The spectacular 110 FPI – Roma Boxing Night ended in the best possible fashion thanks to Mauro Forte’s devastating left hook to the liver. With his sensational knockout victory over Vincenzo Picardi, Forte put the finishing touch on the event organized at Rome’s PalaTiziano by The Art of Fighting and De Carolis Promotions, in collaboration with the Italian Boxing Federation.
Barely having had time to fully enjoy his triumph, Mauro has already returned to his day job as an auto body repairman. Winning in Italy can bring satisfaction and recognition, but unfortunately it does not change your life. That is one of the reasons why the Roman boxer is now hoping to secure a major opportunity abroad, even if it means facing a top-level opponent.
We spoke with him by phone about this and many other topics, naturally starting with his impressive victory last Saturday.
Let’s start with your excellent win over a very competitive Vincenzo Picardi. Did the fight unfold the way you expected, or did anything about it surprise you?
I expected it. I knew I was facing a boxer with far more experience than me, someone who has fought abroad many times and achieved important things. He earned a shot at the European title at the age of 42 while still unbeaten, apart from the fight against Cristian Zara that was stopped because of a head clash. So yes, I expected a very tough fight.
Watching the fight again and listening to the Mediaset commentary, I honestly felt a bit disappointed because it seemed too biased in his favor. I know Clemente Russo and Picardi are friends, and I understand that, but I looked at the official scorecards and not a single judge had Picardi ahead. So hearing the commentators give him nine rounds seemed a bit excessive.
I was defending my title, and I believe you have to be smart in the ring. It would have been foolish to take unnecessary risks and get hurt because I knew that, after this fight, I could earn an important opportunity. It’s easy to stand in the pocket, trade punches and make it a slugfest where the winner is simply the one who knocks the other guy out first. But boxing intelligence is about taking as few punches as possible. I walked out of the ring without a mark on my face, whereas looking at Picardi’s face, I find it hard to agree with Clemente Russo when he says that Vincenzo didn’t take any punches.
The knockout punch was a real masterpiece. Was it something you had worked on repeatedly in the gym, waiting for the right moment to use it, or was it something you improvised?
We worked on it over and over again! I was actually thinking about making a video of that punch to post on social media because I believed it could be the winning shot. I had practiced it during sparring sessions too, and it landed quite often.
I knew he switches stance a lot, so I thought that by throwing a double jab followed by a wide hook underneath, I could catch him on the ribs. The knockout actually came while he was in an orthodox stance, but I had already tried that same combination several times during the fight.
Since moving down to bantamweight, you’ve won two title fights while delivering outstanding performances and showing considerable punching power. The obvious question is: what were you doing at featherweight?
That’s exactly what everyone kept telling me. I was giving away so much weight to my opponents. The funny thing is that, as a bantamweight, after the weigh-in I regain the same amount of weight I used to bring into the ring as a featherweight.
When I was fighting at featherweight, my coach was always talking about how much bigger and stronger my opponents were. I had to worry more about their physical strength than about their boxing skills, and every time I was focused on finding a way to keep them from constantly walking me down.
I didn’t move down earlier because my former managers kept telling me we were climbing the rankings at featherweight and that changing divisions wouldn’t make sense. I would have had to start over and rebuild my ranking from scratch. Then, after losing to Lorente, I finally made the decision because I had to rebuild my career anyway. I had been thinking about moving down for a long time, so after that defeat I finally seized the opportunity.
Your career already includes several exciting all-Italian rivalries, from your first Italian title win against Cipolletta to your two fights with Grandelli and your recent victories over your friend Contino and the experienced Picardi. The European bantamweight title is currently held by fellow Italian Cristian Zara. Would you like to add another domestic showdown to your collection?
To be honest, after fighting pretty much everyone in Italy, I’m hoping for an opportunity abroad. I don’t really mind who it’s against, as long as it’s overseas and it’s an important opportunity, maybe for a title or even just a meaningful ten-round fight against a high-level opponent.
I’ve always agreed to fight anyone. I’ve never turned anybody down. For example, I accepted a rematch with Grandelli even though it didn’t benefit me at all because he was ranked below me. If I fought Zara, regardless of who won, we’d basically stay at the same level because we’re in similar positions in the rankings. A win wouldn’t really move me forward.
At 32 years old, I want to start taking on bigger and tougher fights, hoping they’ll eventually lead me to a world title shot. I’d really like the chance to prove myself internationally because every training camp means making sacrifices, cutting weight and taking time away from my job, which also means losing income. That’s tough, and if I’m going through all that only to remain exactly where I was before, then it’s simply not worth it.
Your boxing style is very versatile. At times you’re a counterpuncher, at others an aggressor, and sometimes you use the full dimensions of the ring. Is there a fighter, past or present, whose style inspires you?
I’ve always loved watching Gervonta Davis, but these days the boxer I enjoy watching the most is Bam Rodriguez. He’s a southpaw like me, and now he also fights in my weight class, so I watch his fights all the time.
My wife likes his style too, and she’s also my trainer. We study the movements he makes and then try to reproduce them in the gym. Of course it’s very difficult, but we keep working on it.
What’s your biggest dream?
To win a world title—but abroad. Not because I have anything against Italy, a country I’ve always respected, but because fighting abroad would give me greater exposure and allow me to earn more money.
Fighting in Italy is nice, but it doesn’t change your life. After Saturday’s fight, for example, I didn’t even have time to enjoy the feeling of defending my title because I was already back at work the next day.
So I’m hoping for a big fight overseas, one that allows me to earn more money, put something aside for my future, and at the same time fulfill my passion for boxing.
Let’s finish with a light-hearted question. Can you promise us you’ll find a solution for those long bangs that kept falling into your eyes throughout Saturday’s fight?
Well, it’s the first time I’ve ever let my hair grow this long, and maybe it was a huge mistake. (Laughs.) I used to keep it shaved because I didn’t like it, then I decided to grow it out and it kept falling into my eyes. But we’ll find a way to keep it this length without it getting in the way.