This is a crucial moment for Italian boxing. At the dawn of a new Olympic cycle and new federal elections, after years of drifting aimlessly, many—too many—are expecting great things. Or rather, they are hoping for them. It won’t be easy; we can’t believe that a real, radical change can happen overnight. Time will undoubtedly be the key word to keep in mind. Time is needed, first and foremost, to accept the new and to break down all those old convictions that have ruined the noble art in Italy. Yes, it will take time, although perhaps boxing fans and those involved in our beloved sport have already waited too long and are eager to see it shine again.
The golden era of Italian boxing—the years of great champions, of those towering personalities who stirred the emotions of the people, who brought success, life lessons, courage, and humility, who set the stands on fire with their battles and glued thousands to their screens—is, unfortunately, far behind us. At this point, we have to ask ourselves why. In some ways, it feels like we’ve regressed; we’ve lost appeal, lost some values, lost our direction.
These days, even Italian news broadcasts and newspapers rarely talk about boxing, its victories, or its inspiring stories. Many major outlets are only drawn to the sport when there’s something that tarnishes its credibility. A prime example is the recent coverage following the death of a young Irish boxer. It didn’t happen in Italy, but everyone talked about it—and, of course, negatively. No one mentioned that, statistically, such incidents are incredibly rare, or that while tragic, they are an unfortunate part of a sport where accidents can happen—just as they do in many other sports, some of which have a far higher fatality rate (see mountaineering and skiing, which top the list, for instance). Yet, those sports are never portrayed in the same negative light.
Another hot topic that the media and the internet feasted on this past summer was the controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif at the Olympics. Not so much because of the Italian team’s failure in Paris, but because of the spectacle made at Khelif’s expense. It was a subject that got everyone talking about “boxing”—even those who had never cared about it before. A delicate issue, poorly handled. An issue that certainly deserved a deeper, more thoughtful approach instead of the superficial and, I dare say, ignorant way it was discussed. That same ignorance resurfaced recently, once again used as clickbait: “Khelif excluded from the World Championships”… once again by the IBA. What a surprise! Those who are truly involved in this sport should be well aware of the IBA’s questionable past and its political entanglements, and should know to take everything with a grain of salt. (But that’s another discussion.)
What’s needed now is a step back before taking the necessary leap forward to reverse course and aim for a full revival of boxing in Italy. The system is complex because when a machine breaks down, the problem is rarely just one faulty part—sometimes, the entire mechanism is compromised, as is the case here. Boxers and their passion alone are not enough. Coaches and their dedication alone are not enough. Support is needed—protection, fairness, backing, new regulations, and a federation unafraid to fight against outdated practices. New resources are needed, as well as rewarding healthy competition and focusing on promotion. A new mindset is required. A new structure. Because it’s simply not true that Italy is no longer producing talented fighters, as nostalgic critics often claim!
Times have certainly changed, boxing itself has changed, with more emphasis on safety at the expense of spectacle in the ring (and rightly so). Young fighters have changed—some are less willing to make sacrifices, others prefer to put on an act before they’ve even achieved anything noteworthy. They love to show off and talk too much (see the senseless “social media battles”) rather than proving their worth in the ring. Given the times we live in, it’s easy—though foolish—to believe that this is the fastest way to gain “success,” “popularity,” and “recognition.” But reality eventually catches up. Fortunately, there are still exceptions.
There are still young athletes out there who, if guided properly, could achieve great success. And these rare talents must be allowed to develop in the right way, under the right conditions, so they can once again thrill boxing fans. Italy needs new champions—real ones, not just paper tigers—who can restore credibility to the entire movement.