Patrizio Oliva was an excellent newbie, profitable gold on the Olympics in 1980. Later, as knowledgeable, he claimed the WBA junior welterweight title.
Considered one of seven kids, Oliva was born in Naples, Italy, on January 28, 1959. Boxing was part of his life from a younger age.
“Very troublesome. I come from poverty,” Oliva advised The Ring about his early years. “I began [boxing] at 8 years previous as a result of earlier than me, my brother Mario was a boxer and Italian champion and was a part of the nationwide workforce. He was alleged to take part within the 1972 Munich Olympics, however three days earlier than leaving for Munich, he was bitten by an insect, which gave him an an infection on his face and he might now not depart. He was the one who began me boxing. Once I first entered the fitness center, I instantly fell in love with boxing.”
Far past simply having fun with the game, nonetheless, Oliva’s want to succeed had deeply private roots.
“Although I used to be poor, I by no means fought within the ring for cash,” he stated. “I had an excellent ardour. I promised my brother Ciro, on his deathbed, once I was 12, that I’d turn out to be a champion and dedicate all my victories to him and convey the misplaced happiness again to my household, attributable to his loss of life. I fought within the ring for him.
“As a toddler, I stood in entrance of the mirror and would say, ‘Patrizio Oliva, Olympic and world champion.’”
“I walked 15 kilometers to go to the fitness center as a result of I didn’t have the funds for to purchase my bus ticket, and I did this for years. I’d get dwelling at 10 p.m.”
The dedication paid off, as Oliva went on to take pleasure in a extremely adorned newbie profession. He gained nationwide titles in 1976, ’77 and ’78 (he didn’t compete in ’79) earlier than representing his nation on the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
He stopped his first two opponents, then outpointed Ace Rusevski 3-2 on the quarterfinal stage and Tony Willis 5-0 within the semifinal. He then dominated Serik Konakbayev 4-1 within the remaining to assert the gold medal. Oliva’s performances had been so spectacular that he was awarded the celebrated Val Barker trophy for finest boxer on the Video games.
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“I noticed the dream I had each evening, profitable the Olympic gold and the skilled world title,” recalled Oliva, who went 93-3 within the newbie ranks. “As a toddler, I stood in entrance of the mirror and would say, ‘Patrizio Oliva, Olympic and world champion.’”
With nothing left to attain in newbie boxing, Oliva signed skilled contracts with promoter Elio Cotena and supervisor Rocco Agostino. He made his professional debut with a six-round unanimous resolution over the vastly extra skilled Nelson Gomes in October 1980 and was paid 2 million lire (round $2,300 on the time).
Oliva went on to win his first 25 fights after which bested Robert Gambini to turn out to be European champion in January 1983.
“It was an vital second,” he stated proudly. “Gambini was boxer, however I gained by 13 factors on the scorecards. (laughs) I additionally established myself within the European area.”
Over the subsequent three years, that’s precisely what he did, making eight profitable defenses of his EBU title.
Together with his report standing at 43-0, Oliva’s backers had been capable of safe a WBA 140-pound title shot at Argentina’s Ubaldo Sacco (47-3-1 on the time) in March 1986. The struggle befell in Monaco.
“It was a really powerful match, 15 hellish rounds,” stated Oliva, who edged the victory by cut up resolution. “Sacco at all times attacked. I fought a really powerful battle.
“[We had a] small occasion after the match. I used to be too drained. Then, in Naples, my fellow residents, about 2,000 individuals, celebrated me on my return from Monte Carlo.”
Oliva alongside soccer legend Diego Maradona. (Photograph courtesy Oliva)
Nonetheless, not everybody in Naples was proud of Oliva’s title success.
“[Argentine Napoli soccer player Diego] Maradona was rooting for Sacco, so when he misplaced, he was dissatisfied,” recalled Oliva. “He didn’t say something to me, however he advised his teammates that his compatriot had gained. However then we met in a restaurant in Naples and clarified. The Argentines are very nationalistic.”
Oliva stayed busy with two non-title fights earlier than making his maiden protection at dwelling in opposition to unbeaten Minnesota native Brian Brunette in September 1986.
“It was very good. Earlier than the match, the match was marketed; vehicles drove across the streets with my photograph and that of Brunette,” he stated. “Then, on the press convention, Brunette’s brothers stated that they had been afraid that I might die in that match, (laughs) as a result of their brother had gained all his matches by knockout. So, I stated, ‘In case your brother isn’t nearly as good along with his fists as you’re with phrases, I’ll punch him rather a lot and finish his profession.’”
