The main event of the exciting “Gloves of Glory” boxing event in San Bonifacio (VR), organized by Italian Ringside Promotion—an emerging organization led by young promoter Riccardo Bizzo, assisted by his father Leonardo—ended in a spectacular fashion. Luca Chiancone, the most anticipated fighter of the evening, did not disappoint, knocking out Spain’s Fernando Jaquero in two rounds, thrilling the crowd at PalaFerroli. The fight was for the IBF Mediterranean middleweight title.
It could have been the longest match of the night, scheduled for ten rounds, but instead turned out to be one of the shortest, due to a highly counterproductive strategy from the visiting fighter, who abandoned caution and common sense, thus setting himself up for a harsh punishment.
A quick look at Luca Chiancone’s past fights would have been enough to immediately understand how dangerous it is to challenge him in close-quarters combat, exposing oneself to the explosive effect of his venomous punches.
The team of the Alicante fighter, nicknamed “Pesadilla,” must have made different calculations, as Jaquero stormed to the center of the ring, trying to take the initiative and command the fight from the first sound of the bell. While the Spanish fighter’s boldness and constant action were appreciable in much of the opening round, the problems started as soon as “Chiankong” found his range.
The Italian boxer patiently waited for his moment, then, once spotting the opening, threw two explosive punches to unbalance his opponent before knocking him down with a lethal right to the temple. Jaquero courageously got back up but was immediately attacked again by Chiancone, who, like a good predator, smelled blood and pounced on the wounded prey.
At this point, the deafening roar of the crowd, electrified by their favorite’s overwhelming action, drowned out the bell signaling the end of the round. Chiancone’s last punch, responsible for another knockdown, appeared to land just after the round ended.
This was the referee’s interpretation, as he didn’t count but instead penalized the Italian fighter with a one-point deduction at the start of the second round. This minor setback was entirely inconsequential, as the fight was nearly over.
Demonstrating he hadn’t learned from the initial round, Jaquero began the second round again with an open exchange, but was hit hard and forced back to the ropes. There, another flurry of punches from Chiancone compelled the referee to compassionately step in between the two fighters, declaring a technical knockout.
After the lackluster performance against the cunning and experienced Dario “Spartan” Morello—who was ringside yesterday to watch his former opponent’s fight—Chiancone returned to the spotlight in grand style. We’ll see what the next steps are for the Trieste fighter, who seems more determined than ever to erase the stain of his last defeat.