What happened last Saturday during the TAF evening in Milan highlighted a radical shift in the technical-federation direction, with great progress in bringing boxing back into focus through TV and mass media. However, the management of some fights was negative.
Regarding the debut of the new Technical Federation leadership, which includes the prominent appointment of Giovanni De Carolis, we still have to wait for the results of major events like the World Championships and the Elite European Championships before making any assessments. However, in the various tournaments held so far, in my humble opinion, the wind of change is already being felt.
Returning to the TAF event on Saturday, March 15, as in previous occasions, we witnessed a stunning venue and an interesting organization, with the participation of entertainment personalities, various singers, and other attractions. This represents a step forward in improving the image of a sport like boxing, which many consider violent.
Jonathan Kogasso delivered an outstanding performance, getting rid of his opponent, Morike Oulare, in just two rounds. This will almost certainly propel him toward fights against tougher opponents and major achievements. He is a young fighter with excellent technical skills that, for a cruiserweight, can be a winning weapon at the highest level.
The Bologna vs. Falcinelli fight was spectacular. Ten intense rounds without a second of rest, except for the one-minute breaks between rounds: a match of high competitive intensity where the athletic preparation of both fighters kept everyone on the edge of their seats due to the relentless exchanges. At the end of the bout, the draw verdict was fair; the entire audience in attendance and those watching on TV could only applaud and congratulate both contenders.
Regarding the other title fights, rather than praising the boxers who competed, a note of discredit must be given to the refereeing and judging for making mistakes that penalize not only boxing but also the fighters themselves. I must emphasize that the competent judging bodies must absolutely enforce the regulations with strictness and impartiality, without making exceptions for anyone.
A huge mistake awarded the IBF Mediterranean light heavyweight title to Momo Elmaghraby against Stiven Leonetti, an outcome decided by the reading of the scorecards after the fight was stopped due to a cut on the winner’s eyebrow. The referee’s incorrect interpretation of the situation was evident.
According to the referee, the injury was caused by an accidental headbutt. He, therefore, stopped the fight and went to the scorecards, but since he was not the only judge, with other officials at ringside, he could have avoided the mistake. The cut on the eyebrow was caused by a landed punch. In such cases, according to the rules, the fight should be stopped, and the victory should be awarded by technical KO (due to the cut) to the fighter who landed the punch (Stiven Leonetti).
It would have been even easier to assess the incident since the fight was broadcast on TV: video footage could have been used to correctly interpret what happened. I am referring to the so-called boxing VAR, which many federations have already adopted and which would be extremely useful to implement in Italian events as well. Naturally, the boxers are not to blame; the best solution would be to annul the fight and schedule a rematch while keeping the title vacant.
In the case of the Italian super featherweight title, the mistake was even more blatant and could have been dangerous for the opponent. Here, the blame does not fall solely on the judging body but also on those responsible for training, as fundamental rules are at the core of respect for the sport.
Paparo, driven by adrenaline and excitement, struck his opponent when he was already down on one knee, landing multiple blows to the face and the back of the head. The referee should have intervened immediately: being close to the action, he should have stepped in between the two fighters, but this did not happen.
In such a case, a KO cannot be declared; instead, the fighter committing the foul should be disqualified, awarding victory to the affected opponent. Paparo’s mistake was even more serious because he probably would have won anyway—there was an evident technical and physical difference between the two fighters from the very start!
I would suggest that those managing these athletes’ careers take a step back and reassess some aspects to ensure they do not squander all the progress made in recent times for the benefit of Italian boxing.