From The Ring To The Gram: Former Boxer Makes A Social Media Debut

Vinny Paz, formerly known as Vinny Pazienza, held world titles at lightweight and light middleweight. His boxing career was cut short by a fatal car accident.

Not only did he succeed in boxing, Vinny has also starred in movies like ‘Be A Man’, ‘The Mouse’, ‘The Good Life’, ‘The Tournament’, ‘WrestleMania, among others. His career almost tragically came to an end in 1991; he was a passenger in a car that was involved in a head-on collision. As a result of the impact, he suffered a dislocated vertebra and two fractured vertebrae in his neck.

“After being involved in a car crash and breaking his neck at 28 years, Vinny Paz was told he might never walk again. After months of rehabilitation, lots of dedication, perseverance, persistence, and passion, he would return to the ring to conquer greatness. The Pazmanian Devil is now on Instagram; visit his profile and show some love. Vinny achieved one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports of the time, confounding all the medical experts but confirming his incredible self-belief and the total dedication of his courageous determination to transform the impossible into an astonishing reality,” said the WBC on Facebook. The 2016 film ‘Bleed for This’ is based on his comeback from a spinal injury in 2022; he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

At the beginning of 2021, he legally changed his last name from Pazienza to Paz; in 2002, he lost the WBC world super middleweight championship to Eric Lucas. That was his last shot at a world title; two years later, in 2004, his last bout ended in defeat to Tocker Pudwill via 10-round unanimous decision. He had a total of 60 fights, 50 wins, and 10 losses. He’s now 63 years old.