Help Identifying A Fighter

[Poncey]

Posters and Editors,

Need your help.

The below fighter is claiming to have held the IA Italian HW Championship in 1979 for Des Moines. I've had a look at our database and can't find a record of this taking place (it could be that they are claiming it is an amateur title) for their name, although perhaps they used a different name.

Could anyone please provide some information on whether:
a) this individual has actually fought professionally or at amateur level
a i) if so, who did they fight and when
b) the title actually existed

Their name is Johnny Mascaro. Here is their website; http://johnnymascaro.com/.

Many Thanks

[SolomonDeedes]

For what it's worth, I don't think he's claiming to have been the "IA Italian heavyweight champion", I think he's saying he was the Italian heavyweight champion in Des Moines, Iowa.

This Sports Illustrated article from 1982 does specify that his alleged title was an amateur one. Sadly it doesn't explain why Des Moines has an Italian heavyweight championship.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm