Pictured: Alessio "Mosquito" Lorusso


After a five-month absence, boxing has returned to Italy. On Thursday, July 30, professional boxing cards were held in Ferrara and in Rome and on Friday, July 31, another took place in Brescia. The cards were headlined respectively by a rematch between an undefeated prospect and an upset-minded journeyman, a WBC-FPI (Federazione Pugilistica Italiana) tournament final, and an Italian national championship bout.

In Ferrara, unbeaten featherweight Mattia "Lo Spartano" De Bianchi improved to 9-0 by outpointing Mattia Musacchi over six rounds. The two had fought to a similar outcome last December.

In Rome, Luigi Alfieri (4-0) won a split decision over previously unbeaten Pietro Rossetti (8-1) in the final of the WBC-FPI welterweight tournament.

Italian super bantamweight champion Alessio Lorusso (11-4-2) sent former champ Iuliano Gallo (9-4) to the canvas in the fourth round and went to win a one-sided, unanimous decision in the main event of Friday's card in Brescia.


Thursday, July 30-

Velodromo Fausto Coppi, Ferrara, Emilia Romagna, Italy-

Featherweight Bout-
Mattia "Lo Spartano" De Bianchi (9-0, 0 KOs)
PTS. 6
Mattia Musacchi (6-7-2, 0 KOs)
- De Bianchi is now 2-0 versus Musacchi.

Light Heavyweight Bout-
Leonardo Balli (3-0, 0 KOs)
PTS. 6
Domenico Bentivogli (1-5, 0 KOs)

Heavyweight Bout-
Emanuele Venturelli (4-0, 0 KOs)
PTS. 6
Stefano Capone (1-2, 0 KOs)
- Venturelli floored Capone in the fifth round.

Super Bantamweight Bout-
Mattia Occhinero (2-0-1, 1 KO)
Draw 4
Ahmed Obaid (0-1-1)
- Occhinero is now 1-0-1 versus Obaid.

Parco degli Acquedotti, Rome, Lazio, Italy-

WBC-FPI (Federazione Pugilistica Italiana) Welterweight Tournament Final-
Luigi Alfieri (4-0, 0 KOs)
Split Dec. 8
Pietro Rossetti (8-1, 4 KOs)
- The WBC-FPI tournament final between the 24-year-old Alfieri and the 22-year-old Rossetti was the main event of one of the first professional boxing cards held in Italy since February 29. On that date, three cards took place in Italy- two in Rome and one in Catania, Sicily.

Featherweight Bout-
Christopher Mondongo (7-2, 2 KOs)
PTS. 6
Rafael Castillo (14-59-3, 2 NCs, 6 KOs)
- Castillo, a 28-year-old Spain-based Nicaraguan journeyman, suffered his 36th consecutive loss.

Super Middleweight Bout-
Gianmarco Ciofani (2-2-1, 2 KOs)
TKO-4
Francesco Russo (8-1, 6 KOs)
- After suffering a devastating knockdown, Russo somehow managed to beat the count but was wobbly and glassy-eyed. The referee had no choice but to stop the bout.

Featherweight Bout-
Muhamet Qamili (1-0, 1 KO)
KO-1
Carlos Arroyo (5-13-1, 4 KOs)
- Qamili, a 20-year-old Lazio-based Albanian, debuted with an emphatic statement against Arroyo, a 25-year-old Nicaraguan who fights out of Spain.

Friday, July 31-

Centro Sportivo Mario Rigamonti, Brescia, Lombardia, Italy-

Italian Super Bantamweight Title-
Champion Alessio Lorusso (11-4-2, 5 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Iuliano Gallo (9-4, 3 KOs)
- Lorusso decked Gallo in round 4 and went on to win by the scores of 98-91, 99-90, and 98-91.

Light Heavyweight Bout-
Stiven Leonetti Dredhaj (6-0, 2 KOs)
PTS. 6
Mario Katic (1-6, 1 KO)

Middleweight Bout-
Simone Brusa (5-2-1, 0 KOs)
PTS. 6
Marco Miano (7-17, 2 KOs)

Super Lightweight Bout-
Fabio Renna (6-4-2, 0 KOs)
PTS. 6
Matija Petrinic (1-4, 0 KOs)

Middleweight Bout-
Giovanni "Nino" Rossetti (2-0, 1 KO)
TKO-1
Christian Bozzoni (5-26-4, 2 KOs)
- The 19-year-old Rossetti, a 2019 Italian National amateur champion, made quick work of the 48-year-old Bozzoni.

Super Welterweight Bout-
Yassin Hermi (1-0, 1 KO)
TKO
Danilo Cioce (2-7-1, 0 KOs)
- Hermi, an 18-year-old from Florence, made his debut a successful one.
- Coice, 33-year-old journeyman from Bari, suffered his sixth consecutive defeat.