Matchroom Boxing Italy and OPI Since 82 will close out 2020 on December 17 at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, with all of the action shown live on DAZN.
In the main event, former EBU European lightweight champion Francesco Patera (23-3, 8 KOs) looks to extend his five-fight winning streak against Italy’s Devis ‘Boom Boom’ Boschiero (48-6-2, 22 KOs) as they battle for the vacant WBC Silver lightweight title previously held by rising star Ryan “Kingry” Garcia.
Luca Rigoldi (22-1-2, 8 KOs) defends his European super bantamweight title against Gamal Yafai (17-1, 10 KOs), who has bounced back with three straight wins following his first career loss to former world title challenger Gavin McDonnell.
Recent Matchroom and OPI signing Maiva Hamadouche (21-1, 17 KOs) defends her IBF female super featherweight belt against Nina Pavlovic (6-3-1, 1 KO). Hamadouche is eyeing unification fights with Terri Harper and Hyun-Mi Choi if she is successful.
European champion Sandor Martin (36-2, 13 KOs) clashes with Nestor Maradiaga (8-9-1, 4 KOs) in an eight round super lightweight contest and Mirko Natalizi (8-0, 5 KOs) meets Manuel Largacha (9-9-6, 4 KOs) over eight rounds in a super welterweight contest.
I wonder if boxing in Italy will ever come back from what it was. the 1960’s seems to have been a golden era for boxing during that time, with the number one of course being Nino Benvenuti. Boxing in Italy actually was more successful than in Great Britain at the time. Of course, many of there champions were Jr. Middleweight and Jr Welterweight, titles that were not so well regarded in the USA, but were certainly in Italy.
Boxing still contineuted in italy into the 80’s, but seemed to be on the downhill after that. They even had boxers who were non Italian in matches at one time. The Amateur scene though seems to be successful there it would appear. Perhaps no really good promoters of the sport in that country.