On the evening of yesterday, February 8, at the HOF ring inside the PalaTeknoship in Genoa, during an event organized by SSD Vecchia Maniera & EVENT SRL and broadcast live on notorius-tv.com, the bout for the vacant Italian Women’s Strawweight Title took place, scheduled over ten two-minute rounds.
Contesting the fight, in what turned out to be a generational clash given the twenty-year age difference between the two contenders, was the unbeaten 25-year-old from Valle d’Aosta Federica Macrì “La cattiva”, who entered the bout with a record of 7 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw, against Consuelo Portolani, an athlete born in Forlimpopoli and based in Piedmont, who at 45 years of age and with a record of 7-6-0 sought to fulfill her dream of winning the Italian title.
At the end of the ten rounds, with a unanimous decision victory, Federica Macrì became the new Italian Strawweight Champion. The judges’ scorecards read: 96–94, 97–93, 98–92.
The fight
Round 1
The bout begins in an almost surreal silence. The tension in the air reflects the importance of what is at stake. Federica Macrì takes control of the center of the ring and is immediately aggressive. Portolani relies on her experience, responds well, and shows solid durability—an asset that will serve her well as the fight progresses.
Round 2
Portolani comes out with more determination and does some good work. For the first minute and forty seconds the round goes her way, until a left hook from “La cattiva” halts her momentum.
Round 3
The action takes place at close range, with high-quality exchanges—boxing at its best. Macrì throws every punch with intent, while Portolani maintains a solid guard and fires back.
Round 4
Despite being 45 years old, Portolani looks extremely fresh athletically. She circles Macrì, works well behind the jab and trades in the pocket. It’s an open exchange, an entertaining back-and-forth, though Macrì appears to have the heavier hands.
Round 5
Macrì looks to cut off the ring and presses the action, attacking aggressively. Portolani remains composed, in control, slipping out of the line of fire with elegance and countering effectively. With her long experience, the ring feels like home to her.
Round 6
Macrì goes on the attack, working to the body and targeting the liver. Portolani keeps a tight guard and responds whenever “La cattiva” lands. The fighter from Valle d’Aosta tries to raise the pace to deny her opponent time to think, engaging in every exchange. A tiring round for both women, as evidenced by the ice packs ready during the break.
Round 7
The established pattern continues. No gestures of greeting at the start—punches fly from the opening second. Back-and-forth exchanges, though Portolani’s punches appear to have lost some power. The fight remains extremely intense, even if “La cattiva” looks athletically fresher. On points, a close look suggests Macrì may be ahead, but in terms of heart they are absolutely even.
Round 8
Now it’s Portolani who tries to increase the pace. Macrì stays tight defensively and, from the second minute on, resumes boxing with precision, repeatedly finding the target on her opponent’s face.
Round 9
Both fighters, with renewed energy, throw a high volume of punches. The beauty of this phase lies in Portolani’s upper-body movement, as her experience allows her to slip out of danger.
Round 10
Once again both fighters attack relentlessly. Portolani shows tremendous heart, but Macrì, as from the early stages of the fight, appears more precise and incisive. That said, the contest was very evenly matched, with no overwhelming dominance from Macrì as one might have expected. Portolani honored the ring with a performance she can and should be proud of.
When the final bell sounds, a small detail captures the magical aura of boxing: Macrì’s lips quietly whisper, “beautiful…”.
Now expectations are that Federica Macrì, once the euphoria of her strong performance subsides, will focus on her first defense of the Italian title, while also nurturing legitimate European ambitions.
As for Consuelo Portolani, based on what was seen tonight, she could still give much to this sport. Unfortunately, due to obvious age limitations, she may not get another title opportunity, but we are certain she will still be capable of giving herself and the fans more thrilling battles.