Page 2 of 2
Posted: 27 Mar 2006, 17:10
by bollox
Martin Sosa Cameron wrote:The great puncher Rocky Mattioli stills living in Australia? And Rocky Gattellari and Johnny Famechon too?
No. Rocky lives in Italy and has done for about 25 years. He was back here by invitation for a 'greats of Oz boxing' type thing a couple of years ago. I believe he still has some family here and he definitely has a load of old fans and friends
Rocky Gattelari and Fammo are well and truly here
p.s. Fammo was born in France and came from an entire boxing family, including his father. In the 80's he he could regularly be seen having a quiet drink in a small pub here in Melbourne. Very quiet unassuming fella, he usually sat there reading a newspaper. Then he was hit by a car about 15 years ago and has been battling the odds ever since
When it hits the fan is when you often find out about a person and Fammo has come through with flying colours
Posted: 27 Mar 2006, 18:49
by Martin Sosa Cameron
BoxBuzz,
Thanks you very much!
Bollox
Thanks you too!; the Famechon family had many good boxers, all of French origin, and any of them in the world ratings in his moment (André, Ray and others)
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 13 Jun 2016, 02:46
by UgoBox
Finally let's clear this up: Bert Gilroy was Born as Antonio Rea on May 10, 1918, to two Italian Immigrants. His Italian upbringing, food, culture and work ethic helped him in his struggles in Scotland to reach the top of his profession.
Only today is it now fashionable for a designer, artist, engineer, architect, gunsmith, nuclear scientist born with the name Bert Gilroy to change his name to Antonio Rea, where the Italian heritage is a true advantage to everyone everywhere in the world.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 17 Jun 2016, 23:02
by Kalan
Martin Sosa Cameron wrote:Dear friens,
Italy had many World Champions and others very important fighters who born in that country, but is extraordinary how many others boxers of Italian ancestry are between the greatest or very good of all time; here is a short list:
Born in Italy
Vito Antuofermo
Bruno Arcari
Nino Benvenuti
Domenico Bernasconi
Michele Bonaglia
Mario Bosisio
Carmelo Bossi
Salvatore Burruni
Primo Carnera
Franco Cavicchi
Young Corbett III (Rodolfo Capabianca Giordano)
Mario D’Agata
Joe Dundee (Samuel Lazzario)
Johnny Dundee (Giuseppe Corrara)
Vince Dundee (Vincenzo Lazzario)
Bruno Frattini
Rocky Galletari
Duilio Loi
Sandro Lopopolo
Rocky Mattioli
Sandro Mazzinghi
Tiberio Mitri
Luigi Musina
Patrizio Oliva
Giulio Rinaldi
Erminio Spalla
Aldo Spoldi
Franco Udella
In other countries
Horacio Accavallo
Lou Ambers (Louis D’Ambrosio)
Sammy Angott (Samuel Engotti)
Fred Apostoli
Mike Ballerino
Sal Bartolo
Carmen Basilio
Battling Battalino (Christopher Battalino)
Mike Belloise
Melio Bettina
Oscar Bonavena
Victorio Campolo
Tony Canzoneri
José Carattoli
Atilio Caraune
Miguel Castellini
Juan Coggi
Frankie Conley (Francesco Conte)
Eduardo Corletti
Paddy DeMarco
Tony DeMarco (Leonard Liotta)
Carl Duane (Carl Duane Iacconetti)
Frankie Genaro (Frank DiGennaro)
Joe Giardello
Bushy Graham (Angelo Geraci)
Rocky Graziano (Thomas Rocco Barbella)
Pete Herman (Peter Gulotta)
Harry Jeffra (Ignacius Pasquali Giuffi)
Rocky Kansas (Rocco Tozzi)
Fidel LaBarba
Santos Laciar
Jake LaMotta
Raúl Landini
Tippy Larkin (Tony Pilleteri)
Roland LaStarza
Alejandro Lavorante
Nicolino Locche
Sammy Mandell (Samuel Mandella)
Rocky Marciano (Rocco Marchegiano)
Eddie (Cannonball) Martin (Edward Vittorio Martino)
Walter Matteoni
Tami Mauriello
