Reserved and shy, firmly opposed to flaunting his successes, which were indeed numerous: Carmelo Bossi contributed greatly to Italian boxing without ever seeking fame and magazine covers in return. Perhaps it is precisely because of his reserved nature that the name of the talented Milanese today has less resonance than that of other athletes of the past, who were more flashy albeit less successful. Yet Bossi managed to fill his trophy cabinet with immensely prestigious awards throughout his career, from the Olympic silver medal to the world title. What impresses the most is that he achieved all of this against all odds, defying the skepticism of the doubters. Let’s now go through the great milestones of the sporting history of this silent champion for our section “Great Italian Boxing”!
The “Labours of Hercules” for a place at the Olympics
Bossi showcased his enormous potential from a very young age, becoming the Italian amateur champion at just 18 and winning the silver medal at the European Championships the following year. Apparently destined to represent Italy in the welterweight division at the Rome Olympics, he received an unpleasant surprise: the Italian coach Natalino Rea decided to field Nino Benvenuti in the welterweight category, thus blocking the path for the young Carmelo. He had to move up a weight class and compete for a spot against Sandro Mazzinghi, Giuseppe Galmozzi, and Remo Golfarini. He defeated them all, one after the other, but it was still not enough: an unexpected change of heart from the Federation forced him to undergo another test against Tommaso Truppi, who moved down from the middleweight category. Bossi, furious, won by knockout, finally putting an end to his “Labours of Hercules” and paving the way for the Olympic event. As a complete outsider, Bossi outclassed much more favored boxers during the tournament and only surrendered in the final, without disgrace, to the American Wilbert McClure. That surprising silver medal propelled him into the treacherous world of professionalism.
From national to continental success, setting sights on the world title
Although some believed his boxing style was unsuitable for the professional scene, “Melo,” as he was called by friends, quickly got used to winning even in professional boxing. Considered an underdog as usual, he snatched the Italian welterweight title from Domenico Tiberia and, after also winning the rematch, successfully challenged for the European throne, defeating the French champion Jean Josselin. The latter, with his brawling and pounding style, was ideal for highlighting Bossi’s timing and reflexes, which indeed prevailed in their subsequent rematch. Many sources erroneously report that during his reign as European champion, Bossi also fought for the world title. In reality, what was twice contested between the Italian and the South African Willie Ludick in Johannesburg was only the “South African version” of the title, of no prestige compared to the real world title held at the time by the formidable American Curtis Cokes. Bossi’s two points defeats in what was then the country of apartheid were therefore essentially painless.
Courage or folly? The defeat without a mouthguard and the “bad patch”
The line between courage and folly is thin, sometimes not easy to identify in advance. When Bossi, on the eve of his European title defense against the puncher Fighting Mack, technically crude but very powerful, had a decayed tooth extracted, undergoing a course of antibiotics, he should have postponed the fight. The pain was still present, and his body weakened, but his courage pushed him to step into the ring anyway and fight without a mouthguard to limit the discomfort. For nine rounds, Melo managed to control the inexperienced opponent, but in the tenth, he paid dearly for a single distraction: a hook from the fighter from the Netherlands Antilles broke his jaw, forcing him to surrender prematurely and rush to the hospital, but not before getting up to finish the round standing. That unexpected defeat marked the beginning of a negative period for the Milanese boxer, who was first controversially beaten by the formidable American Freddie Little due to an accidental headbutt and then defeated away from home by the stubborn Austrian Johann Orsolics, who prevented him from regaining the European title with a very close points decision.
The greatest triumph: Bossi on top of the world!
Just when Bossi’s career seemed to have come to an end, the manager Libero Cecchi and the promoter Rodolfo Sabbatini, with an organizational masterpiece, granted him an unexpected chance: to fight for the unified world titles moving up to the super welterweight division. In front of him, before the 12,000 spectators who flocked to Monza, there was once again Freddie Little, a true superstar snubbed in his homeland due to his counterpunching style disliked by Americans but capable of giving trouble to boxers of the caliber of our Mazzinghi. Precisely the serious difficulties faced by the boxer from Pontedera, who against Little escaped with a controversial no-contest, led the experts not to give Bossi many chances. For the umpteenth time, Melo forced them to reconsider: after a tactical, confused, and fragmented fight, the Italian boxer managed to accelerate fiercely in the last rounds and earned the verdict: he was the world champion! His ability to find the decisive sprint at the last moment also helped him during the first defense away from home against the determined Spanish deaf-mute Jose Hernandez: a thrilling draw enough to retain the crown.
That red thread between Bossi and Lopopolo: Japan brings no luck
There is a sort of invisible thread that connects Carmelo Bossi to another historic Italian champion, that Sandro Lopopolo of whom we have already told you the exploits. Both Milanese, both southpaws set in the orthodox guard, both accused of giving little to the show with their prudent and conservative approach; but the similarities do not stop there. After winning the silver medal at the same edition of the Olympic Games, the two champions made their professional debut in the same event, giving rise to two glorious careers destined to culminate in the world title they both lost in the same country! Just like Lopopolo, who flew to Japan attracted by the highest purse of his career and was dethroned by Takeshi Fuji, Bossi did not yield to the allure of the Land of the Rising Sun and was forced to give up his belts to the local hero Koichi Wajima. However, while Lopopolo was demolished in two rounds, Bossi was outpointed by a Split Decision after a razor-close fight in which he coldly replicated the singular movements of the folkloric Japanese brawler. It was the last performance between the ropes for our champion, who thereafter stayed away from the spotlight in the company of his wife Annamaria and daughters Alessandra and Carla. Bossi passed away at the age of 74 in the same Milan where he was born, raised, and became a boxer, before moving to Ferrara in the 1960s; if today we can talk about great Italian boxing, we owe it also and above all to boxers like him.