A twist in the main event of the Rome boxing card organized by Davide Buccioni’s BBT Promotion: hometown fighter Salvatore Contino (9-0-0, 4 KOs) defeated the more famous Mohammed “Maraviglia” Obbadi (24-3-0, 14 KOs) on points, thus winning the vacant Italian bantamweight title. It was a courageous and surprising performance by the Palermo-born boxer, whose victory, however, was made possible by a unanimous decision (three times 96 to 93) that appears generous towards him.
Those who tuned in live on Fighters Life channels, after seeing the first round, thought Obbadi would have an easy time. The Morocco-born and Tuscany-transplanted boxer showed his greater experience at the start, perfectly controlling the distance with his jab and repeatedly hitting a Contino who tended to lose his composure, probably influenced by the tension of the big event.
However, the incredible and exciting second round convinced everyone that the fight would be anything but predictable. After repeatedly landing several two-handed combinations, Obbadi heavily floored his opponent with a terrible right counter. Contino got up with difficulty and seemed about to be stopped, but the referee’s decision to let him continue proved to be very correct. Moments later, an eager Obbadi to close the deal was surprised by a violent hook to the temple, ending up against the ropes and receiving a count from the referee.
After the fireworks of the second round, “Maraviglia” regained control of the fight in the next two rounds, but he did so with considerably more caution, having realized the danger of his opponent’s punches. Contino, however, did not stand by and starting from the fifth round, he shifted into high gear, making himself preferred in the central phase of the match for his aggression and the greater impact of his punches. This impact peaked in the sixth round when two consecutive hooks shook Obbadi, making him momentarily unstable on his legs.
Contino’s favorable moment, amplified by the frankly too severe penalty point the referee imposed on Obbadi for improper use of the head, slightly waned in the eighth round, well managed by Maraviglia. However, Contino regained strength in the ninth round, perhaps his best of the fight, showcasing his entire offensive repertoire and forcing a seemingly very tired Obbadi on the defensive.
The dynamics of the tenth and final round were bizarre. Despite the fight’s score appearing far from clear to an outside observer, Contino did almost nothing to win the last three minutes, giving the impression he had received a “tip-off” about being ahead. It wouldn’t be the first time a corner in an Italian match has “magically” come to know the official scorecards’ contents. Without any proof, we only express our doubts based on what was seen in the ring.
Contino can certainly be very proud of what he did last night. Opposed to a much more experienced boxer and despite a rough start, he threw his heart over the hurdle, fighting with immense courage and fierce determination. Nevertheless, the writer feels obliged to tell you that, in his opinion, Obbadi, albeit by a narrow margin, had won the fight. The Moroccan-born athlete was less resilient physically and certainly suffered from his opponent’s power at times, but he built up a good lead in the first part of the fight and was more consistent and precise over a greater number of rounds. Given the excellent spectacle offered by the two contenders, a rematch would be highly desirable.