Joey Maxim (Giuseppe Berardinelli)
Rafael Merentino
Julio Mocoroa
Kid Murphy (Peter Frascella)
George Nichols
Willie Pastrano
Willie Pep (Guglielmo Papaleo)
Oscar Pita (Oscar Piettá)
Hugo Rambaldi
Mike Rossman (Michael DePiano)
Ubaldo Sacco Jr
Lou Salica
Petey Scalzo
Marty Servo
Steve (Kid) Sullivan (Stephen Tricamo)
Phil Terranova
Johnny Wilson (John Panica)
Midget Wolgast (Joseph Robert Loscalzo)
Others: Rinaldo Ansaloni, Miguel Botta, José Bruno, Alfredo Bunetta, Ricardo Calicchio, Miguel Campanino, Pedro Cobas, Juan Corradi, José Giorgetti, Tony Janiro, Francisco Magnelli, Phil Muscato, Vicente Ostuni, Donato Paduano, Eduardo Primo, Ubaldo Sacco Sr., José Smecca, and many others; excused me all I don't remember and don't know
You musta forgot -- Joe Calzaghe the Italian Dragon, a 2-Division World Champion... What was dragon like about this character I don't know.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 18 Jun 2016, 04:33
by Tomasino
Kalan wrote:Martin Sosa Cameron wrote:Dear friens,
Italy had many World Champions and others very important fighters who born in that country, but is extraordinary how many others boxers of Italian ancestry are between the greatest or very good of all time; here is a short list:
Born in Italy
Vito Antuofermo
Bruno Arcari
Nino Benvenuti
Domenico Bernasconi
Michele Bonaglia
Mario Bosisio
Carmelo Bossi
Salvatore Burruni
Primo Carnera
Franco Cavicchi
Young Corbett III (Rodolfo Capabianca Giordano)
Mario D’Agata
Joe Dundee (Samuel Lazzario)
Johnny Dundee (Giuseppe Corrara)
Vince Dundee (Vincenzo Lazzario)
Bruno Frattini
Rocky Galletari
Duilio Loi
Sandro Lopopolo
Rocky Mattioli
Sandro Mazzinghi
Tiberio Mitri
Luigi Musina
Patrizio Oliva
Giulio Rinaldi
Erminio Spalla
Aldo Spoldi
Franco Udella
In other countries
Horacio Accavallo
Lou Ambers (Louis D’Ambrosio)
Sammy Angott (Samuel Engotti)
Fred Apostoli
Mike Ballerino
Sal Bartolo
Carmen Basilio
Battling Battalino (Christopher Battalino)
Mike Belloise
Melio Bettina
Oscar Bonavena
Victorio Campolo
Tony Canzoneri
José Carattoli
Atilio Caraune
Miguel Castellini
Juan Coggi
Frankie Conley (Francesco Conte)
Eduardo Corletti
Paddy DeMarco
Tony DeMarco (Leonard Liotta)
Carl Duane (Carl Duane Iacconetti)
Frankie Genaro (Frank DiGennaro)
Joe Giardello
Bushy Graham (Angelo Geraci)
Rocky Graziano (Thomas Rocco Barbella)
Pete Herman (Peter Gulotta)
Harry Jeffra (Ignacius Pasquali Giuffi)
Rocky Kansas (Rocco Tozzi)
Fidel LaBarba
Santos Laciar
Jake LaMotta
Raúl Landini
Tippy Larkin (Tony Pilleteri)
Roland LaStarza
Alejandro Lavorante
Nicolino Locche
Sammy Mandell (Samuel Mandella)
Rocky Marciano (Rocco Marchegiano)
Eddie (Cannonball) Martin (Edward Vittorio Martino)
Walter Matteoni
Tami Mauriello
Joey Maxim (Giuseppe Berardinelli)
Rafael Merentino
Julio Mocoroa
Kid Murphy (Peter Frascella)
George Nichols
Willie Pastrano
Willie Pep (Guglielmo Papaleo)
Oscar Pita (Oscar Piettá)
Hugo Rambaldi
Mike Rossman (Michael DePiano)
Ubaldo Sacco Jr
Lou Salica
Petey Scalzo
Marty Servo
Steve (Kid) Sullivan (Stephen Tricamo)
Phil Terranova
Johnny Wilson (John Panica)
Midget Wolgast (Joseph Robert Loscalzo)
Others: Rinaldo Ansaloni, Miguel Botta, José Bruno, Alfredo Bunetta, Ricardo Calicchio, Miguel Campanino, Pedro Cobas, Juan Corradi, José Giorgetti, Tony Janiro, Francisco Magnelli, Phil Muscato, Vicente Ostuni, Donato Paduano, Eduardo Primo, Ubaldo Sacco Sr., José Smecca, and many others; excused me all I don't remember and don't know
You musta forgot -- Joe Calzaghe the Italian Dragon, a 2-Division World Champion... What was dragon like about this character I don't know.
