The ring at the Global Theater Boulevard in Riyadh crowned him as one of the real breakout stars of the super lightweight division at the Boxing Grand Prix tournament: Fiorenzo Priolo thrilled Italian boxing fans with his technical skills and absolute command as he secured victory and earned his place in the round of 16. Boxe Punch quickly set up this interview with the young promise of Italian boxing who, despite being only twenty-two years old, already fights with the authority of a ring veteran.
Let’s start with your first steps in the world of boxing. How old were you when you first entered a boxing gym, and what goals did you have?
I originally practiced Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling; I started when I was eight years old. Then in 2018, since I was no longer happy at the gym where I was training, my father and I decided to switch sports. I went to Cristian De Martinis’ gym—he’s my current coach—for a boxing trial. I really liked it, but the gym was in Pianezza, and since my father couldn’t drive me there regularly, I had to stop. Then in June, my father suggested a gym near home that offered Muay Thai classes, and I started incorporating that into my wrestling training, alternating days. In September, believe it or not, the instructor told us: “Guys, unfortunately, I won’t be able to continue; a dear friend of mine will take over, and he’ll be teaching only boxing: Cristian De Martinis.” So basically, I wanted to train with Cristian, and in the end, he came to me. Until June 2019, I kept practicing both wrestling and boxing, competing in both disciplines. After competing at the European Championships with the Italian national wrestling team, I decided to dedicate myself fully to boxing.
What results did you achieve as an amateur, and what pushed you to turn professional at just twenty years old?
As an amateur, I achieved good results: I won the regional championships, finished second at the Italian national championships, and won some tournaments abroad. I won my first eleven amateur bouts, and my first loss came in Ireland against a champion who already had 74 fights under his belt. But I realized right away that amateur boxing wasn’t really my goal. My dream had always been to turn professional. I can’t deny that I would have loved to compete in the Olympics, which is one of the most prestigious stages for a boxer. But I was never able to perform at 100% in the amateur style. I’m a diesel; I warm up as I go. Three rounds were just too few for me. Anyone who saw my match in Riyadh could tell that I needed a bit of time to get going in the first round, while my opponent started to fade and I began to grow stronger. It’s always been part of who I am, and that’s why I never really felt comfortable in amateur boxing—I just couldn’t show all my qualities.
How would you define your style in the ring? Are there any champions, past or present, you are inspired by?
I have to admit, I’m not an encyclopedia of boxing history. I do watch a bit here and there, but overall, I prefer practicing boxing to watching it. So in that sense, I’m a bit like those people who only know the names of the most famous boxers, although sometimes I watch a fight and find it interesting. I would define my style as “Mexican,” even if it’s not without technique. It’s a warrior style: I like to trade punches, I like to brawl—though of course, I prefer hitting rather than getting hit [laughs].
One particular feature of the Boxing Grand Prix is that the matchups were revealed only shortly before fight day. Were you able to study your opponent, or did you step into the ring without knowing much about him?
We weighed in on Thursday, the same day the matchups were announced, and the fights were scheduled for Friday. We already knew there were thirty-two strong athletes in the tournament, so in a way, one opponent was as tough as another. When we found out who I was fighting, we looked up his record and watched some videos online to get a general idea of his style. But our philosophy is this: you can plan a fight all you want, but once you take the first punch, all plans go out the window. We like to adjust our strategy as the fight unfolds. Of course, that doesn’t mean we go into the ring blindly, without knowing if we’re facing a tall fighter, a short one, a southpaw, and so on. But once we recognize his characteristics, we use the first round to build the plan for the rest of the fight.
Your first-round opponent, Kazakhstan’s Nurzhan Serikbayev, had won all his previous fights by knockout in just a few minutes and came out very aggressively. Did you feel his power in that heated first round, or did you immediately feel you had the situation under control?
The first round was the toughest of the fight. He came out trying to impose his style right away, but I’m not someone who gets scared or discouraged by a fast-paced start, because I know what I’m capable of. I knew he had always won by knockout, but I trust my chin, and I kept my hands high to avoid taking too many heavy shots. After a few punches, including some to the body, I could feel he had heavy hands, but not so much that he made me step back and give him confidence. He was strong, but not strong enough to intimidate me.
Your next opponent will be Turkish fighter Efe Derin Konuk. Have you seen his win in the round of 32? What impression did you get of his style?
I’ll be honest: I watched it just once, and very quickly. On the other hand, I’ve already rewatched my own fight about ten times [laughs]. I have two months to come up with a strategy and study how he boxes. And like I said before, we like to plan things as we go during the fight. He’s a good fighter, but as you advance in the tournament, the competition gets tougher, and only the best athletes are left standing. I saw he has a good record and has already won titles in Asia, but I believe that if I can’t beat him, I have no business advancing any further. I’ve seen other fighters in the tournament who are very strong and talented. If I can’t win and win convincingly against him, then I wouldn’t deserve to go all the way. Of course, I won’t underestimate him, because every fight is different and you have to step into the ring 100% focused. But if I aim to win this tournament, I can’t let this opponent worry me.
Your coach, Cristian De Martinis, had a very respectable professional career and was known for his bravery in the ring. Have you watched any of his most important fights? What’s your relationship like in the gym?
Yes, I’ve seen a few of his fights. Cristian and I are like one. We run the gym together since we’re business partners, so there’s also a work relationship, but that has nothing to do with our personal bond. I trust Cristian completely: I could step into the ring blindfolded with Cristian in my corner. If he gives me advice, I listen and follow it without hesitation. I think it’s fundamental for a boxer to have that level of trust with his coach. I’m not saying the coach holds the outcome of the fight entirely in his hands, but he definitely plays a big part in how things unfold. Even against the Kazakh, Cristian gave me two or three pieces of advice that helped steer the fight in the right direction. I trust him, and I’m always able to put into action immediately what he tells me.
As we wish you the best of luck for the rest of the tournament, let us ask: what is your ultimate dream?
My dream is the same as most boxers when they start out. “Becoming world champion” is the answer everyone gives, but I get chills just saying it. I don’t see it as a dream; I see it as a goal. I wake up in the morning thinking about becoming world champion; I go to sleep at night thinking about becoming world champion. Throughout the day, I often visualize the moment when I achieve it. Since I started boxing, I can’t even count how many times I’ve imagined it. If I ever do become world champion, it will feel like I’ve already done it ten thousand times. So even though I know it’s a dream, I prefer to see it as a goal I want to reach. I know it will be hard, but I train every day, I’m always thinking about boxing, and I’ll definitely get somewhere. I don’t know exactly where yet, but my goal is to reach the top.