Ringside Report – Faggiano (Taranto)
“Genius and recklessness”: a common combination among many athletes in various sports who combine a rebellious character with sparkling talent. For many years, Francesco “Pallina” Magrì from Taranto was like this: unpredictable, inconsistent, turbulent but at the same time brilliant in the ring, where he has always moved with the ease of a fish in open sea.
Now that he swims in the treacherous waters of professional boxing, however, Magrì knows he needs to get his act together, and judging by what he showed yesterday in the ring at Faggiano, he seems to be on the right track. In the main event of the evening organized by the Pugilistica Quero-Chiloiro, the boy trained by coach Cataldo Quero won by KO against the experienced Hungarian Gyorgy Mizsei, showing flashes of pure talent.
Talent has accompanied Magrì since he was a boy in the ring. Those who watched him grow in the historic gym in Taranto recount how, even when he missed months of training, upon his return he always seemed in top shape, as if he hadn’t skipped a single session. His boxing, based primarily on timing, millimetric dodges, and masterful distance control, sometimes recalls the Caribbean school made famous worldwide by Cuban and Puerto Rican boxers and allowed him to build an enviable amateur trophy cabinet, including two triumphs at the Italian National Championships.
Despite preparation hampered by bronchitis, Magrì entered his third professional fight with great competitive spirit. His opponent Mizsei, who came to Faggiano with an impressive 76 fights under his belt, has long embraced the role of a “journeyman,” but with extensive experience on rings across Europe, he is not easy to knock down. The Hungarian knows all the tricks of the trade: he constantly moves on his feet, curls up defensively when attacked, and astutely clinches at the right moments to interrupt his opponent’s action. Thus, in the first two rounds, most of Magrì’s violent and dangerous blows were partially absorbed by Mizsei’s arms, although the Hungarian couldn’t help but show some grimaces of pain, testament to the dynamite hidden in the Italian prospect’s gloves.
In the third round, a crucial event directed the fight towards its conclusion three rounds later. After taking a right to the temple, Mizsei turned to the referee, unjustifiably complaining of being hit on the back of the head and dropping his guard without any stoppage being called. Magrì promptly took advantage, landing a left hook that sent the Hungarian to the canvas. In the tough continuation of the round, Mizsei went down two more times, one of which was not recognized by the referee, and returned to his corner with the clear expression of someone who would rather be elsewhere, while the local crowd loudly chanted the unique nickname of their home idol with the chorus “Pallina! Pallina!”.
The knockdowns freed Magrì from tension, allowing him to box more naturally: from the fourth round, the carefree style that had made him famous nationwide as an amateur resurfaced, with body movements, feints, and quick punches alternating with powerful ones. Mizsei tried bravely to resist, but at the end of the fifth round, he appeared truly exhausted, an impression confirmed by what happened in the subsequent and final round. Hit on the head by a quick combination from Magrì, the Hungarian lost his footing and knelt, then took an uppercut that the Italian, in the heat of the moment, threw without realizing his opponent was already on the canvas. The referee decided at that point that the punishment was becoming excessive and stopped the fight, declaring a technical KO.
After the customary photos and receiving congratulations from staff, family, and friends, Magrì kindly stopped to answer some of our questions.
A preparation hindered by bronchitis, yet it wasn’t evident in the ring: how did you manage this annoying setback?
Unfortunately, it hit me just three days ago, and I treated it with antibiotics and Tylenol, but despite this, I still delivered a decent performance. I can do even better, and I’m convinced I will grow further in the future.
Beating such an experienced boxer inside the distance is never easy. What strategy allowed you to penetrate his tight guard?
I tried to surprise him in the few instances when he was exposed: as soon as I saw an opening, I pushed to put him in trouble, and in the sixth round, I succeeded.
How much does it help in your preparation to have two other professional boxers like Giovanni “Nino” Rossetti and Andrea Ottomano with you in the gym?
A lot, because they are strong boxers, so by sparring together, I help them, and they help me.
One last curiosity: how did your nickname “Pallina” originate? Quite unusual for a boxer…
This nickname was given to me by my pediatrician when I was little: he said my head looked like a little ball, so he nicknamed me “Pallina”. Since then, everyone has called me that.
After saying goodbye to Francesco, who headed to the locker room after greeting all the Boxe Punch readers, we left Faggiano with the conviction that we will talk about this rebellious-spirited and exciting boxer again, perhaps when he gets his first chance to fight for a title.