It makes more sense when you get it right, kid....it's the Welsh Dragon
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 18 Jun 2016, 07:20
by gp.
Kalan wrote:
You musta forgot -- Joe Calzaghe the Italian Dragon, a 2-Division World Champion... What was dragon like about this character I don't know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Wales
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 19 Jun 2016, 00:21
by L.A. kidd
regarding Italian fighters, the toughest of them all........... carmine basillo, was out on his feet, came back to k.o. tony DeMarco,
beat the fighter most consider the greatest ever lb for lb, sugar ray robinson. beat him with one eye.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 19 Jun 2016, 00:25
by foxdog1923
They are Italian.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 19 Jun 2016, 01:14
by Kalan
Tomasino wrote:Kalan wrote:Martin Sosa Cameron wrote:Dear friens,
Italy had many World Champions and others very important fighters who born in that country, but is extraordinary how many others boxers of Italian ancestry are between the greatest or very good of all time; here is a short list:
Born in Italy
Vito Antuofermo
Bruno Arcari
Nino Benvenuti
Domenico Bernasconi
Michele Bonaglia
Mario Bosisio
Carmelo Bossi
Salvatore Burruni
Primo Carnera
Franco Cavicchi
Young Corbett III (Rodolfo Capabianca Giordano)
Mario D’Agata
Joe Dundee (Samuel Lazzario)
Johnny Dundee (Giuseppe Corrara)
Vince Dundee (Vincenzo Lazzario)
Bruno Frattini
Rocky Galletari
Duilio Loi
Sandro Lopopolo
Rocky Mattioli
Sandro Mazzinghi
Tiberio Mitri
Luigi Musina
Patrizio Oliva
Giulio Rinaldi
Erminio Spalla
Aldo Spoldi
Franco Udella
In other countries
Horacio Accavallo
Lou Ambers (Louis D’Ambrosio)
Sammy Angott (Samuel Engotti)
Fred Apostoli
Mike Ballerino
Sal Bartolo
Carmen Basilio
Battling Battalino (Christopher Battalino)
Mike Belloise
Melio Bettina
Oscar Bonavena
Victorio Campolo
Tony Canzoneri
José Carattoli
Atilio Caraune
Miguel Castellini
Juan Coggi
Frankie Conley (Francesco Conte)
Eduardo Corletti
Paddy DeMarco
Tony DeMarco (Leonard Liotta)
Carl Duane (Carl Duane Iacconetti)
Frankie Genaro (Frank DiGennaro)
Joe Giardello
Bushy Graham (Angelo Geraci)
Rocky Graziano (Thomas Rocco Barbella)
Pete Herman (Peter Gulotta)
Harry Jeffra (Ignacius Pasquali Giuffi)
Rocky Kansas (Rocco Tozzi)
Fidel LaBarba
Santos Laciar
Jake LaMotta
Raúl Landini
Tippy Larkin (Tony Pilleteri)
Roland LaStarza
Alejandro Lavorante
Nicolino Locche
Sammy Mandell (Samuel Mandella)
Rocky Marciano (Rocco Marchegiano)
Eddie (Cannonball) Martin (Edward Vittorio Martino)
Walter Matteoni
Tami Mauriello
Joey Maxim (Giuseppe Berardinelli)
Rafael Merentino
Julio Mocoroa
Kid Murphy (Peter Frascella)
George Nichols
Willie Pastrano
Willie Pep (Guglielmo Papaleo)
Oscar Pita (Oscar Piettá)
Hugo Rambaldi
Mike Rossman (Michael DePiano)
Ubaldo Sacco Jr
Lou Salica
Petey Scalzo
Marty Servo
Steve (Kid) Sullivan (Stephen Tricamo)
Phil Terranova
Johnny Wilson (John Panica)
Midget Wolgast (Joseph Robert Loscalzo)
Others: Rinaldo Ansaloni, Miguel Botta, José Bruno, Alfredo Bunetta, Ricardo Calicchio, Miguel Campanino, Pedro Cobas, Juan Corradi, José Giorgetti, Tony Janiro, Francisco Magnelli, Phil Muscato, Vicente Ostuni, Donato Paduano, Eduardo Primo, Ubaldo Sacco Sr., José Smecca, and many others; excused me all I don't remember and don't know
You musta forgot -- Joe Calzaghe the Italian Dragon, a 2-Division World Champion... What was dragon like about this character I don't know.
