For years, it was spoken of only through hearsay and period accounts. Apart from the lucky few who were at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome on the night of December 17, 1965, the rest could only imagine what transpired between Nino Benvenuti and Sandro Mazzinghi as they squared off for the second time in six months, with the WBC and WBA super welterweight belts on the line. The shroud of mystery surrounding this magnificent derby was finally lifted just a few years ago, when Italian television released the restored footage of this epic sporting event after Mazzinghi’s passing. On the anniversary of that magical night, let us revisit the buildup to the fight and relive its most defining moments.
The Media’s Rhetoric and the People’s Passion in a Divided Italy
Never before in history had a rivalry between Italian boxers polarized public opinion or entered the collective imagination as forcefully as the one between Benvenuti and Mazzinghi. Even those who had never seen a single boxing match could feel the magic of these encounters and, for reasons beyond explanation, rooted for one fighter or the other.
It would have been hard for even a Hollywood screenwriter to create two more contrasting boxers: on one side was Benvenuti, the quintessential technician—elegant and accustomed to the limelight. On the other was Mazzinghi, short and stocky, a relentless aggressor, and reserved with journalists. Naturally, the national press relished the opportunity to fill pages upon pages with stories about their rivalry, often exaggerating just to sell more copies.
Ink flowed in torrents, portraying Nino Benvenuti as the “bourgeois boxer,” despite the fact that he admitted he took up boxing simply to enjoy free hot showers. While the Istrian prodigy alienated some fans by openly declaring himself “a right-wing man,” the division between “Benvenutiani” (Benvenuti supporters) and “Mazzinghiani” (Mazzinghi supporters) transcended class and reason. Like most sports fandom, it was irrational and uncategorizable, spanning all social strata and circles.
While the public was evenly split, experts were overwhelmingly united in declaring Benvenuti the favorite for the rematch. Nino had already knocked out his rival with a devastating right uppercut six months earlier, claiming the world titles, and most analysts believed he would repeat the feat with ease.
Some even suggested that Mazzinghi was no longer the same fighter after the tragic car accident in 1964, which had claimed the life of his newlywed wife and left him with a dangerous skull fracture. Yet, this time, the experts couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Legendary Derby
As a mauler, Mazzinghi was generally a slow starter, used to growing into the fight as the rounds progressed. It’s no surprise, then, that the early stages of the rematch in Rome favored Benvenuti, who skillfully landed his shots from a distance.
Mazzinghi’s delayed entry into the match was further hindered by a knockdown at the end of the second round—a moment the Pontedera Cyclone contested for years, insisting it was merely a slip. The footage, lacking replays, doesn’t fully resolve the ambiguity when viewed at regular speed. However, upon slowing the video, the lightning-fast left hook from the champion can be seen landing cleanly on Mazzinghi’s jaw as he advanced, causing the knockdown.
Perhaps haunted by the ghosts of their first fight, Sandro struggled to find his rhythm, failing to win any of the first four rounds. Gradually, however, the tireless engine of the Tuscan fighter began to kick into gear, allowing him to unleash his trademark two-handed attacks.
In closing the distance, Mazzinghi employed a peculiar technique, frequently switching stances for a split second as he threw a right hand, enabling him to follow with a left loaded with double the force. This technique, first studied and meticulously documented in a book by the legendary Jack Dempsey—who called it the “double shift”—was later adopted by many champions. Mazzinghi executed it masterfully.
As the exchanges grew more intense, so did the tension between the fighters. They often found themselves entangled in clinches and occasionally resorted to illegal punches to the back of the head. Referee Giacinto Aniello decided to issue a stern warning, deducting a point from both fighters in the seventh round. Benvenuti was penalized for holding onto one of the ropes during an exchange, while Mazzinghi was docked for improper use of his head.
Although somewhat fragmented, the fight continued to showcase extraordinary technical prowess, with both athletes fiercely contesting every round. While Benvenuti stood out for his higher work rate and his brilliant use of the left jab, Mazzinghi shone through his remarkable body work. Though he landed fewer punches than his rival, he delivered them with far greater force.
In the tenth round, the left hook that had been conspicuously absent since the end of the second round finally reappeared. After experiencing its devastating effect during the knockdown, Mazzinghi had managed to neutralize it by taking small steps to his left and frequently blocking it with his right glove. However, fatigue eventually made him more vulnerable, forcing him to rely on his renowned iron chin—which, this time, did not fail him.
Aware that he was behind on points, the challenger pushed hard in the twelfth and thirteenth rounds, attempting an extraordinary comeback. Advancing with sheer determination, he forced a very cautious Benvenuti into a defensive mode. The referee penalized the champion once more, this time for holding.
Today, we know the official scorecards, and we can see that if Mazzinghi had won the final two rounds, he would have achieved the historic feat of reclaiming the belts. But that’s not how things played out. The Pontedera Cyclone had given everything he had and was running on empty, while Benvenuti dug deep into his reserves, landing punishing blows in the closing moments to secure a well-earned unanimous decision.
One point, two points, and four points: these were the margins declared by the three judges, all in favor of the Trieste-born fighter. It’s unfortunate that the sports journalism of the time failed to adequately highlight the spectacular show these two champions had delivered. Annoyed at having predicted a far less competitive bout in their pre-fight analysis, many reporters blamed the closer-than-expected contest on a supposed subpar physical condition of Benvenuti, thereby downplaying what was, in truth, a stellar performance against a formidable opponent.
Thankfully, time has been a fair judge. Today, any boxing enthusiast worth their salt recognizes the prestige of that indelible duo of “rivals by nature,” who, in their later years, overcame countless misunderstandings to reconcile and acknowledge that each one’s greatness contributed to the other’s legacy.
Sandro’s phone call to a recovering Nino during his hospital stay, and Nino’s uncontrollable grief at Sandro’s funeral two years later, are the final, poignant moments of a gentleman’s boxing era that may no longer exist but endures in memory.