Last night in Calangianus, during the event organized by Mario Loreni’s Promo Boxe Italia, one of the most spectacular fights in recent Italian boxing history took place. Francesco De Rosa captured the EBU Silver super bantamweight title, but to do so he had to walk through fire, as his opponent, Belgian-Armenian Geram Eloyan, dragged him into a no-holds-barred war. The battle—worthy of a Fight of the Year nomination—ended in favor of the Italian by tenth-round TKO.
The so-called “feeling-out process,” where boxers try to study each other’s movements, style, and characteristics without taking excessive risks, barely lasted half a round. By the second half of the opening session, both fighters were already unloading their heavy artillery.
Marching forward like a tank, De Rosa immediately showcased his nature as a relentless warrior, willing to take one punch just to land two of his own: a style typical of the Mexican school, rarely seen in Italy.
But Eloyan didn’t just stand there. The Belgian tried to answer every assault with determination, and by the second round, even though De Rosa maintained a higher work rate and firmly controlled the initiative, he was already marked around the left cheekbone.
The Salerno fighter therefore tried to adjust his game plan, and from round three onward he began moving his upper body more while coming forward, slipping under his opponent’s counters before getting inside.
The pace remained sky-high: whenever De Rosa seemed to ease slightly off the gas, Eloyan would burst out of his shell and force him into another furious exchange, electrifying the crowd.
After five rounds, De Rosa held a clear lead on the scorecards: despite trying everything to keep up, the defending champion simply couldn’t match his overwhelming volume of punches. But just when the fight seemed to be heading in a predictable direction, a dramatic twist left Italian fans stunned and nearly turned the whole fight around.
Perhaps too confident, De Rosa paused a moment too long in front of his opponent during the sixth round with his guard low. Eloyan instantly capitalized, landing a vicious left hook that sent the Italian crashing to the canvas. De Rosa, visibly shaken, got to his feet, only to be knocked into the ropes moments later by another left hook, resulting in a second count.
Only his extraordinary willpower allowed him to hear the bell and make it back to his corner on his own legs, securing that lifesaving minute of rest.
De Rosa regained enough clarity to steady himself, but he still endured more suffering in the following round, as Eloyan—sensing blood—went all-in and connected with several brutal uppercuts to the body.
Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, the Italian found within himself the courage and determination to climb back, and from round eight onward he once again turned into a relentless steamroller.
Twice—first in the eighth and then in the ninth—Eloyan seemed on the verge of collapse, but remained heroically upright. The third time, however, was decisive: in the tenth round, a prolonged combination from De Rosa overwhelmed the Belgian’s nervous system, causing his legs to give out as he staggered helplessly in the center of the ring.
With a swift move, British referee Kevin Parker stepped in, embraced Eloyan, and waved off the fight. After a few seconds of confusion—while the winner was lifted in celebration by his team—the defeated fighter protested, but in my view the referee’s intervention was timely and commendable. Eloyan was essentially knocked out on his feet, and allowing further blows would have been extremely dangerous.
A spine-tingling triumph for Francesco De Rosa, who after last year’s superb victory in the UK has now taken another step toward major international stages—while gifting us an unforgettable show.
For as grateful and impressed as we are with Francesco after such a performance, we must implore him and his team to work obsessively on defense ahead of future challenges. De Rosa thrilled, he inspired, he won—but he also came dangerously close to disaster and absorbed a considerable amount of punishment.
As the old saying goes, “A boxer is like a piggy bank”: every punch absorbed is another coin dropped inside, bringing it closer to being full—closer to the point of no return. Francesco, besides being an excellent fighter, is a smart young man, and we are sure he will make the necessary adjustments to preserve himself and stay at the top for as long as possible.