It makes more sense when you get it right, kid....it's the Welsh Dragon
Try to use your head for something other than an eyesore... His aliases are listed as Pride of Wales/Italian Dragon - because of his mixed heritage
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 20 Jun 2016, 11:06
by Bricks
that cockroach sosa forgot my main man Vinnie pazienza
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 20 Jun 2016, 17:18
by Tomasino
Kalan wrote:Tomasino wrote:Kalan wrote:
You musta forgot -- Joe Calzaghe the Italian Dragon, a 2-Division World Champion... What was dragon like about this character I don't know.
It makes more sense when you get it right, kid....it's the Welsh Dragon
Try to use your head for something other than an eyesore... His aliases are listed as Pride of Wales/Italian Dragon - because of his mixed heritage
Shut up! You absolute imbecile. Welsh Dragon. I'm from the UK I know what it means you tit.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 20 Jun 2016, 17:34
by Kalan
You don't know a damned thing you brain dead airhead... Look up his nicknames... He's listed as "The Italian Dragon" because of his heritage.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 22 Jun 2016, 18:00
by Caractacus
Wasn't Fireman Jim Flynn of Italian extraction ?
I 'm not sure if he was one of the best though.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 03 Feb 2019, 08:37
by Jacopodb
I believe that, as much as Italian boxers, or boxers of Italian ancestry are proficient, Italy has had only like 35 world champions in history, less than Japan, for example, and Japanese boxing never looked that overhyped, to me.
The greatest Italian boxer in history, hands down, so far, has been Duilio Loi, and he's rarely called out in usual boxing conversations: he had class, style, and a remarkable record to say the least, but I hear more about remarkably less-great Benvenuti than about Loi, for some reason... perhaps Benvenuti was prettier?
As much as some might mistake Alí's witty sympathy for his actual technical boxing proficiency... the
Louisville Lip was no better than
The Brown Bomber Joe Louis, as I see it, despite formerly-Clay's flamboyant statements.
Talking about boxing world champions, I remember both Mexico carrying more than a hundred world champions in history... don't get me started on U. S....: over
400 world champions...
...to sum it up, the most proficient boxers have got African descent, as much as any other human being, including Italians, period.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 03 Feb 2019, 08:42
by Jacopodb
Re:
Posted: 05 Feb 2019, 19:24
by Caractacus
mattyp151 wrote: ↑08 Mar 2006, 17:34
Do we really need to list the Very Good to Great boxers of African decent? Or can we just accept the majority of great boxer's up to this point have been black?
You could make a list like yours from many countries and have it be more impressive. The thing about that list is that Italian fighters are virtually a thing of the past, and there aren't many left today.
Africa is a continent not a Nationality.
otherwise you would have to include Marcel Cerdan in the list of Boxer's of "African descent"..
so maybe the best bet would be to seperate the boxers based on the "Haplogroups"
such as J or U etc.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 06 Feb 2019, 09:25
by Abradolf Lincler
Jacopodb wrote: ↑03 Feb 2019, 08:37
I believe that, as much as Italian boxers, or boxers of Italian ancestry are proficient, Italy has had only like 35 world champions in history, less than Japan, for example, and Japanese boxing never looked that overhyped, to me.
The greatest Italian boxer in history, hands down, so far, has been Duilio Loi, and he's rarely called out in usual boxing conversations: he had class, style, and a remarkable record to say the least, but I hear more about remarkably less-great Benvenuti than about Loi, for some reason... perhaps Benvenuti was prettier?
As much as some might mistake Alí's witty sympathy for his actual technical boxing proficiency... the
Louisville Lip was no better than
The Brown Bomber Joe Louis, as I see it, despite formerly-Clay's flamboyant statements.
Talking about boxing world champions, I remember both Mexico carrying more than a hundred world champions in history... don't get me started on U. S....: over
400 world champions...
...to sum it up, the most proficient boxers have got African descent, as much as any other human being, including Italians, period.
