Francesco Damiani

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Francesco Damiani bigraphy, stories - Boxer

Francesco Damiani : biography

October 4, 1958 –

Francesco Damiani (born October 4, 1958 in Bagnacavallo) is an Italian former boxer who won the silver medal at the 1982 World Championships and at the 1984 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he was the first WBO heavyweight champion.

Professional

Damiani began his pro career on a tear, with 27 consecutive victories over limited opposition. He defeated Tyrell Biggs in a rematch of their Olympic meeting, stopping him on a cut, and then won the newly created WBO Heavyweight title with a 3rd round KO victory over Johnny DuPlooy on May 6, 1989. Damiani hit a brick wall when he took on 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist Ray Mercer in 1991 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Damiani was ahead on points but went down after a Mercer left uppercut broke his nose, and he was counted out by the referee in the 9th round.

Damiani would come back in 1992 to take a decision over former champion Greg Page, but was KO’d in the following bout in 1993 by Oliver McCall, ending his career.

Amateur

He participated at 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, where he lost to the eventual silver medalist Piotr Zaev in the quarter-finals. The following year he won the European Amateur Championships in Tampere. At the 1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Munich, he beat the legendary Teofilo Stevenson but lost to Tyrell Biggs in the final. In 1983 in Varna he became European champion for the second time, beating Ulli Kaden. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles he again lost to Biggs in the final, despite Biggs’ home crowd booing at the judges decision who believed Damiani won the contest (since he threw more punches and was moving forward for most of the contest) which led to the leading BBC Boxing commentator Harry Carpenter, who was commentating for the BBC sport Olympic coverage, to say that "..it the worst boxing decision in all my years of boxing commentating". Francesco Damiani was the Italian boxing team coach for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games held in London,United Kingdom.

Olympic results

1980

  • Defeated Teodor Pîrjol (Romania) 4-1
  • Lost to Piotr Zaev (Soviet Union) 0-5

1984

  • 1st round bye
  • Defeated Willie Isangura (Tanzania) RSC 2
  • Defeated Robert Wells (Great Britain) RSC 3
  • Lost to Tyrell Biggs (United States) 1-4

Professional boxing record

|- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|30 Wins (24 knockouts, 6 decisions), 2 Losses (2 knockouts, 0 decisions) |- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Result | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Round | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes |- align=center |Loss | |align=left| Oliver "Atomic Bull" McCall |TKO |8 |23/04/1993 |align=left| Memphis, Tennessee, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Greg Page |UD |10 |12/09/1992 |align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Michael Greer |KO |1 |22/04/1992 |align=left| East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Frankie "The Tennessee Stud" Swindell |PTS |8 |07/03/1992 |align=left| Fano, Marche, Italy |align=left| |- |Loss | |align=left| "Merciless" Ray Mercer |KO |9 |11/01/1991 |align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Everett "Bigfoot" Martin |KO |2 |20/10/1990 |align=left| Cesena, Emilia Romagna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Tony "Kid" Morrison |KO |3 |02/06/1990 |align=left| Pavia, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Daniel Eduardo Neto |TKO |2 |16/12/1989 |align=left| Cesena, Emilia Romagna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Johnny du Plooy |KO |3 |06/05/1989 |align=left| Syracuse, Sicily, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Manfred Jassmann |KO |3 |17/12/1988 |align=left| Sassari, Sardegna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Tyrell Biggs |TKO |5 |29/10/1988 |align=left| Milan, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| John Emmen |TKO |3 |22/04/1988 |align=left| Milan, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Dorcey Gaymon |KO |4 |22/01/1988 |align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Anders Eklund |KO |6 |09/10/1987 |align=left| Aosta, Valle d’Aosta, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Eddie Richardson |PTS |10 |11/07/1987 |align=left| Corsico, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| James "Broad Axe" Broad |UD |10 |11/04/1987 |align=left| Bologna, Emilia Romagna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Eddie Gregg |TKO |1 |14/02/1987 |align=left| Lucca, Toscana, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Rodney "King" Smith |TKO |2 |19/12/1986 |align=left| Ancona, Marche, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Kevin P Porter |TKO |5 |14/11/1986 |align=left| San Giuseppe Vesuviano, Campania, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Rocky Sekorski |PTS |10 |19/09/1986 |align=left| Lerici, Liguria, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Donnie "Master of Disaster" Long |KO |2 |04/07/1986 |align=left| Porlezza, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Danny "Smiley" Sutton |TKO |7 |30/05/1986 |align=left| Abano Terme, Veneto, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| "Smokin" Mike Perkins |TKO |5 |02/04/1986 |align=left| Totowa, New Jersey, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Tom Trimm |KO |2 |14/02/1986 |align=left| Milan, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Bobby Crabtree |TKO |6 |31/01/1986 |align=left| Abbiategrasso, Lombardia, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Felipe "Pantera de Arosa III" Rodriguez |TKO |5 |28/09/1985 |align=left| Sassari, Sardegna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Rick "King Kong" Kellar |TKO |1 |13/07/1985 |align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Walter Santemore |PTS |6 |29/06/1985 |align=left| Bellaria, Emilia Romagna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Larry Roberson |TKO |1 |17/05/1985 |align=left| Stateline, Nevada, United States |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Dragomir Milo Popovic |TKO |6 |20/04/1985 |align=left| Ceriale, Liguria, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| George Butzbach |TKO |2 |08/03/1985 |align=left| Modena, Emilia Romagna, Italy |align=left| |- |Win | |align=left| Allou Gobe |TKO |3 |05/01/1985 |align=left| Perugia, Umbria, Italy |align=left| |}