It was the most classic of comeback victories that last night allowed Vincenzo La Femina to get the better of a brave Simone Rao and take home the WBC International Silver featherweight title. In the main event of the show organized by OPI Since 82 in Nocera Inferiore, the hometown favorite won by knockout in the eighth round, getting his career back on track after the setbacks of recent years and proving he can still play a leading role in professional boxing.
The illusion of a tactical fight, fought with finesse, lasted barely two minutes. Then the feeling-out phase—where La Femina advanced step by step while Rao circled him, measuring distance with his jab—came to an end. The two fighters then put on their war helmets.
In the early stages of the fight, it was Simone Rao who benefited from the open exchanges. Fighting as an outfighter, using his left jab masterfully and launching perfectly timed counterpunches whenever his opponent stepped into range, he clearly had the upper hand.
For three rounds, La Femina was “firing blanks”: his punches were mostly blocked by his opponent’s guard, and his somewhat overconfident defense was regularly pierced. In the second round, the Campanian fighter even seemed to wobble briefly after taking a heavy left hook.
However, despite the early difficulties, La Femina never stopped pressing forward relentlessly, aware that his suffocating pressure would eventually sap his opponent’s sharpness and clarity—and that is exactly what happened.
The turning point began to take shape in the fourth round, which was much more balanced than the previous ones. Rao appeared to lose some of his reactivity and precision, also thanks to the head movement and feints of his opponent, who was clever in correcting the overly square stance he had shown at the start of the fight.
As the Tuscan fighter’s speed of execution dropped further, La Femina seized the opportunity to take over, producing punishing fifth and sixth rounds and completely shifting the psychological momentum of the fight.
The steady breakdown work carried out by the 31-year-old from Scafati made Rao’s legs increasingly heavy. On more than one occasion, he even went down after close-range exchanges without being hit cleanly—a clear sign that his balance was no longer optimal.
Rao’s reaction at the end of the seventh round was moving. Aware that he no longer had the energy to keep circling along the ropes, he stood his ground at center ring and traded furiously, creating—together with his opponent—a stretch of pure fighting spirit that thrilled the crowd at the Palacoscioni.
However, it was the classic “swan song.” At the start of the eighth round, as Rao tried to re-engage at close range, he was caught by a precise left hook to the tip of the chin that sent him crashing to the canvas.
La Femina pounced on him immediately after the count, and shortly thereafter closed the show by knockout, as Rao—after going down for the second time—shook his head and made no attempt to get back up. The Tuscan fighter had clearly realized he no longer had the strength to withstand his opponent’s assaults.
A highly commendable victory for the hometown fighter, especially because it was achieved by overturning a fight that had started badly. La Femina showed his usual indomitable spirit, but was also smart enough to make small tactical adjustments that, as the rounds went by, made his offense more effective and less predictable, allowing him to take control.
Rao will return home disappointed by the result, but in our view he should still be proud of having shown flashes of great boxing. His performance in the first three rounds was exceptional, and if nature had gifted him with a bit more punching power—enough to discourage his opponent and make him less aggressive in his relentless pressure—the outcome might have been different.
However, as the saying goes, “ifs and buts don’t make history.” Vincenzo La Femina fully deserved this title, and we are confident that OPI Since 82 will soon provide him with another prestigious opportunity on the international stage.