Milan, Italy - Daniele "King Torreto" Scardina, a 29-year old power-puncher from Rozzano, Lombardia, showed once again why he is being tipped as the future of Italian boxing.
Fighting in front of the partisan crowd, the WBO/IBF #13 rated super middleweight acquired a vacant WBO I/C 168lb title by beating German Juergen Doberstein into submission after four rounds.
Scardina vs. Doberstein was the main event of the evening, promoted by Christian Cherchi of the OPI in association with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.
Scardina was aggressive and sharp at the same time. He used a short left hook to freeze the Kazakhstan-born German on his way in, then roughed him down - usually at the ropes - with strong right hands. Doberstein tried to counter with a sneaky jab but he couldn't match Daniele's power. Scardina's aggression increased with each fought round, and so did Doberstein's level of fatigue and his will to continue battling.
Round three was solid for the Italian fighter, who was competing mostly overseas at the earlier stage of his career. Doberstein tried to make one last stand in the fourth but was outgunned and beaten soundly. As he returned to his corner, he told his cornermen in Russian that he just didn't have it in him anymore, and that it was too dangerous for him to continue.
With this win, Scardina moves up to 20-0, 16 KOs, and will certainly be elevated in the ranks. Doberstein, 32, being stopped just for the second time in his career, is now 26-5-1, 7 KOs.
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Coming into the familiar place for the fourth consecutive time, the Belgian Italian lightweight Francesco Patera, a former two-time European 135lb titlist, scored one of his finest wins by stopping determined local veteran Devis Bosciero in three rounds.
Boschiero, 40, is a smaller and older fighter, whose best days were left far behind at the super featherweight limit. Boschiero had already been a veteran when he was outpointed by then-WBC super featherweight beltholder Takahiro Ao ten years ago. And the local Italian, despite being active, has never put that loss behind him.
It looked different in the first though, as a stockier fighter applied smart and solid pressure to keep Patera on the defensive. Boschiero didn't experience any problems with his four-inch disadvantage. He used smart guard to avoid serious punches and fired multiple combinations, some of those landing clean at the 28-year old Belgium resident.
In the second round, Boschiero paid a much more painful price. By using his jab consistently and by finding angles, Patera was able to make Boschiero's nose bleed and then produced a very annoying cut over the veteran's right eye. Boschiero fought valiantly but the damage had already been done, and his face was rapidly turning into a bloody mess.
In the third, Patera's jabs found their mark on Boschiero's face as well. Midst into the third, the cut became truly horrendous, and the ringside physician had no choice but to halt the contest at 1:32 of the round. Pater is now 25-3, 9 KOs. Boschiero, short of his milestone win, is now 49-7-2, with 22 KOs. WBC #13 Patera, meanwhile, is now the WBO I/C beltholder.
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Italian welterweight champion Nicholas Esposito (15-0, 5 KOs) made the first successful defense of his title by defeating former national champion Emanuele Cavallucci over ten spirited rounds with a unanimous decision.
Cavallucci, 32, couldn't find not his rhythm or distance but rather his approach to the fight. He was uncomfortable while pressurizing the younger opponent but he was trapped into aggression against a technically sound counterpuncher. Esposito, 27, set traps and lured the challenger into them. Cavallucci had some mild success by landing solid power punches in the middle rounds but was otherwise ineffective. His best punches were deflected or slipped.
Esposito, while boxing on his back foot, landed overhand rights in succession whenever he was able to and peppered Cavallucci with his jab. He ate some leather but was at no time in danger of being seriously rocked. The defending beltholder was also able to increase finesse of his counters by the last two or three rounds and even dazed the challenger. Final scores were announced as 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94 - for Nicholas Esposito. Cavallucci drops down to 12-5-1, 4 KOs.
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A scheduled eight-rounder between the Italy-based Nigerian Samuel Nmomah and the Irish import Craig O'Brien was turning into a thrilling encounter with even chances for both fighters, when Nmomah suddenly exploded and stopped his opponent at 0:42 of the fourth round.
O'Brien, 31, was looking to establish himself as an unlikely favorite in the first three rounds. He was fast and resilient, using his right hand to tag the muscular Nigerian. Rounds one and two were virtually even but it looked like the Irishman was about to impose his will on Nmomah. O'Brien's advantage was even more pronounced in the third, as Nmomah was beaten to the punch by the road fighter.
It all changed after thirty seconds of the fourth. Nmomah landed a clear-cut right hand to buckle the Irishman. He was dazed again and pinned to the ropes by a huge overhand left. The Nigerian sensed the opportunity and began to pour it on. It was then when a towel had been thrown, and the fight was immediately stopped to a major disappointment of O'Brien, who was wobbled but still fought back. There may have been some overprotection by the corner in this particular case.