Damian Tinnerello returned to the ring on June 13 at Boxing Insider at Tropicana and needed less than two rounds, stopping Abdullah “The Storm” Nagy to move to 6-0 with five knockouts. Tinnerello scored a knockdown in the first round, then forced referee David Franciosi to halt the bout at 2:58 of the second. The win followed a 14-month layoff.

The 23-year-old Tinnerello fights out of Berlin, New Jersey, was born in Brooklyn, and competes at junior middleweight. He is also a Senior Airman in the United States Air Force, serving with the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 177th Fighter Wing.

“It was great to be back in the ring. I was out for over a year, so to be back in that environment, fighting again in front of everybody, I really appreciate it,” Tinnerello said. “It was fun.”

Serving with the 177th Fighter Wing

The 177th Fighter Wing, known as the Jersey Devils, is based at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base and flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon. Its mission centers on air defense of the northeast corridor. Tinnerello described that role in his own terms.

“Our mission is to protect the entire northeast. We have fighter jets at our base and we defend the northeast, so Washington, New York, pretty much all the tri-states,” he said. “That is our mission.”

Tinnerello does not fly the jets. His work is on the ground, in airfield management. “My job is air management. I take care of the entire airfield that conducts operations, and I contact the proper agencies to coordinate all the movement that goes on and off the airfield,” he said. “If there is a problem with the jets, they call us and we notify ops to go handle whatever situation is on the airfield. We also make sure the airfield is adequate for the jets to take off and complete their missions.”

Balancing service and the gym

Tinnerello fits training around a full duty day. “I get up real early and knock out a run, maybe some conditioning. Then I work throughout the day, come home and go right to the gym to do my boxing workouts, whatever my team has planned for me,” he said. “I find the balance between everything.” He added that he also trains a friend from the base on the side.

He said colonels, senior officers, and fellow airmen have turned up to watch him fight. “It is very humbling that they take time out of their day to come watch me fight. Not even just the colonels or the top guys, but my peers too,” Tinnerello said. “They work really hard. It is a tight community over there and it is wonderful. I support the people on my base as well, whatever they have going on.”

Trained by his father

Tinnerello is trained by his father, Damian Sr., in New Jersey, and the father-and-son pair built his amateur foundation on the road. He said that run took him across the country to national tournaments.

“I started in Arizona. At least half of my fights were national tournaments and I gained a lot of experience over there. I was second in the country when I was 18,” Tinnerello said. “I only had nine fights at that point and I managed to pull off second. I traveled a lot and met a lot of great people. I had 27 fights. It was not as long as I would have liked, but I am making the most of it.”

He turned professional in March 2024 and won his first five bouts before the layoff, with the lone decision coming against Jose Edgardo Perdomo in March 2025. The June 13 stoppage of Nagy was his sixth straight win.

One fight at a time

Tinnerello said he sets near-term targets rather than mapping out years in advance. “I give it 110 percent and I take one fight at a time. I never overlook anyone. I like setting short-term goals and making sure I set myself up to achieve world champion status, because that is the ultimate goal,” he said. “I am going to be undisputed. It is just a matter of time. Right now I am setting myself up appropriately to stay on the right track, because I know there are a lot of obstacles along that road.”

He sees opponents close to home but would not name them. “There are a lot of great fighters in the tri-state area. I have been looking at a few of them, but when that time comes I will be ready,” Tinnerello said. “I am not going to call anyone’s name.” He is expected back on a card in September.

Tinnerello said the past year tested him outside the ring. “We all put in a lot of work and sacrificed a lot to be where we are now, and we still have a lot more sacrificing and hardship to go through. Last year was not kind to me,” he said. “In 2025 I faced a lot of adversity personally.”

He closed with a message for anyone in a similar position. “This goes out to anyone who is struggling in life. All you need is two feet to stand on. Look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you will get everything done that you can,” Tinnerello said. “No one is going to come help you in life. The only person to help you is you. Just keep on trucking, because that is all you can do.”