As 2025 draws to a close, Italian men’s professional boxing continues to struggle compared to the glory days of the past. There are no world champions in the four major organizations, only one European champion, and prospects of major success limited to very few athletes. Nevertheless, even though it is far from the level we would like to see, our boxing scene is still capable of giving us exciting fights, boxers worthy of being followed, and human and sporting stories worth telling. In this piece, we will try to focus on the current elite by compiling our present Top 5 P4P of Italian men’s boxing.
In this regard, it is appropriate to make a couple of preliminary clarifications in order to address in advance some predictable objections. The first is that by the expression “Italian boxing” we intend here to embrace a broad group of athletes, also including those of foreign origin who, although they have not yet acquired Italian citizenship, fight in our country and have met the requirements set by the FPI to compete for the Italian Title. Likewise, we also include among the boxers eligible for this list those who, after being developed in Italy, have chosen to pursue their careers abroad, fighting under the banner of foreign promoters and management.
The second point, more than a premise, is a clarification for those who are not very familiar with this type of ranking, and it can be summed up as follows: Pound-for-pound rankings are not compiled solely on the basis of a boxer’s pure ability. It can therefore easily happen that an athlete is technically far superior to others ranked above him. Several factors come into play, such as the depth of the record, the quality of the opponents faced, and the current momentum of the boxer’s career.
Let us now move on to the names, but before revealing Boxe Punch’s Top 5, we will first make a few well-deserved honorable mentions for the “luxury omissions”, each of whom could very well earn a spot at the top in the near future.
Wounded warriors seeking redemption
Alessio Lorusso, Mauro Forte, Francesco Grandelli, Ivan Zucco and Armando Casamonica have all had to taste the bitterness of defeat, but they did so after pushing themselves to the highest levels, towards the Europe that truly matters, where every fight is a battle and simply stepping into the ring is an honor. The first three have already bounced back brilliantly, while the latter two will do so very soon. We are confident that all of them will give heart and soul to return to competing for titles of great prestige.
Road warriors
Winning away from home is extremely difficult, and anyone who follows Italian boxing and supports our fighters knows this all too well. What Francesco De Rosa and Giuseppe Osnato achieved—traveling respectively to the United Kingdom and France and defeating local favorites—therefore deserves genuine praise. Also worthy of mention are Francesco’s latest impressive victory, in which he got up twice before winning by TKO, and Giuseppe’s win last year over Francesco Paparo, one of the most interesting prospects on the entire national scene.
Pure talents
Their records are not yet deep enough to enter the Top 5, but Angelo Morejon and Jonathan Kogasso have already displayed such dazzling talent that we are extremely confident in their ability to establish themselves very soon as the spearheads of Italian boxing. “El Terrible”, avoided like the plague in Italy, is climbing the world rankings at a dizzying pace, while “The Mamba”, after lighting things up on the domestic scene, is about to break onto the international stage with the clear intention of taking no prisoners.
The big omission
The boxer who challenged us the most and whom we leave out of the Top 5 with the greatest difficulty is the highly capable Sardinian fighter Cristian Zara, who has shown constant improvement since turning professional and is currently Italy’s only holder of a European EBU title (bantamweight). Cristian narrowly missed out on our Top 5 solely because his victory over Vincenzo Picardi, although commendable, was partly influenced by the accidental clash of heads. Should he confirm himself at the top of Europe, however, Zara would have all the credentials to occupy one of the leading positions.
La Top 5 P4P del pugilato italiano secondo Boxe Punch
5) Dario Morello
Whether you like him or not, whether you enjoy his style or not, you cannot deny that Dario Morello currently has the wind at his back in career terms and has put together a highly respectable run of victories. “Spartan” defeated four notable Italian middleweights in succession, then moved closer to his European dream with a mentally impressive performance against the tough Vukshinaj, whom he overcame by pushing through a very difficult phase and showing real grit.
4) Muhamet Qamili
We will never tire of repeating it: what our “Eti” accomplished by finishing second at the Boxing Grand Prix—a tournament featuring thirty-two of the most interesting prospects in the world—did not receive sufficient media attention. The Italian-Albanian boxer showed toughness and quality in an extremely demanding context, facing aggressive opponents with very different styles and never being outclassed. The experience gained there could truly allow him to take off in the near future.
3) Etinosa Oliha
Our valiant middleweight had the courage to test himself by leaving home and entrusting his career, in Germany, to an internationally respected management team that is guiding him step by step toward the top of the world rankings. Those who have followed Oliha’s career from the beginning will have noticed his significant technical improvements: from a crude puncher who loaded up every shot and wasted rivers of energy, Etinosa has gradually evolved into a far more complete and disciplined fighter, and today he can look with confidence toward the major opportunities on the horizon.
2) Guido Vianello
Like Oliha, Vianello was also unafraid to travel far from his homeland to chase a dream. He may not have an unblemished record, but Guido has never looked for shortcuts and has stepped into the ring with opponents of considerable caliber. Many believed that Efe Ajagba and Arslanbek Makhmudov would make short work of him, yet he pushed the former to the limit in a controversial points loss and destroyed the latter. His most recent victory, once again defying the bookmakers, has propelled him toward new, thrilling challenges that will not be long in coming.
1) Michael Magnesi
Magnesi could have rested on the laurels of the IBO title he won in 2020 and gone around claiming to have been a “world champion” without taking on tougher challenges. He did not do so, because he is a fighter of substance and a serious, ambitious man, fully aware that he possesses the technical and mental tools to go for the big breakthrough.
He did not hesitate to travel to the United Kingdom, where he produced a razor-thin fight against Anthony Cacace, a boxer who would later achieve outstanding results. Nor did he hesitate to face Japan’s Masanori Rikiishi, a relentless pressure fighter, losing in dramatic fashion after leading a spectacular bout for nine rounds.
Michael bounced back this year with an exciting victory, is the current WBC Silver champion, and is about to face a heavy-handed puncher like Mark Magsayo in the United States in a fascinating world title eliminator. Taking into account his current form, his short-term prospects, and the caliber of opponents he has faced, Magnesi is, in our judgment, the number one pound-for-pound Italian male boxer today.