Boxers and high-level trainers live constantly under the spotlight. We know everything about them—life, career, and achievements. They are the focus of articles, features, and interviews. Yet, beyond the athlete and the coach, there are other crucial figures in boxing whose professionalism and skill can be absolutely decisive for the success—or failure—of the team. One of these is the figure of the cutman.
How many times have we seen a fight stopped because of a cut too dangerous to allow the boxer to continue? And how many times have we seen a cut that looked terrifying when it first appeared stop bleeding—or at least not worsen—over the rounds, allowing the fighter to make it to the final bell?
The difference between survival and sporting defeat for a boxer sometimes lies in the hands of the person who, during every one-minute break, rushes to treat his face, under pressure from the cruel, relentless seconds ticking by, with the frustrating awareness that his enormous effort may be undone by the opponent’s punches in the next three minutes.
Domenico Colella, 39, from Marcianise, knows this well. For nearly seven years, he has performed the role of professional cutman with passion, diligence, and great seriousness, gradually earning the trust and respect of an increasing number of boxers across the Italian boxing scene.
Recently returned to Italy from his first “world-level experience,” which saw him travel to Australia to work the corner of cruiserweight Claudio Squeo in a thrilling challenge against IBF world champion Jai Opetaia, Domenico kindly agreed to answer our questions about his demanding and fascinating profession.
When did you start working as a professional cutman, and how did the idea first come about?
I started in 2018. It all began with the need to wrap the hands of Vincenzo Mangiacapre, who had just turned professional and is like a brother to me. When he made his debut in August 2018, his coach Peppino Foglia and I found ourselves wrapping his hands using a tutorial we found on YouTube… That’s when I got the idea to specialize. I wanted to be by Vincenzo’s side throughout his professional journey, and when I had the chance to attend an ICA course, I jumped at it. A few days after completing the course, Mangiacapre fought his second pro bout, and that was my first official performance as a cutman.
How do you become a cutman, and how do you refine your skills once you start?
When a boxing trainer starts working in the professional world, he realizes the various needs of his fighters and identifies the right people to build a team, assigning them to specific roles. That’s how someone chosen to become a cutman is directed toward the appropriate training courses. There you learn general knowledge and skills—not only about hand wrapping but also about the full scope of the cutman’s role in combat sports. I chose to focus solely on boxing, so in my case, the affected area is almost always the face. Skills improve with experience. I was lucky not to have to do too many “home drills” because I had many boxer friends who trusted me. Thanks to them, I was able to practice ringside. Over time, by working with different fighters, you also start to understand what type of wrapping suits each one best, depending on their style and specific requests. Looking back at the first wrap I did in 2018, I can say that the way I work today is completely different.
Do you keep track of how many times you’ve worked a corner?
I have the list somewhere… [searches, editor’s note] Here it is: two days ago I worked my 145th fight.
What’s the performance you’re most proud of?
Definitely Claudio Squeo vs. Niklas Rasanen. That fight could be used as a commercial for any cutman. Claudio went down in the second round from a body shot, and for the rest of the round he was under enormous pressure, suffering cuts in two spots: on his head and over the eyebrow. When he came back to the corner, I had to ask his coach Nicola Loiacono to let me enter inside the ring because Claudio’s face was a mask of blood and he was in pain from a cracked rib. It was a very critical moment for both him and for us in the corner. Later on, he got cut on the other eyebrow too, then started bleeding from the nose… Let’s just say I needed more than two hands, but in the end, we managed to get the job done.
Vincenzo Picardi is not only a boxer you work with, but also a long-time personal friend. A month ago, he fell short of achieving his dream of becoming European champion due to a cut that, despite your efforts to contain it, led to a technical stoppage. Can you walk us through that fight from your perspective as a cutman?
Vincenzo got cut just before the bell rang to end the fifth round, so we immediately realized the nature of the wound. When he came back to the corner and I looked at him, I remembered seeing a very similar cut—though on the opposite side of the face—during the fight between Antonio Mennillo and Emiliano Salvini last year. Mennillo, however, suffered the cut halfway through the final round; I closed it after the bout ended, but it kept bleeding… So I immediately realized that an artery was involved and that the cut was very deep, and I told myself, “We’re not going to stop this one…” We tried for five rounds straight and it was a mess, also because Vincenzo kept taking punches…
You just returned from a long trip, having been in Australia with Pugliese boxer Claudio Squeo. There, you were in his corner as a cutman during his cruiserweight World Title bout against Jai Opetaia. What are you taking away from this incredible experience?
Taking part in a World Title fight, even though the result was unfortunately almost a foregone conclusion, is an extraordinary experience. In my short career, I’ve had the chance to see international events, but never for a World Title, and being personally involved and understanding from the inside how such an event is organized was something incredible. And we were in Australia, on the other side of the world, where everything works the opposite of how we’re used to in Europe—it’s a completely different reality. So it was an exceptionally enriching experience, especially for the international atmosphere we found ourselves thrown into: the referee was American, the supervisor was South African…
Also, in terms of my work, I had to deal with a pair of gloves made by Leone that were completely different from the ones we usually use for title fights in Italy. At the public workout a few days before the match, I did Claudio’s hand wraps the way I had planned to for the Title fight. But when I saw the gloves on Sunday morning, I realized I had to rethink the logic behind the wrapping, because the padding was spread out across the glove’s volume, and the front part over the knuckles was less protected than I expected. In the end though, Claudio was very happy with my work.
No time to rest, and today you’ve already flown to France, where you’ll assist Giuseppe Osnato in his IBO Mediterranean Title bout. How do you manage to balance all these trips with family life, considering you have two beautiful daughters and a partner who also deserves your attention?
Actually, I also had the honor of assisting Giuseppe Rauseo two days ago for his last professional fight [laughs]. It’s not easy at all to balance everything… I turn down a lot of fights: on June 19 I won’t be going to Ferrara, on June 20 I won’t go to Santa Marinella, and on July 4 I won’t be in Carugate… You end up saying “no” a lot and making a lot of sacrifices.
One last question, a bit uncomfortable—so we’ll forgive you if you’d rather not answer: who is the best boxer you’ve ever worked with as a cutman?
The first name that comes to mind is Francesco De Rosa. I had the pleasure of working as his cutman twice, and we’ve already agreed to do it again for his next title shot, which I hope will come soon. Being close to him, I realized he’s truly an impressive guy. He needs to be part of a big fight to enter the key stage of his career, but I can guarantee you he’s a really, really good boxer.
If we widen the scope to include the women’s boxing scene, I definitely want to mention Pamela Noutcho, who I believe is an incredible fighter in so many ways. She’s a girl who really has what it takes, and she’ll prove it soon. There have been others of excellent level too, but these two are above the rest. And an honorable mention goes to Vincenzo Picardi, a boxer who gave me a lot during his brief professional career and who showed himself to be a true great.