Meda (MB), according to Francis Rizzo, 2023 will be full of successes for the Francis Boxing Team

Meda (MB), according to Francis Rizzo, 2023 will be full of successes for the Francis Boxing Team.

Last November 19th in Meda (Monza and Brianza), during the event The Art of Fighting 2, Francesco Paparo beat Simone Carlin on points (against whom he had drawn on March 19th in Cinisello Balsamo, just outside Milano), obtaining the first victory of his professional career. After a brilliant amateur career which culminated with the Italian under 22 title in the 60 kg category, in the summer of 2021 in Cascia (Umbria), Francesco Paparo is preparing to return to the ring to build a record that will allow him to become a challenger for the title Italian. But he's not the only one on the Francis Boxing Team who has these ambitions. “Francesco has the qualities to become Italian champion even as a professional – explains Francis Rizzo – and the clear victory over Simone Carlin proves it. At PalaMeda Francesco showed off his well-known technical qualities, his ability to throw punches from every angle (even when he is on the ropes) and to exchange combinations openly in the center of the ring. Right now, Francesco is a third series. I want to make him fight against Italian opponents with a positive record so as to make him move to the second series soon. The next step will be to beat Italian opponents in the top positions of the rankings in order to become challengers for the national title. We still have to decide whether to remain in the lightweight category or move down to the super featherweight category considering that Francesco drops to 57 kg without any problems. Francesco's next fight will be in the thirteenth edition of the Night of Kick and Punch that Angelo Valente will organize in January or February 2023. On that occasion another boxer from the Francis Boxing Team will also fight: the Moldavian Vadim Gurau (7 wins and 6 losses) who has a lot to give in the super middleweight category. I remember that he beat a highly rated opponent like Alessandro Goddi and held his own for the six expected rounds against a hitter like Ivan Zucco who later became Italian champion and is still undefeated. I also believe a lot in medium weight Mattia Carvelli (0-2-1) who was the protagonist of a spectacular match against Othmane Dioual in the eleventh edition of Ring Roosters held at the MGM in Milano on December 11, 2021. The two boxers threw hundreds of punches until the last second of the last round leaving all the energy they had in the ring. In Dioual's corner, was former WBO super featherweight world champion Kamel Bou Ali who trains him to Milano. The judges gave the victory to Dioual, but no one would have had anything to say if they had given it to Mattia since the fight was balanced. I'm sure that Mattia will soon get his first victory as a professional. The super light weight Gianpaolo Venanzetti (4-0 with 4 wins before the limit) is out of action but should return to training soon. I don't forget the super featherweight Andrea Lo Sicco, that I entered in the FPI belts tournament.”

Francis Rizzo founded the Francis Boxing Team in 2012, in Via Stoppani 4-A in Rho, just outside Milano where he trains ordinary people who want to keep fit by boxing, amateur and professional boxers. It has organized twelve editions of Ring Roosters, the event characterized by the combination of sport and entertainment in which young boxers build records in order to challenge the Italian champion and between one fight and another artists such as the comedian perform Max Cavallari of Prickly Pears. The latest edition of Ring Roosters took place in Rho on 14 June in the car park of the Rho Center shopping centre. “The next edition of Ring Roosters should also take place in Rho – comments Francis Rizzo – because it is my city and last June I had the collaboration of the municipal administration. But nothing is certain yet and therefore I prefer to announce the event later.”