In the main event of last night’s card promoted in Rome by Spagnoli Sabbatini Production, Giacomo “Jack” Micheli earned a well-deserved unanimous decision over a determined Alessandro Fersula to retain his Italian super lightweight title. The official scorecards all favored the champion: 99-91, 97-94 and 96-92. It was the first defense of the title Micheli won in March with a spectacular technical knockout over Edoardo D’Addazio.
The opening stages of the fight suggested that the reigning champion would face a very different tactical challenge from the one that had earned him the Italian belt three months earlier. Using his height and long reach, Fersula moved constantly throughout the opening three minutes, giving Micheli no fixed target and forcing him into the role of aggressor.
Jack accepted the challenge immediately and began cutting off the ring in an effort to trap his elusive opponent. His task became considerably easier from the second round onward, however, as Fersula—perhaps driven by pride or a desire to entertain the crowd—suddenly abandoned his strengths and chose to exchange punches at close range.
Micheli capitalized without hesitation, dominating the action over the next three rounds. In close quarters, his superior agility, outstanding punch output and wide variety of offensive combinations enabled him to inflict significant damage on his opponent. By the end of the fourth round, Fersula already looked fatigued, breathing through his mouth and seemingly close to breaking point.
Surprisingly, however, Fersula managed to work his way back into the fight by abandoning a style that did not suit his attributes and returning to the role of the elusive boxer. Having spent so much energy chasing a knockout and now being forced to pursue a constantly moving target, Micheli became less overwhelming, although he did land a beautiful right hand during a close-range exchange in the sixth round.
The second half of the contest proved more competitive than the first. Micheli remained in control of the initiative but gradually became less effective, giving his opponent renewed confidence. Fersula particularly impressed in the closing seconds of the eighth round, when he suddenly trapped Micheli against the ropes and unleashed several eye-catching combinations.
Micheli fired his best shots again only in the early part of the tenth and final round, stunning the challenger momentarily with a sharp combination in the center of the ring before pressing forward with great determination. Fersula responded bravely and refused to be overwhelmed, but the fatigue of both fighters affected the closing moments of the bout.
Micheli’s victory was beyond dispute, although in my opinion Antonio Ciafrone’s 99-91 scorecard was wider than what unfolded in the ring. Marco Marzuoli’s 97-94 and Giuseppe Russo’s 96-92 cards appeared more reasonable.
The champion can certainly take valuable lessons from this fight, which highlighted many of his strengths while also giving his team useful indications about the areas that still require improvement. For example, Jack would benefit from managing his energy more efficiently to avoid losing sharpness and effectiveness as the rounds progress. He may also have lacked a bit of killer instinct, as there were moments when the opportunity to land the decisive blow seemed within reach. That said, Fersula deserves credit for his excellent durability, having never previously been stopped inside the distance.
In any case, Micheli continues to establish himself as a prospect worth following very closely, especially considering his young age and the considerable room for improvement he still possesses.
Finally, a round of applause also goes to the courageous challenger Alessandro Fersula, who endured some extremely difficult moments without ever giving up and completed all ten scheduled rounds, leaving the ring with his head held high. Perhaps Alessandro would have performed even better had he kept his adrenaline under control and adopted a more conservative strategy during the first half of the fight, but after all, a boxer’s fighting spirit is not so easily restrained.