Biancamaria Tessari is the new EBU Silver lightweight champion. In the main event of the card promoted at the PalaDozza in Bologna by Mario Loreni’s Promo Boxe Italia, the Italian boxer defeated Serbia’s Jelena Janicijevic on points over ten rounds. The judges awarded Tessari a unanimous decision with scorecards of 96-94, 97-93, and 97-93.
The 41-year-old Janicijevic, a former European lightweight champion and challenger for the IBO super lightweight title, adopted a highly aggressive approach, but her relentless pressure in the opening round was brilliantly neutralized by Tessari.
Despite her lack of professional experience—having fought only four bouts compared to her opponent’s nine—our boxer was not affected by the pressure of her first title fight, displaying timing, accuracy, and confidence from the opening bell.
After repeatedly missing the target, Janicijevic was forced to slow her pace, although a left hook in the second round highlighted her punching power. It remained an isolated moment, however, as Tessari stayed firmly in control.
The third and especially the fourth round became scrappier affairs, with frequent clinches and numerous interruptions from the referee. The Serbian fighter managed to land a few effective blows during the exchanges, but from the fifth round onward Tessari resumed her constant movement and became an elusive target.
Working effectively from long range and relying on an excellent left jab, the Italian steadily increased her lead. Unable to find an answer to her opponent’s mobility, Janicijevic appeared frustrated and short of ideas, becoming ineffective even when Biancamaria chose to trade punches.
Only in the tenth round, when fatigue slightly dulled Tessari’s reflexes and sharpness, did the Serbian fighter manage to produce something positive, though never enough to put the outcome in doubt.
In my opinion, the 96-94 scorecard was a little too close. The other two cards, which gave Tessari a four-point advantage, were more representative of a victory that was beyond reasonable dispute.
It was therefore a very positive evening for Italian boxing, which continues to produce promising new talents with considerable potential—fighters who could make an impact on the international scene in the years ahead and bring us plenty of satisfaction.
Tessari is only 25 years old and already possesses important qualities, but she still has significant room for improvement.
For the next step in her development, it would be beneficial to make her footwork less frenetic. At the moment, her constant movement limits her ability to generate power and causes her to expend too much energy. Another area to work on is fighting at close range, as Biancamaria tends to rely on clinching a little too often when her opponents get inside.
These are minor issues that her team is certainly aware of, and there is little doubt that she will continue to improve in the near future. Meanwhile, the European lightweight title will be contested on July 11 in Sequals between Italy’s Arianna Tonello and Belgium’s Djemilla Gontaruk. If Arianna emerges victorious, perhaps we could eventually see an all-Italian showdown with the EBU belt on the line.