Night of boxe

It was mid-July 2009, on the 16th to be specific.

I don’t know how but Emiliano Pisani succeeded in getting in loan the place of The Canottieri located under the Uffizi Gallery, in addition to Florence City Hall’s contribution, to organise a boxers meeting on behalf of Boxe Robur Scandicci for free.

The spectators could count on more than 100 seats and could enjoy the show in a marvelous environment along the Arno River.

 The evening programmed boxing matchs between athletes of Florentine boxing clubs : (Academia Pugilistica Fiorentina, Boxe Robur Scandicci ) opposed to representatives of Croatia.

We had already, in other times, faced athletes coming from ex-Yugoslavia, we had to deal with guys prepared both athetically and strictly pugilistic.

Anyway, we almost always had succeeded in saving our skin and bringing the victory at home.

The scheduled match that evening dealt with the 64 kg category, first series, between the Florentine veteran Dagliana (already Italian champion but I won’t dwell on it) and the titular of the national Croatian’s team Katalinich.

Both have already fighted a couple of times one win each, but that evening, in a unique and unrepeatable setting, the pride of the Florentine’s boxer ended up winning out clearly  over on the talent and the ability of the youngest Croatian.

If I remember correctly, the closing meeting of the evening was mine. In front of me, I had a kid of just 18 and already at the weight-in, seeing his young fresh-face, I thought that maybe they had mistaken the couples and that I should have faced a boy nearer to my almost 34 years old instead of this young boy who didn’t look like fighting against « older ones ».

After the first 30 minutes from the starting bell, I realised that my appreciation was as far facts on the ground.

This boy was fast, tecnhical, determined and he was 16 years younger than me.

Measured moves, flashing counterattacks. Moreover even if his strokes ended up in my guard, I realised that his punch was more than respectable.

I think that, despite my initial surprise, I managed at least to even the first round in which, anyway, I didn’t succeeded in being incisive and dangerous but I had the same worried young figther, letting him know that I wouldn’t have given him

At the corner in between the first and second round, my trainer said to me : « be careful that this little boy won’t take you down » certain to provoke in me a reaction of pride, pushing me to give something more.

I answered with pride that he’d never make it.

After one minute of the second round, started by both sides with more grit and after that the two of us have brought significant clean shots, followed by a jab on the top of the head (maybe I lowered too much and my opponent punished me) I ended up for a few seconds seeing « grey » from one eye and right after I felt my left leg tensing and consequently I found myself seated on the mat.

I stood up like a spring while the referee counted looking at me right in the eyes.

I knew perfectly what that thing meant : at the slightest sign of uncertainties from me, the match would be over with a verdict of « PRSCH » wich means technical KO.

 I couldn’t falter, I couldn’t give up.

Arrived at the number « Eigth » ! the referee motionned for me to step forward to verify my stability.

Thus as I walked forward, I told him : « Here I am » and I called him by his last name.

 This convinced the Tournament Director to let me carry on.

I always felt like a looser because I was abble to do my best only when things went bad.

The rest of the second round I was staking the attack but with caution, given the bad experience shortly before, on the contrary !

I started the third round with a deafining cheering from spectators who were shouting my name encouraging me.

I attacked for the all three minutes and I succeeded to put various options noteworthy for precision and intensity.

Nevertheless, this young boy and accomplished fighter, had to work hard to stop my attacks even though I couldn’t give him back the knock down of the previous round.

I ended the third round and consequently the match with an hug between the cheers and the applauses from the audience.

The verdict rewarded the Croatian warrior with some claims from the crowd but however he could stay.

I found out that this boxer was already in the national team despite his young age and had fight in Italy in previous months winning lots of matchs against boxers better than me.

The following day lots of friends who attended to the evening wrote and called me complimenting for the great match I had done.

The same referee (I met the evening after in a pugilistic meeting out of Florence) complimented with me saying he gave me a « chance » by non stopping the match as a result of the bad shot received because basically I deserved it.

You win and you loose but from this kind of defeat we can only get better.

Maurizio Parrini tradution de Marika