Boxing runs through the veins of Italian featherweight contender Francesco Grandelli.
It is all the 31-year-old does, morning, noon, and night, and he is on the eve of another attempt at the European featherweight title.
Although he looked up to Roma and Italy icon Francesco Totti – an all-time great Italian soccer star – Grandelli found his calling in boxing.
Today, he runs a city council-owned gym and that is where he trains. So Grandelli takes boxing courses, and helps coach others.
In 2010, his father was looking for a space where he could train Francesco and the council gave him what was the school gym. As the years went by, boxing became more and more popular there and now it’s a full-time boxing gym, open to pros, amateurs and those who want to hit the bags.
Grandelli knows the power of boxing. He understands that it provides structure, discipline and respect.
“The purpose of the gym is about this,” he said. “Because it’s in a popular [lively] neighbourhood and the younger boys from there have an economical problem, [they] don’t pay, and the purpose of the gym is taking [kids] off the streets and teaching them how to train, how to eat and yes, it’s a social purpose – the gym.”
Grandelli said he was hyperactive as a kid and not from the best neighborhood, either. Boxing has not only equipped him with direction and discipline, but it has given him the job in the gym looking out to others.
“I did the stupid things that all the boys did, like stealing, but having started [boxing] as a boy, I immediately understood that those two things could not go together,” Grandelli said. “Going out to drink with friends… and in the meantime, training or being an athlete. So then, I immediately abandoned that path and I dedicated myself 100 per cent to this sport. No major things, maybe I did some stupid things when I was young, but nothing major, but I always found out with boxing that you cannot hang out and drink and train, so I got almost right away some discipline to train in boxing and stay healthy, living a good lifestyle, a healthy lifestyle.”
On Saturday, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, he takes on the 17-1 Liam Davies for the European title.
Grandelli is 21-4-2 (6 KOs) and he fights out of Cambiano, Piemonte.
He’s seen a couple of Davies’ fights, and understands he will have his hands full.
“They say when you arrive at a certain level all the boxers are good and Liam Davies in this particular case is a very solid opponent.”
Is he concerned about getting a fair shake in Manchester?
“No, I’m going there to perform well, have fun and I’m going there to win. The important thing is to get out of the ring knowing that you gave the maximum you could. I will go there, give the maximum I can and after that we’ll see what happens. I’m not worrying too much about the scorecards or the judging.”
Two of Grandelli’s former opponents, Cristobal Lorente and Nathaniel Collins, box in an April rematch after their draw in October.
“The first fight was a war and I expect the same in the second fight. I fought both of them and he personally found more problems with Llorente and I think Llorente can win the rematch.”
He remains, of course, open to a rematch with either of them.
Grandelli is 31, and while he has no intention to retire yet, he knows boxing will remain the path for him.
“I would like to continue in this area. I have dedicated my life to this. Even now I train, I get up at 7am, I go to the gym and then I leave at 10pm every day. Without this sport I would have to reinvent myself,” he said. “[In the] future I will get up at 7 in the morning and go home at 10 in the evening and most probably will stay in the gym, like an instructor, because I dedicate all my life to boxing in different capacities.”
