In the undercard of the “Gloves of Glory” event, organized by Italian Ringside Promotion in San Bonifacio, some rising talents from the national boxing scene had the opportunity to shine. Here are brief recaps of the victories by Gianni Doria Yao, Stefano Capone, and Mohammed Graich. (Click here for the main event recap)
Gianni Doria Yao vs. Marco Delmestro
The first of the scheduled four rounds was enough to convince spectators that 24-year-old welterweight Doria Yao, in his professional debut, wouldn’t face any real danger. Almost as if it were a sparring session, the Venetian fighter landed numerous relaxed and light punches, without any evident intent to end the fight with power, as his 45-year-old opponent Delmestro showed little resistance.
The most solid shot of the evening, a left hook in the second round, visibly shook Delmestro, who went down right after the following one-two combination. However, Doria Yao chose not to press the attack, allowing his opponent to recover. Delmestro received a standing count at the end of the third round, but there were no other thrills until the final bell.
Stefano Capone vs. Armin Kozlica
Wearing a shirt featuring the iconic cinematic showdown between Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa did not bring good luck to Bosnian journeyman Kozlica. His only notable move was an illegal punch after the referee’s break early in the match, after which he was overwhelmed by his tenacious opponent’s punches.
Stefano Capone, known as “The Shark,” quickly dominated this heavyweight clash, cornering his opponent and knocking him down with a flurry of punches. Moments later, as Kozlica inexplicably paused with a low guard after a clinch, possibly expecting a referee intervention, Capone landed a brutal left hook to the face, scoring an instant KO.
There were a few tense moments as the Bosnian lay partially draped over the ropes, motionless, but he thankfully recovered quickly, earning spontaneous applause from the audience.
Mohammed Graich vs. Venhar Haziri
In the most balanced professional bout of the entire event, Graich faced much more resistance than expected against Kosovar journeyman Haziri, who challenged him throughout the fight. The Balkan fighter displayed excellent timing, and although he mostly relied on single punches, he made it difficult for Graich to close the distance.
Graich, trained by the legendary Meo Gordini, had to use his superior speed to take control of the match from the third round onward, gaining the edge through greater consistency and initiative. Nevertheless, Haziri, though somewhat cautious, remained dangerous until the end, capitalizing more than once on Graich’s tendency to stay within range after landing his punches.
The refereeing seemed slightly biased in favor of the home fighter, with Haziri repeatedly warned for imperfect punch placement (a common tolerance in professional boxing except in blatant cases) and officially penalized for a punch to the back of the head in the final round. Nevertheless, the dramatic protest by Haziri and his coach following the decision seemed excessive, as Graich’s win, though narrow, appeared reasonable.
When approached after the fight by the writer of this article, Coach Gordini shrugged off the congratulations, stating: “I don’t like winning like this. The win, even with the penalty, was fair, but we need to win more convincingly!”
Full video of the Gloves of Glory event: