On April 22, in Verbania, Piemonte region in Italy, former Italian super middleweight champion Ivan Zucco (15-0, 13 KOs) will challenge Serbian Marko Nikolic (28-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBC International title. The show will be promoted by Opi Since 82-Matchroom-DAZN and will be streamed live and later on-demand by DAZN.
Born in Verbania 26 years ago, 184 cm. tall, professional since November 2017, Ivan Zucco won the Italian super middleweight championship against Luca Capuano and defended it against Ignazio Crivello before leaving it to go after the WBC International belt.
Ivan, why did you leave the Italian title?
“Because after winning and defending it I thought that it’s the right time to go after an international title. I talked about it with my father and the Cherchi family and we decided to pursue the WBC International super middleweight championship.”
Did you see Marko Nikolic’s fights?
“No, I leave this job to my team. As usual, the head boxing coach is my father Andrea. Two boxing coaches work with him: Giuseppe Castellano and Andrea Canova. I also have an athletic trainer: Gabriele Boldini. My people watch my opponent’s fights and decide the strategy that I will use in the ring. They told me that Nikolic is taller than me and that is more a boxer than a fighter. I don’t think too much about my opponents because I would get crazy. The most important thing is that I feel good physically and that I’m focused on the fight.”
Do you also have a mental coach?
“I never needed a mental coach, but in life never say never. In the future I could hire a mental coach.”
Where are you training?
“I’m in Tenerife, at Canary Islands. I’m training at MTK gym with coach Manuel Povedano. I have been here a week, then I returned to Italy, now I’m here for three weeks. In the morning I run on the 400 and 800 meters distances. My records are 1 minute and 10 seconds on the 400 meters distance and 2 minutes and 35 seconds on the 800 meters distance. I also works lifting weights. The whole training lasts 1 hour and half. In the afternoon I go to the gym for two hours and I work with master Povedano and with local boxers.”
In Italy, there are two popular super middleweights: WBO Intercontinental champion Daniele Scardina and former WBA World champion Giovanni De Carolis. They fill fight each other on May 13 in Milano. Will you be at Allianz Cloud to see the fight?
“Yes, they are high-level fighters. I could fight one of them in the near future. I will discuss this option with my father and the Cherchi family.”
Do you have a boxing idol?
“I consider Canelo Alvarez the best fighter today, pound for pound. I think that he is an idol for all the fighters of my generation. As a kid, I never had idols, but I liked a lot Olympic super heavyweight champion and two-time amateur world champion Roberto Cammarelle and amateur world lightweight champion Domenico Valentino.”