A commanding performance, full of character and explosive personality, allowed our “Gladiator” Guido Vianello to bounce back in style at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, on the undercard of the Matchroom Boxing event promoted by Eddie Hearn. The Italian heavyweight demolished the unbeaten Canadian Alexis Barriere in five rounds: a knockout that can give him great confidence for the future.
The legendary Francesco Damiani, who knows Vianello very well having coached him during his time with the Italian National Team, had seen it coming. During the interview we did with him a week ago, on his birthday, he said: “Guido is 31, at the peak of his physical maturity, and I think he can still give us some great surprises.”
The first surprise — at least in relation to the bookmakers’ odds, which were decisively proven wrong — has already arrived. On a night that, on paper, seemed full of pitfalls, and which in the ring also presented a few riddles to solve, Vianello managed to find the key to impose himself in devastating fashion.
Guido made his intentions clear right from the first bell. With a clear advantage in professional experience, the Gladiator immediately pressed the action to intimidate his rival and make him feel the weight of his punches, then managed the remainder of the opening round more calmly, closing it with a good right hand just before the bell.
The southpaw Barriere, initially quite cautious, got into the fight during the second half of round two, showing more initiative and starting to throw his left hand with greater frequency.
Realizing that his opponent was reading and timing his right hand, especially in close exchanges, Vianello tried to rely more on his jab in the third round. The Canadian boxer, however, handled himself well in the exchanges, showing excellent hand speed and taking the round.
That’s when the personality of our flag-bearer shone through. Unable to gain an advantage with a hit-and-move style and fully aware that he was the “away” fighter — since Barriere is under contract with Matchroom — Guido brought out his claws.
A straight right, immediately followed by a left hook to the temple, marked the first turning point of the fight during the fourth round. The Canadian backed up in a hurry to the ropes before taking a knee under a barrage of punches.
Literally saved by the bell while he appeared in huge trouble, Barriere tried to recover during the minute’s rest, but Vianello attacked him with ferocious determination at the start of the fifth round and sent him to the canvas for the final count with a violent right to the head.
Celebration then erupted in the Gladiator’s corner, where alongside the skilled coach Simone D’Alessandro stood the Technical Director of the Italian National Boxing Team, former world champion Giovanni De Carolis.
After the disappointment of his previous setback against Richard Torrez Jr, Italian fans who follow Guido Vianello’s U.S. career with excitement can finally smile again. My feeling is that his last defeat helped forge his character, because this time he looked “mean”, composed, and absolutely confident in his abilities.