The super lightweight category has given Italy’s boxing scene enormous satisfaction. In this weight class, some of our most talented boxers have competed, from the immortal Duilio Loi, to the unbeatable Bruno Arcari, to the explosive Giovanni Parisi, to the untouchable Patrizio Oliva. Among these luminaries of the boxing ring stands the name of the great Sandro Lopopolo, born in Milan to parents from Apulia, capable of silencing the critical voices of those who did not appreciate his cautious and essential boxing style by clinching the most precious world titles. “Ring dancer” for his admirers, ” safety-first boxer” for his detractors, Sandro was above all else a champion, and our column “Great Italian Boxing” could not refrain from telling his sports story!
Inspired by Mitri and Loi: from the beginning to Olympic silver
Lopopolo, raised in the Milanese neighborhood of Quarto Oggiaro, like all young people who approach the world of boxing, had his role models. In his case, they were two great compatriots who had preceded him: the tenacious Tiberio Mitri and the legendary Duilio Loi. Sandro later recounted that often, during workouts at the Vigorelli sports center, discovered while making a delivery when he worked as a messenger, he tried to imitate the style of his idols. When his coach asked him what he was thinking with that carefree guard, he replied without flinching: “About Mitri and Loi.” His dedication to imitating the greatest proved fruitful, so much so that at only 20 years old, the Lombard athlete obtained the pass to participate in the Olympics in Rome, during which he shone, winning the precious silver medal. Five consecutive victories led him to the final for the top step of the podium, and only the experienced Pole Kazimierz Paździor, who was five years older, managed to barely tame him.
From debut in the pros to the national title
The performances displayed during the Olympic event prompted the boldest journalists to paint Lopopolo as Loi’s heir. Perhaps these expectations penalized the emerging boy, especially since his style proved indigestible to a part of the demanding audience of professional fights. Sandro was a southpaw set in a regular guard and as such could rely on a very effective jab. He was also extremely graceful on his legs and elegant in movement, so much so that he earned the nickname “ring dancer.” Despite these qualities, which included champion reflexes and timing, Lopopolo was accused of too often doing the bare minimum: he used his right hand sparingly, took substantial breaks, rarely accepted brawls, and thus for some, became the “safety-first boxer.” If the strengths of his boxing allowed him to graduate as Italian champion after 30 matches without defeats, his indolence cost him the first, probably undeserved, setback against the Tuscan challenger Piero Brandi.
If Europe is precluded, let’s take the world!
It may seem paradoxical that a European world champion never managed to conquer the European title; yet, almost as if afflicted by a curse, Lopopolo failed all four attempts to win the belt of the old continent. The first chance was offered to him in Spain in 1965, and when the local Juan Albornoz beat him on points, Sandro decided to aim directly at the main goal. The following year, he welcomed the Venezuelan puncher Carlos Hernandez to the Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome to try to snatch from him the WBA and WBC super lightweight belts. Hernandez had a reputation as a tremendous destroyer, having already defeated several big names: our representative appeared to many as a sacrificial victim. That night, however, Sandro signed his masterpiece: for 15 rounds, he faced the opponent, dodging his attacks systematically, risking and hitting as he had never done before. There were moments of fear, including a knockdown suffered in the final round, but in the end, it was the Italian who was carried to victory!
Lopopolo’s Reign
Lopopolo’s reign on the throne lasted exactly one year and, like his entire career, presented lights and shadows. The champion suffered two defeats in South America in two non-title fights, first against the Venezuelan Vicente Rivas and then against the Argentine Nicolino Locche. However, when Rivas appeared in Italy as a challenger for the world title, Lopopolo’s attitude in the ring changed radically, and his opponent was forced to retire due to injury after suffering the champion’s relentless boxing. The epilogue of his reign materialized when Sandro, tempted by the purse of 25 million old lire, agreed to go to Japan to face the local idol Takeshi Fuji, technically rough but endowed with great power. Weakened in physique by contracting Asian flu, Lopopolo easily controlled the first round, but in the second, he encountered a devastating right hook that knocked him down. A second knockdown and a further barrage of blows determined the referee’s stoppage: the reign of the Italian boxer had come to an end.
The Last Years, Between Satisfaction and Bitterness
After the ill-fated trip to Japan, Lopopolo continued to tread the rings for another six years but did not have further world opportunities, not even after Bruno Arcari won the WBC super lightweight title, leading Italian enthusiasts to fantasize about a sensational derby. Some argue that the failure to materialize the event was due to alleged disagreements between the two boxers, but what is certain is that despite missing the appointment with the EBU belt three more times, Lopopolo did not give up even in the final years of his long journey to achieve prestigious satisfactions. Consider, for example, when in hostile Paris, he gave a real boxing lesson to the highly touted French puncher Roger Menetrey, dominating him on points. Ironically, it was Menetrey who a year and a half later inflicted Sandro’s last defeat, pushing him shortly after to retirement. Father of three children, Lopopolo remained close to the sport that made him great even after hanging up his gloves, so much so that he founded the boxers’ union to protect professional athletes in our fascinating and insidious discipline. Awarded the title of “Knight of Sport,” Lopopolo passed away on April 26, 2014, but his crystalline class will remain forever one of the prominent examples of great Italian boxing!