Francesco Damiani-How Good Was He ?

[Caractacus]

The Heavyweight Boxer from Italy back in the 1980's and early 1990's.

How good do you think he was or could have been ?

[Ambling Alp II]

I did not see a lot of him, but what I did he was not bad. He had some boxing ability and could punch. He should have beat Mercer, but quit once he got hurt. He had looked pretty good up until that point.

Had he fought in the 2000s, he would have run up a string of meaningless WBS title defenses which would have made some people think he was great.

btw-When he was the WBO champion, nobody consider it a major belt. Neither he nor Mercer (or Bennt, or Hide for that matter) were considered real champions and it is annoying that people now retroactively make it out to be that this title meant something.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The Mercer/Morrison fight was considered legit.

[littlepug]

The Mercer/Morrison fight was considered legit.

Don't think it was, it was still early days for the WBO back then, especially their heavyweight strap which only started getting recognition properly when klitchko got hold of it.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The Mercer/Morrison fight was considered legit.

Don't think it was, it was still early days for the WBO back then, especially their heavyweight strap which only started getting recognition properly when klitchko got hold of it.

That was a PPV that had a good bit of hype behind it, but now that you mention it I don't even think Mercer defended that against Holmes.

[Bodyshot3]

The slightly rolly-polly and ungainly physique and the fact that he was boxing in an era when European heavyweight champs tended to be viewed with a degree of cynicism meant that Damiani was a bit underated; but he was a good, skillful fighter with a top quality amateur Olympic pedigree.

Mercer has praised Damiani's ability - especially in a good interview with Boxing Monthly a while back - several times and I don't think Mercer has ever been the type of guy to hand out plaudits for fun.

Some of the names on his record are so-so and he did a great deal of his fighting on home turf...and there's the fact he won the WBO from the little known Daniel Neto.....but he made a mess of the very dangerous Du Plooy, dealt with Ekuland just as well as Bruno and also beat Tyrell Biggs who was not a busted flush at that juncture.

[littlepug]

The Mercer/Morrison fight was considered legit.

Don't think it was, it was still early days for the WBO back then, especially their heavyweight strap which only started getting recognition properly when klitchko got hold of it.

That was a PPV that had a good bit of hype behind it, but now that you mention it I don't even think Mercer defended that against Holmes.

Yeah that's right it wasn't although I only just recently found that out cos I always thought it was a defence

[Counter-puncher]

'i ain't no tommy morrison'

[Caractacus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf4kNvo8mnA

[Tuan_Jim]

btw-When he was the WBO champion, nobody consider it a major belt. Neither he nor Mercer (or Bennt, or Hide for that matter) were considered real champions and it is annoying that people now retroactively make it out to be that this title meant something.

The UK channel broadcasting the Anthony Joshua IBF heavyweight title fight last Saturday kept displaying stats to put the contest in 'context'. They had all these top 10s on screens, youngest heavyweight champs, men who won the title in fewest fights etc. They included all the 90s WBO champs. So there was Michael Bentt ranked above Cassius Clay for winning 'the title' in only 10 fights. George Foreman, who only had to fight an undefeated Smokin' Joe Frazier, eclipsed by Herbie Hide, who 'won the title' at a younger age. Henry Akinwande was on some lists too. He has more successful defences than Sonny Liston. Damiani was right there too, among the great men.

It was excruciating to watch.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

A very good fighter, fast hands and very long arms for someone his size, Reg Gutteridge said 'he looks like a farmer...' but he
could fight and was an Olympian so, he had pedigree at the highest level.

If the fight with Horace Notice had come off, Damiani would have won it without too many problems, in my opinion.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

That surprises me because I rated Notice. Mind you, I can't remember too much about Damiani so you could be right, FG.

Notice was a good fighter but he never got tested, he went down the British and Commonwealth route and defeated some decent domestic heavies and of course Analect Wamba, I tell you what is surprise when you look at what he weighed in at - he was just over 14 and a half stone for a lot of his fights and today would have been a cruiserweight.

I think with Damiani - he would have had to have gone to Italy because Notice wasn't a marquee ticket seller who could fill out arenas like Bruno or to a lesser extent - Gary Mason, and Damiani would have kept Notice out with those long arms of his, he could be pretty slick and Notice would have had a hard time getting inside to do his damage - just my take though.

[reggaereggae]

If you watch his vids, Damiani is a good fighter.... He just loved pasta too much and training not enough. His physique was awful.

As an amateur, I believe he deserved the victory over Tyrell Biggs at the 1984 Olympics and should have got the gold. I think he also beat Teofilio Stevenson which is impressive in itself, even if Stevenson was at the end of his career.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

That surprises me because I rated Notice. Mind you, I can't remember too much about Damiani so you could be right, FG.

Notice was a good fighter but he never got tested, he went down the British and Commonwealth route and defeated some decent domestic heavies and of course Analect Wamba, I tell you what is surprise when you look at what he weighed in at - he was just over 14 and a half stone for a lot of his fights and today would have been a cruiserweight.

