In the co-main event of the evening, organized by Opi Since 82 under Alessandro Cherchi in collaboration with Leone 1947, and set against the stunning backdrop of Piazza Santa Croce in Florence, Francesco Grandelli and Simone Rao faced off yesterday for the vacant WBO Intercontinental featherweight title. Francesco Grandelli came out on top by split decision with the following scorecards: 96–92, 94–95, and 96–92. A verdict that sparked some debate—as is to be expected in such a high-intensity bout with many closely contested rounds.
Grandelli, from Turin in the Piedmont region, entered the fight with a record of 19-4-2 (5 KOs). He is well remembered for his strong performance against the unbeaten British fighter Nathaniel Collins, now the WBC Silver featherweight champion. In that bout, the Italian showed great heart, solid stamina, and sound technique. Although he lost by unanimous decision, his showing against a high-level opponent earned widespread praise and boosted his visibility.
Simone Rao, 25 years old and undefeated coming into the fight, is a native and resident of Florence. He stepped into the ring with a record of 11-0-0 (1 KO). Five years younger than Grandelli and with less than half as many professional fights, Rao may have been facing, for the first time, a significantly more experienced and accomplished opponent. In his previous outing, he stopped Dusan Janjic via technical knockout. However, his most important win came against Vittorio Parrinello, when he captured the Italian featherweight title by split decision.
The fight began with Grandelli moving sharply around the ring, while Rao appeared more planted, well-balanced, and ready to strike. The two wasted no time exchanging power shots on the inside in an intense and prolonged exchange. After a brief feeling-out phase midway through the round, Rao lunged forward with a short leap and landed a left hook—a move reminiscent of the famous “gazelle punch” made popular by several world-class boxers, including Gervonta Davis. Grandelli briefly touched the canvas but quickly beat the count. Rao rushed in to press the action but got overzealous, becoming less accurate and allowing Francesco to recover.
Grandelli turned more aggressive, while Rao began to wait more and counter. In the second round, Grandelli returned the favor. With a combination—a left hook to the body followed by a right-left to the head—he dropped Rao, although it looked more like a slip that caused him to lose his balance. Grandelli seized the moment and applied suffocating pressure, but Rao stayed calm and didn’t appear to be hurt by the shots.
Grandelli repeatedly found success with his left hook, but Rao was quick to respond, matching him punch for punch. It was a frantic, high-paced battle, with both fighters standing their ground without ever backing off. Simone Rao was a real surprise—remarkably composed and solid, despite his limited number of professional bouts. He showcased an effective jab, although he could have used it more frequently. Grandelli, on the other hand, moved constantly, tirelessly shifting angles and maintaining a high work rate—an element that, in the opinion of this writer, proved crucial in the final outcome.
The fight remained evenly balanced throughout. In the fourth round, Grandelli landed a clean overhand right, only for Rao to answer with one of his own. Grandelli continued to find openings with his hooks, but Rao responded once again with another leaping left hook, echoing the knockdown he had scored earlier.
Both fighters alternated skillfully between body and head shots in a relentless series of high-intensity rounds. The pace was dizzying, and it never slowed down from start to finish.
At the start of the seventh round, the broadcast focused on the fighters’ bruised and battered faces. A nasty cut had opened under Grandelli’s right eyebrow. Unfazed by the damage, the two kept trading furiously, drawing well-deserved applause from the crowd for their courage and determination.
In round eight, Grandelli began to show some signs of fatigue and looked a bit less accurate and effective, at least in the early exchanges. Rao took advantage by landing a beautifully timed right uppercut. But by the end of the round, Grandelli launched a final push and regained momentum.
Francesco appeared to recover again and came out charging in the ninth, using his greater experience to handle the close-range exchanges. Still, Rao landed another solid right uppercut that seemed to shift the momentum once more. The non-stop trading made it nearly impossible to hold onto any clear round-by-round assessment.
A clean left hook from Grandelli opened the tenth and final round, but Rao took it well and came back with more, setting the stage for yet another wild and difficult-to-score round—made even trickier by fatigue and declining precision from both men.
At the final bell, both fighters received a warm ovation from the crowd—well deserved after such an excellent contest, which may well warrant a rematch. There was no decisive, fight-ending punch, but neither man is known for heavy power despite their technical quality.
In this writer’s view, the decision was fair. Still, the margin on two of the judges’ scorecards might be misleading: Simone Rao fought on even terms throughout, showing impressive poise and maturity, responding shot for shot and displaying a solid, well-structured boxing style. Perhaps what he lacked was just a bit more experience and output—qualities that Grandelli brought to the ring, along with polished skills and a high-level approach.
A sincere round of applause to both athletes—for their sportsmanship and the spectacle they delivered. We now await the next chapters in their respective careers.