Oliva’s phrases proved to be prophetic, as he stopped Brunette in three rounds and the American solely fought as soon as extra.
by way of Marc again to the longer term on YouTube:
Subsequent, the skillful Italian needed to intestine out a scrappy 15-round unanimous resolution over aggressive Mexican Rodolfo Gonzalez in Sicily in January 1987.
Nonetheless, the damage and tear of an extended newbie {and professional} profession had taken its toll on Oliva. In his subsequent struggle, he was surprisingly crushed in three rounds by then-unheralded Argentine fighter Juan Martin Coggi, who gained a measure of revenge for his compatriot, Sacco, preventing exterior of his dwelling nation for the primary time.
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“Coggi proved he’s a champion. After he beat me, he saved the title for a few years,” remarked Oliva. “I’ve to say that once I confronted Coggi, I had no extra motivation to field. I used to be mentally drained. I had accomplished 4 world title fights and two non-title fights in 18 months. So, once I received into the ring, my reflexes had been very low, and he stunned me with a really highly effective hook.”
Oliva stepped away from the ring and commenced working as a commentator for Italian TV. Nonetheless, after two years away, he discovered himself craving a return.
He got here again as a welterweight in July 1989, and after shedding the built-up ring rust, he bested the proficient Kirkland Laing (UD 12) to turn out to be European champion in a second weight class.
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Oliva made two defenses, taking Errol McDonald’s unbeaten report when the Brit was disqualified for harmful use of the pinnacle in Spherical 12, then outpointing skilled Frenchman Antoine Fernandez (UD 12).
At this level, Oliva had been set to face IBF titlist Maurice Blocker, however the project then unexpectedly shifted to WBC counterpart Buddy McGirt.
“Blocker, a 6-feet-2 tall boxer – so I do all of the preparation with tall sparring companions, however two weeks earlier than the match, they inform me that I’ll struggle the WBC champion, McGirt, 5-feet-6 tall, due to this fact fully totally different from Blocker,” Oliva revealed.
“Within the second spherical, I referred to as the referee, Arthur Mercante, again to inform him that McGirt was harmful along with his head, as a result of he had already hit me. Then, within the fourth spherical, he minimize my eyebrow with a headbutt. Then Mercante alerts to the judges that it was a punch and never a headbutt. (laughs) Anyway, the match was good and McGirt gained clearly.”
by way of Ironbar Boxing on YouTube:
This time, Oliva (57-2, 20 knockouts) determined to bow out for good.
“I used to be nonetheless European champion; I might nonetheless defend the title, however I understood that I now not had the eagerness for boxing, and so I finished.
“Once I retired from boxing, I used to be head coach of the Italian workforce on the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics.”
Oliva, together with Corridor of Famer Nino Benvenuti and three-time Olympian Roberto Cammarelle, on the Italian premiere of the film Grudge Match in January 2014. (Photograph by Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Photos)
Trying again, Oliva says throughout his profession there have been two huge fights that had been mentioned.
“My supervisor spoke to me a few doable assembly with [Alexis] Arguello, after which earlier than Coggi with [Hector] ‘Macho’ Camacho.”
Oliva, now 65, is married, has 4 kids and nonetheless lives in Naples, the place he stays a well-liked determine.
“I’ve a fitness center the place many sporting actions are accomplished. I’m head coach of the nationwide schoolboy workforce,” he stated. “Then, I do psychological teaching in corporations and I’m a movie and theater actor. On the theater, I’m doing a present on my life.”
He graciously took time to talk to The Ring about one of the best he fought in 10 key classes.
BEST JAB
Ubaldo Sacco: “His jab was steady and he did it for 15 rounds however I dodged lots of them.” (laughs)
BEST DEFENSE
Buddy McGirt: “He had his guard closed and moved his physique nicely.”
BEST FOOTWORK
Sacco: “He fought at tempo for 15 rounds. He at all times got here ahead and by no means stopped, even once I hit him arduous.”
BEST HAND SPEED
Juan Martin Coggi: “He stunned me with a quick and highly effective left hook.”
SMARTEST
McGirt: “He was higher than me.”
STRONGEST
Kirkland Laing: “He was a lot stronger than me bodily. I used my hand velocity and leg mobility to beat him.”
Oliva vs. Ubaldo Sacco (photograph courtesy Oliva)
BEST PUNCHER
Coggi: “He was very quick and highly effective along with his punches.”
BEST CHIN
Antoine Fernandez: “He took some sturdy punches however resisted.”
BEST BOXING SKILLS
McGirt: “He had rhythm and good physique work.”
BEST OVERALL
Sacco: “Sacco, Gonzalez, McGirt, Coggi … however for me, Sacco was completely one of the best. He had approach, protection, he was a superb striker and he additionally had punch.”
Questions and/or feedback could be despatched to Anson at [email protected].
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