Some boxers are stronger than the passage of time, able to freeze it like magicians, staying incredibly competitive despite their age. To achieve this, you need a willingness to sacrifice and great professionalism, and Emiliano “Tizzo” Marsili, the eternal boy from Civitavecchia, has repeatedly shown he has both. It’s no coincidence that he remained one of the leading figures in Italian boxing for over 21 years of professional career, all the way to the age of 48.
We discussed this and much more with “Tizzo” himself, revisiting the most significant and exciting chapters of a career that officially ended just seven days ago, with his final bout in front of a packed hometown crowd in Civitavecchia, where the local residents flocked to witness yet another boxing lesson from their eternal boy.
Your first title experience was a draw against Giovanni Niro in Grosseto in 2006. How much did the home factor affect that fight, and why did it take nearly four years for you to get another chance at the Italian title?
When I experienced my first title fight, I was young and inexperienced, and I felt a bit overwhelmed, having never fought on such a big stage. I had trained very well with my coach Franco Cherchi, and we went to Grosseto to fight for the Italian title in Giovanni Niro’s hometown. I started the fight feeling tense, but despite this, I knocked him down—I don’t remember if it was in the first or second round—but they didn’t even give him a count! Throughout the fight, I had my ups and downs; it was a good bout, but overall, I think I showed that I was superior. Franco Falcinelli, the former president of the Italian Boxing Federation (FPI), was also there, and he said at the end that if anyone deserved the win, it should have gone to the more technical fighter. Clearly, he couldn’t be too outspoken. It was a tough fight, mostly because of my inexperience, although back then, I was already sparring with great champions like Stefano Zoff, Gianluca Branco, and Sandro Casamonica. Sparring with them and watching them train was a tremendous gift that I had, unlike many young boxers today who don’t have such role models in the gym. I grew thanks to them. As for that first Italian title, I still feel like it was stolen from me: the knockdown was obvious, but even without that, I had won the fight. By the end, Niro had nothing left and kept spitting out his mouthguard. In the final round, he was nearly knocked out, and to get him through, they even stopped the round before the full three minutes. The reason it took so long to get another shot is that, in my opinion, my performance in that match didn’t convince my manager, Salvatore Cherchi.
In 2010, you entered your golden period with a crushing victory over Luca Marasco, who was considered one of the top Italian lightweights at the time. How confident were you going into that fight, which seemed so tough on paper? Luca Marasco was even lined up for a European title shot after our fight. But when I got my second chance to win the Italian title, I saw it as a golden opportunity and also as my last train: if I had failed, I would have quit boxing. I was 33 and a half, and I told myself, “If I don’t win this, I’m done.” My new coach, Mario Massai, and I believed so much in that fight, and we put in the work, and it showed in the ring. I stepped into the ring fully confident in my abilities, and I fought the fight of my life.
In January 2012, you traveled to Liverpool to fight for the IBO title against Englishman Derry Mathews. What stands out to you about that explosive KO victory on foreign soil, and how frustrating was it that your win didn’t get more attention due to the IBO not being recognized by the Italian Federation at the time? It was one of the best wins of my life. Truly incredible. For me, going to Liverpool to fight for a world title at 35 years old was the chance of a lifetime, and I couldn’t let it slip away. So even though there were issues with the IBO not being recognized in Italy, I decided to go for it. The day before the fight, during the weigh-in, the Italian Boxing Federation called me and told me that if I fought, I would be banned from Italian boxing. I said, “Are you seriously calling me with this the day before the fight? You want me to pull out now, after the British promoters paid for my flight, and I’ve given up my purse? You must be joking. No way, I’m here to do my job, and whatever happens, happens.” And so I went ahead, and the people with me, who also risked disqualification, chose to go forward too. The atmosphere was incredible, with intense tension, and the British fans booed, spat, and threw coins as I entered. But in the end, it was me and the forty people who came to support me who celebrated. As for the rest, I have no reason to be angry. I was a world champion, and no one can take that away. BoxRec lists me as “Marsili IBO World Champion,” and I’m thrilled that today this title is recognized in Italy.
