Italy has over the years produced many great fighters and of their greatest, Sandro Mazzinghi, passed away on August 22 at the age of 81.
Mazzinghi turned pro in 1961 after a good amateur career and won the world super welterweight title for the first time two years later by beating Ralph Dupas and retained it by beating Dupas in a rematch and also beat the likes of Gaspar Ortega and Tony Montano.
In 1965 Mazzinghi lost twice to fellow Italian great Nino Benvenuti in two megafights. According to Sandro the first came too soon after he had been injured in a car crash where his wife and kid had been killed and he didn't get enough time to prepare.
In the second fight there is a knockdown early in the fight that made the difference although Mazzinghi always claimed it was a slip.
A third fight never materialized and the two didn't speak until a reunion 40 years later.
Mazzinghi continued his career and won the EBU super welterweight title and in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1966 he stopped Bosse Hogberg in the 14th round in what is widely recognized as the toughest fight ever on Swedish soil.
In 1968 Mazzinghi finally regained the world title by beating Ki Soo Kim in front of 60,000 spectators in Milan but lost the title, sort of, in a defence against Freddy Little in Rome. The fight was in strangely declared a No Contest but Mazzinghi, drained my making weight, was trailing on points at the time and was badly cut after a clash of heads and eventually the Italian Federation stripped Sandro of the title.
Mazzinghi retired in 1970 but returned in 1977 and went 3-0 in a brief comeback. He retired again and did well in retirement. Today his website, sandromazzinghi.com is a celebration of the former champ but a few years back he was actively involved commenting on today's boxing scene.
