By Kevin Gorman

Published: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 9:22 p.m.
Updated: Friday, March 29, 2013

Paul Spadafora has an undefeated record, a No. 11 WBA world ranking and a date as the main event at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort.

What the McKees Rocks boxer needs next is a win over a world-ranked opponent. Spadafora (46-0-1, 19 knockouts) will get that opportunity when he fights Solomon Egberime (22-3-1, 11 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout Saturday night at the Harv.

Egberime, a Nigerian who fights out of Australia, is ranked No. 14 by WBO.

“This is the biggest step that I've taken in a long time,” said Spadafora, the former IBF lightweight champion, at a news conference at Latitude 40 in Robinson. “I need to get a win. I don't have time to wait around. This is the first time since I was a champion (in 2003) that Pittsburgh has had two world-ranked fighters going against each other.”

TNT Promotions, which is putting on the card, is predicting that Spadafora will crack the top 10 of the world rankings with a victory.

“He can't afford a setback right now,” promoter Roy Jones Jr. said. “Everybody wants to see what he does against a world-ranked opponent. This is his showcase.”

The undercard features Rankin's Monty Meza-Clay, Monaca's Morgan Fitch and Sheraden's Bill Hutchinson.

Tickets can be purchased at Mountaineer Casino's Players Club at 1-800-894-0468 Ext. 8297 or online at www.moreatmountaineer.com or www.etix.com.

Kevin Gorman is a staffwriter for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at kgorman@tribweb.com or 412-320-7812.

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