Francesco Damiani

Francesco Damiani
Statistics
Real name	Francesco Damiani
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1958-10-04) October 4, 1958 Bagnacavallo, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	32
Wins	30
Wins by KO	24
Losses	2
Draws	0

Medal record
Men’s Boxing
Competitor for Italy
Olympic Games
Silver	Los Angeles 1984	Super Heavyweight
World Amateur Championships
Silver	Munich 1982	Super Heavyweight
European Amateur Championships
Gold	Tampere 1981	Super Heavyweight
Gold	Varna 1983	Super Heavyweight

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.

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".

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

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.

Professional boxing record

30 Wins (24 knockouts, 6 decisions), 2 Losses (2 knockouts, 0 decisions) [1]
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	21-5	Oliver "Atomic Bull" McCall	TKO	8	23/04/1993	Memphis, Tennessee, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 1:09 of the eighth round.
Win	35-10	Greg Page	UD	10	12/09/1992	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	95-93, 95-93, 95-93.
Win	42-12-3	Michael Greer	KO	1	22/04/1992	East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States	Greer knocked out at 3:00 of the first round.
Win	22-6	Frankie "The Tennessee Stud" Swindell	PTS	8	07/03/1992	Fano, Marche, Italy
Loss	16-0	"Merciless" Ray Mercer	KO	9	11/01/1991	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	WBO World Heavyweight Title. Damiani knocked out at 2:47 of the ninth round.
Win	17-10-1	Everett "Bigfoot" Martin	KO	2	20/10/1990	Cesena, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Win	17-10-1	Tony "Kid" Morrison	KO	3	02/06/1990	Pavia, Lombardia, Italy
Win	19-0-1	Daniel Eduardo Neto	TKO	2	16/12/1989	Cesena, Emilia Romagna, Italy	WBO World Heavyweight Title.
Win	22-2-1	Johnny du Plooy	KO	3	06/05/1989	Syracuse, Sicily, Italy	WBO World Heavyweight Title.
Win	31-7-2	Manfred Jassmann	KO	3	17/12/1988	Sassari, Sardegna, Italy	EBU Heavyweight Title.
Win	15-1	Tyrell Biggs	TKO	5	29/10/1988	Milan, Lombardia, Italy	Referee stopped the bout at 1:06 of the fifth round.
Win	11-0	John Emmen	TKO	3	22/04/1988	Milan, Lombardia, Italy	EBU Heavyweight Title.
Win	12-7-1	Dorcey Gaymon	KO	4	22/01/1988	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	16-3-1	Anders Eklund	KO	6	09/10/1987	Aosta, Valle d'Aosta, Italy	EBU Heavyweight Title.
Win	12-7	Eddie Richardson	PTS	10	11/07/1987	Corsico, Lombardia, Italy
Win	20-3	James "Broad Axe" Broad	UD	10	11/04/1987	Bologna, Emilia Romagna, Italy	99-95, 99-95, 99-95.
Win	24-2-1	Eddie Gregg	TKO	1	14/02/1987	Lucca, Toscana, Italy	WBC International Heavyweight Title.
Win	8-5	Rodney "King" Smith	TKO	2	19/12/1986	Ancona, Marche, Italy
Win	13-1-1	Kevin P Porter	TKO	5	14/11/1986	San Giuseppe Vesuviano, Campania, Italy
Win	18-5	Rocky Sekorski	PTS	10	19/09/1986	Lerici, Liguria, Italy
Win	16-5	Donnie "Master of Disaster" Long	KO	2	04/07/1986	Porlezza, Lombardia, Italy
Win	24-10	Danny "Smiley" Sutton	TKO	7	30/05/1986	Abano Terme, Veneto, Italy
Win	16-11-2	"Smokin" Mike Perkins	TKO	5	02/04/1986	Totowa, New Jersey, United States
Win	22-8-1	Tom Trimm	KO	2	14/02/1986	Milan, Lombardia, Italy
Win	22-7-1	Bobby Crabtree	TKO	6	31/01/1986	Abbiategrasso, Lombardia, Italy
Win	25-7-5	Felipe "Pantera de Arosa III" Rodriguez	TKO	5	28/09/1985	Sassari, Sardegna, Italy
Win	14-11-1	Rick "King Kong" Kellar	TKO	1	13/07/1985	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Referee stopped the bout at 1:26 of the first round.
Win	20-17	Walter Santemore	PTS	6	29/06/1985	Bellaria, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Win	3-14-1	Larry Roberson	TKO	1	17/05/1985	Stateline, Nevada, United States
Win	15-10-2	Dragomir Milo Popovic	TKO	6	20/04/1985	Ceriale, Liguria, Italy
Win	16-8-3	George Butzbach	TKO	2	08/03/1985	Modena, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Win	0-1	Allou Gobe	TKO	3	05/01/1985	Perugia, Umbria, Italy

External links

• sports-reference
• Professional boxing record for Francesco Damiani from BoxRec

Preceded by N/A Inaugural champion

WBO World Heavyweight Championship 6 May 1989–11 January 1991

Succeeded by Ray Mercer