I think with Damiani - he would have had to have gone to Italy because Notice wasn't a marquee ticket seller who could fill out arenas like Bruno or to a lesser extent - Gary Mason, and Damiani would have kept Notice out with those long arms of his, he could be pretty slick and Notice would have had a hard time getting inside to do his damage - just my take though.

Yeah, makes sense, mate. You're right, Notice wasn't a big draw like Bruno so he would probably have had to travel to fight someone like Damiani, and it may well have panned out as you describe. But, yes, Notice was a 'small' heavyweight, I remember that. Most probably a cruiserweight today.

Didn't Notice marry someone (semi) famous? An Eastenders actress or something like that.

That's right, he married Ma Tavernier didn't he? He made the news in the 90's as he was making cash heading security at illegal raves in various fields around Hampshire - the News of the World turned up, only to be confronted by Notice, his pals and a battalion of Rotweillers.

[Caractacus]

check out this interview from 2005.

http://www.thesweetscience.com/article- ... mo-carnera

[Caractacus]

Damiani is listed at 6 ft 3" (190 cm) but with only a 77 inch reach
so his arms werent so long as they were spindley looking on his frame It would appear.


Francesco Damiani at one time was scheduled to fight Mike Tyson in Milan Italy in June 1989.


and later on when Mike Tyson dropped out of the scheduled fight (rib injury) with Evander Holyfield for the title
for November.23.1991 in Atlanta
Francesco Damiani was to take his place(he was training to fight Mike Weaver) but Damiani injured his ankle in training
so Bert Cooper became Holyfields title defense.

[Syntax Error]

I did not see a lot of him, but what I did he was not bad. He had some boxing ability and could punch. He should have beat Mercer, but quit once he got hurt. He had looked pretty good up until that point.

Had he fought in the 2000s, he would have run up a string of meaningless WBS title defenses which would have made some people think he was great.

btw-When he was the WBO champion, nobody consider it a major belt. Neither he nor Mercer (or Bennt, or Hide for that matter) were considered real champions and it is annoying that people now retroactively make it out to be that this title meant something.

Agree with the last paragraph wholeheartedly.

I remember when WBO champions weren't recognised at all, now the WBO belt is considered a 'major' title; one which a fighter needs in his collection if he wants to be known as undisputed.

When did that happen & why are the likes of the WBF, IBO etc not considered to be 'majors'?

[Ambling Alp II]

Well, three world titles just weren't enough, were they?

It did not happen overnight, but it was in the 2000s. I remember in the 1990s HBO started a policy where they would not even mention the WBO on the air. Lampley would say something like "he has a title from an organization that we don't recognize." (Right after the ring announcer would refer to someone as the WBO champion.)

This was supposed to be some sort of ethical stand concerning the paper title situation.
However, they dropped that policy after a while.

The promoters and the networks like have a lot of "world titles" (and undefeated fighters) because they think it helps promotes fights.

The numerous titles have been one of the factors in boxing's downfall.

[Caractacus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39jU0IL1lQo

[milpool]

Well, three world titles just weren't enough, were they?

It did not happen overnight, but it was in the 2000s. I remember in the 1990s HBO started a policy where they would not even mention the WBO on the air. Lampley would say something like "he has a title from an organization that we don't recognize." (Right after the ring announcer would refer to someone as the WBO champion.)

This was supposed to be some sort of ethical stand concerning the paper title situation.
However, they dropped that policy after a while.

The promoters and the networks like have a lot of "world titles" (and undefeated fighters) because they think it helps promotes fights.

The numerous titles have been one of the factors in boxing's downfall.

There was a time that The Ring didn't recognise the WBO either. Not sure why or exactly when they ended up being accepted but four 'world titles' are just too much for me.

[montrealsuper]

FD really put a beating on Stevenson - great amateur fight - one of the best ever - looked a lot like Vitali vs Lennox

[Caractacus]

This was Franceso Damiani's 17th professional bout and who he had said was his toughest opponent ,James Broad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYC1LvJJ1_c

[Caractacus]

Francesco Damiani vrs Anders Eklund October 1987.
(Damiani's 19th professional bout)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrulurAqmCo

[Lennox]

He was pretty good but holding the WBO title probably harmed him. His greatest fight was probably his loss to Ray Mercer where he was expected to lose. I think from memory the first round was fairly evenish but Damiani won all the next rounds by quite a wide margin clinically outworking Mercer until Ray landed an upper cut in the 9th or 10th round that broke his nose. From being miles ahead it was all over in about 10 seconds.

Damiani was slated to fight Tyson (fell through) and Holyfield but got injured and it was the fight that Bert Cooper took and dropped Holyfield. I don't think he would have beaten Holyfield but I did not think he could beat Mercer and he proved he could. He could have beaten Frank Bruno, Bonecrusher, in fact he beat a lot of former Tyson opponents. He was probably the best in Europe at the time, maybe 5th or so in the world, at the time probably Ruddock was better and so was Bowe who was on his way up then always looked like a champion in the making. Tucker would been a close call, think Carl Williams would have been close as well. Tyson and Holyfield the 1 and 2.

[Caractacus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYJgMxWuduM