the state prison and is cleared from violation charges of his parole.

The 32-year-old boxer, who was paroled in April 2006 after serving 13 months for the October 2003 shooting his former fiancée Nadine Russo, will no longer face charges for violation of his parole following the decision of defense attorney Ken Bickel to no longer pursue the case.

Last week, Spadafora was sent to jail following a violation of a 2007 protection from abuse order when he met Russo at an Edinboro motel on April 29. Russo, who has a child by Spadafora, obtained the court order in June after allegations that the boxer abused her.

Spadafora captured the IBF welterweight crown in 1999 after beating Israel Cardona in Chester via a 12-round decision. He successfully defended the title in the next four years against the likes of Victoriano Sosa, Mike Griffith, Angel Manfredy and Dennis Holbaek. In 2003, Spadafora failed to unify the IBF and WBA crown after a split decision against WBA world champion Leonard Dorin.

Spadafora returned to ring in November 2006, after a 32-month layoff to notch a five-round stoppage of Jesus Francisco Zepeda at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, Pennsylvania, his first fight since serving sentence for the 2003 shooting of his fiancee

Prior to his recent parole violation, Spadafora again returned to the canvas on April 25, 2008 where he dominated Shad Howard for a 80-72 victory.