PITTSBURGH -- He hailed from McKees Rocks, earning the nickname of "The Pittsburgh Kid" while rising to become a boxing champion only to have personal demons knock him back down to the mat.

Paul Spadafora has dished out just as many blows as life has thrown at him in recent years, yet the 33-year-old former IBF world lightweight champion insists he may be down, but not out.

Video:1-On-1 With Paul Spadafora

Video:1-On-1 With Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker

"It's definitely a battle and I take it one day at a time. I'm really trying to put that behind me. I'm really getting consistent with doing the right thing. I'm surrounding myself with better people. I take it one day at a time. It never goes away. That's a fight you have to fight," said Spadafora while speaking to Channel Action Sports' Guy Junker.

That fight Spadafora speaks of includes -- but is not limited to -- serving a prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to shooting his girlfriend, battling alcohol and failing a urine test after cocaine was discovered in his system.

But one of the people Spadafora has surrounded himself with this time around is former Olympic gold medalist Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker.

"This kid [Spadafora], he's a jewel. He's a kid worth doing it all over again with," said Whitaker, who captured world titles in lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions during a 17-year career.

Spadafora calls working with Whitaker "a blessing."

"He was in the top three of my favorite fighters. It's like a dream come true. He's just sharpening my game back up and I think I'm better than ever right now," said Spadafora.

Spadafora knows if he wants to keep the dream alive, he'll have to keep his guard up away from the ring, where his most damaging defeats have come.

"I accomplished becoming world champion and I love to fight. I'm the kind of guy who won't be satisfied until I'm in a major fight and in a battle with a great fighter. I feel like I can really make it to the hall of fame by just being me," said Spadafora. "As long as I do the right things -- in and outside the ring -- this part of my career is more to help people who had trouble like I had trouble."

Spadafora (41-0-1) hopes to take another step forward in the right direction when he meets Ivan Bustos (27-12-3) in a junior welterweight bout at Station Square on Wednesday night.

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