A year later, in Civitavecchia, you knocked out the undefeated and highly rated Luca Giacon in just two rounds to win the European title. It was an intense war in which you were also counted. Did you expect such a short and thrilling fight? I didn’t expect it to be short; I thought it would be very tough. I had prepared incredibly well, again with coach Massai and my fitness trainer Gino Lauro, and I reached peak condition. I knew that Luca Giacon was young, strong, technical, fast, and powerful—he had all the traits of a champion. But a while before, I had gotten lucky. Giacon was preparing to defend his European Union title against a southpaw, so Cherchi asked me to come to Sardinia for the weekend to spar with Luca. I said, “Sure, I’ll come right away!” My coach didn’t want me to go, but I’m someone who makes his own decisions. We’re a team, we discuss things, but when I feel something strongly, I go for it. The first day, I got off the plane and went straight to sparring, despite being tired. We did six tough rounds, head-to-head. Even with the headgear on, I felt his power, just as I had expected, but I also noticed that he didn’t like getting hit. The next day, I got a cut over my eyebrow in the first round, and that ended the sparring session. I went home, having realized that Giacon was incredibly strong but also that he had a weakness. So when I was offered the fight, I decided to go for it and accepted immediately. On the day of the European title fight, I was incredibly tense, especially because that evening, there were not one but three big matchups: it was a battle between managers, coaches, and fighters. Even my supporters in Civitavecchia didn’t expect me to win, but I’ve always liked being the underdog—it motivates me even more.
After that resounding success over Giacon, you kept winning and impressing for over ten years, defending your European title multiple times and capturing the WBC Silver belt. During all this time, were you ever offered a shot at a world title from one of the four major organizations? Do you have any regrets about not taking that opportunity? Yes, I was offered the chance to fight for a world title. Cherchi gave me the opportunity to fight for the WBC title. I would have earned $100,000, but honestly, for a fight against Dejan Zlaticanin in New York, it didn’t seem like enough money. On top of that, I wasn’t physically well, and I couldn’t take on the fight of my life without being at 100%. I had had a gallstone attack and felt completely drained, so how could I go? Zlaticanin ended up winning the world title against a last-minute replacement, and he later lost it to Mikey Garcia by KO. I do have some regret because if I had been in good shape, I would have taken the fight even for $100,000. I was angry, that’s for sure, because $100,000 for a fight for the most prestigious title felt like a joke, but I wouldn’t have let the chance slip away. However, I only step into the ring when I’m at my best. If an opponent beats me fair and square, I tip my hat to him, but I can’t lose because I’ve given away an advantage.
A documentary film about your life, “Tizzo. Storia di un grande campione” (Tizzo. Story of a Great Champion), is available on Amazon Prime Video. How did this project come about, and how comfortable did you feel in front of the camera? This was another wonderful journey, thanks to Francesca Piggianelli and director Alessio Di Cosimo. Francesca Piggianelli was the mastermind behind it, putting the pieces together. It was a fantastic experience, especially because I didn’t have to act—it was just my life. They filmed me during training and would occasionally ask me to say a few lines, and that’s how my life story emerged, along with my preparation for a title fight. It’s also nice because it presents me not only as a boxer but as a human being, a father, and a friend. Many parts show my personal life, with my family and friends. You can’t play that role—it has to come naturally. That’s why it was a very positive experience, and I’m incredibly proud of the documentary.
Your last attempt to reclaim the European title seemed like an impossible challenge: 47 years old, fighting abroad, and up against a much taller opponent. Yet, by the end of the fight, despite the unfortunate defeat due to injury, the international press, including British newspapers, were overflowing with praise for you…
“The only issue with facing Gwynne was that the match was postponed three times: from May, we ended up in December, and after three consecutive training camps, my body couldn’t hold up at 47. Had the fight taken place as scheduled after the first three months of preparation, Gwynne would have been blown away, as I demonstrated in the match I was leading. Unfortunately, age caught up with me: the Brits were smart to delay the fight three times, and we didn’t have enough resources to bring it to Italy. If we had a different government and institutions willing to help me organize the fight in Italy, it would have been a different story. I would have become European champion again, undefeated, already a world champion, and I would have done it at 47 years old: I would have gone down in history. However, I have no regrets, things turned out well anyway. The compliments I received, even from British newspapers, made me happy, and I believe they were justified by the fact that for eight rounds, I showed Gwynne, in his own backyard, how boxing is done—just as I did with Derry Mathews in 2012. After all, for me, it has never made a difference whether I fight at home or abroad; but after extending my preparation from May to December, constantly keeping my weight in check, my body gave out. If the injury had occurred in the tenth round instead of the eighth, I would have gritted my teeth for two rounds and taken home the title. But I couldn’t do it for four rounds.”
After last Friday’s splendid event in Civitavecchia, what’s in the future for Emiliano Marsili? Will you remain in the world of boxing to pass on your experience to the new generations?
Of course! This is my world, and after 33 years of competition, I can’t forget the sport I was born into and grew up with. I’m already organizing to open a gym; I’ve earned my coaching certificate, while my wife has obtained her manager qualification from the Federation by passing the relevant exam. We will open our own stable to carry on the tradition of Civitavecchia. And naturally, I will always remain close to those who have given me so much, like Opi2000, which allowed me to have a beautiful career.