Gotta agree here. Italy hasn't had many champions, and even fewer top level ones. If you merely include boxers with Italian heritage, that opens up the door for a whole lot of argument elsewhere.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 06 Feb 2019, 10:04
by Jacopodb
Abradolf Lincler wrote: ↑06 Feb 2019, 09:25
Jacopodb wrote: ↑03 Feb 2019, 08:37
I believe that, as much as Italian boxers, or boxers of Italian ancestry are proficient, Italy has had only like 35 world champions in history, less than Japan, for example, and Japanese boxing never looked that overhyped, to me.
The greatest Italian boxer in history, hands down, so far, has been Duilio Loi, and he's rarely called out in usual boxing conversations: he had class, style, and a remarkable record to say the least, but I hear more about remarkably less-great Benvenuti than about Loi, for some reason... perhaps Benvenuti was prettier?
As much as some might mistake Alí's witty sympathy for his actual technical boxing proficiency... the
Louisville Lip was no better than
The Brown Bomber Joe Louis, as I see it, despite formerly-Clay's flamboyant statements.
Talking about boxing world champions, I remember both Mexico carrying more than a hundred world champions in history... don't get me started on U. S....: over
400 world champions...
...to sum it up, the most proficient boxers have got African descent, as much as any other human being, including Italians, period.
Gotta agree here. Italy hasn't had many champions, and even fewer top level ones. If you merely include boxers with Italian heritage, that opens up the door for a whole lot of argument elsewhere.
The heritage argument makes no more than little sense: I picked Loi, because he was
born, raised and based in Italy: he, as well as Benvenuti and Mazzinghi (who lost much of his power after a serious car crash, where his wife died, and he reported severe head trauma), was a true product of Italian boxing: the others (Gatti, Mattioli, Antuofermo, Young Corbett III, and more) were born in Italy, but definitely raised elsewhere, since they were children when their families moved to U.S., Canada or Australia... they're
not a product of Italian boxing... so it's ludicrous to claim their own Italian ancestry as an argument to brag about being Italian (If you absolutely want to brag about something Italian, brag about architecture, pasta, Ferrari, or
haute couture-related issues, for example).
Even more ludicrous would be bragging about Italian ancestry, because you might find talented people of any ancestry, to become great at boxing, if grown up in the right environment: Irish, Hispanic/Latinos, Asian etc., and above all African: so-called "black" people, of central African ancestry, have muscular fibres strictly built for explosive power, and less for endurance (that's why they suck at swimming perhaps, or I don't know...): an American is an American period: a
full product of the American boxing industry.
Then, of course, due to
massive Italian immigration over U.S., many American boxers have Italian ancestry, as well as criminals, politicians and artists: that goes without saying: Lucky Luciano, Al Capone, Gotti... do you wanna tell me that Italian-Americans make more-ruthless gangsters than others? Not much more or less than Irish, Chinese, Russian, or Japanese mafias... Same goes with boxing.
If boxing is not well promoted in Italy, despite the fact that Italy doesn't lack talents, as any other country, but merely infrastructures, only Italians are responsible for that: it would be much better for Italians having less-talented boxers, but more proficient promoters: promoter Davide Buccioni tried to organise something, and he had some good intentions, but not much more than that.
I hope I've let you know something more about Italian boxing, if you have any questions, I might seek and answer.
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 06 Feb 2019, 19:16
by Caractacus
didn't see "Two-Ton" Tony Galento aka "The Jersey Night-Stick" mentioned in this list.anywhere
( good enough to get a shot at the HW Championship anyway).
Re: THE ITALIAN FIGHTERS, ARE THE BEST?
Posted: 07 Feb 2019, 17:05
by chrisjs1985
I'm not really into the discussions of whose countries or what color the greatest boxers are from. Great boxers come from so many different places, backgrounds with fascinating stories. All of them. I know the Italian Boxing federation held a big pull back in the 1960's and 1970's but it does appear that there's been less fanfare in modern times. Maybe that's a sign of their economy or lack of support for the sport. There have been a number of great boxers from Italy and of Italian heritage. Of course Benvenuti and Loi are the modern day enshrinees in the hall of fame. Both with great, long, storied careers full of triumphs and minimal setbacks. Some of boxing's greatest characters have been those of Italian backgrounds like Rocky Graziano, Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta for example and some of the absolute greatest of the greats like Willie Pep, Tony Canzoneri. The Italians have made their mark on the sport there's no doubt about it.