Mario D'Agata

Mario D'Agata
Data
Birth Name	Mario D'Agata
Weight class	Bantamweight
nationality	Italy
birthday	May 29, 1926
place of birth	Arezzo
Date of death	April 4, 2009
Place of death	Florence
style	Left-hand boom
size	1.57 meters
Combat Statistics
Struggles	67
Victories	54
Knockout victories	22nd
Defeats	10
draw	3

Mario D'Agata (born May 29, 1926 in Arezzo , † April 4, 2009 in Florence ) was an Italian boxer . He was world champion and European champion of professional boxers in the bantamweight division.

Career

Mario D'Agata was the son of a large family from Arezzo. Like two of his brothers, he was born deaf . His parents moved him to Rome in the 1930s because they hoped that their deaf sons would be better cared for there. The young Mario D'Agata soon became enthusiastic about the famous boxers of his time, whom he wanted to emulate. However, because of World War II, he was only able to start boxing in 1946. He then fought as an amateur until 1950, playing 110 fights during this period, of which he won 90.

At the end of 1950 he became a professional boxer. He belonged to the Ignis "boxing stable" and his managers were Steve Klaus and L. Cecchi. He fought his first fight on October 14, 1950 in Siena and came after 6 rounds to a point victory over his compatriot Giuseppe Salardi. The bantamweight then fought his way to the top of the Italian boxers in this weight class over the next three years, despite a few setbacks. On September 26, 1953 he fought as a challenger against Giovanni Zuddas in Arezzo for the Italian championship title in bantamweight. He won this fight by disqualification in the 9th round and was Italian champion for the first time.

On April 10, 1954, he successfully defended this title in Milan with a points win after 12 rounds over Giovanni Zuddas. On May 15, 1954 Mario D'Agata lost in Tunis against the then world leader Robert Cohen on points. He then appeared in the May world rankings of the boxing journal "The Ring" at number 8. At the end of 1954 he went to Australia and there defeated Australian champion Bobby Sinn on December 10, 1954 in Melbourne and the US on December 10, 1954 American Billy Peacock , both boxers who stood in front of him in the world rankings, each after 10 rounds on points. He was considered the official challenger to Robert Cohen, who had meanwhile become world champion. This title fight did not materialize for the time being. On October 29, 1955, he then boxed in the Milan Vigorellibahn against the French Andre Valignat for the vacant European Championship (EBU). He won this fight by disqualification in the 5th round, in which Valignat, who had to accept two warnings from the referee because of unclean boxing, entrenched himself in double cover on the ring ropes and no longer took up the fight.

Mario D'Agata then fought for two victories over the Puerto Rican Jesus Rubio , whom he defeated on March 21, 1956 in Ravenna and on May 18, 1956 in Milan, once again the right to challenge the reigning world champion (WBC) Robert Cohen. This fight took place on June 29, 1956 in the Olympic Stadium in Rome in front of 30,000 spectators. After an even fight, Robert Cohen suffered an eyebrow injury which caused him to be taken out of the fight in the 7th round. Mario D'Agata was then declared world champion. He was the second Italian professional boxer after Primo Carnera to become world champion.

On April 1, 1957, he defended this world title in Paris against the Frenchman Alphonse Halimi and lost against him after 15 rounds on points. On October 27, 1957, he boxed in Cagliari for the vacant European bantamweight title. According to the statutes, he had to resign the European championship title won in the fight against Andre Valignat in 1955 before the World Cup fight against Robert Cohen. He defeated his Italian compatriot Federico Scarponi by knockout in the 8th round. He then carried this European title for almost a year and lost it on October 12, 1958 in Cagliari to the Sardinian Piero Rollo , against whom he lost on points after 15 rounds.

His attempts to "get back into the action" outside Italy by defeating strong opponents failed. He lost z. B. on February 5, 1959 in Los Angeles against the Mexican José Becerra , who shortly thereafter became world champion by defeating Alphonse Halimi, by breaking off in the 10th round and on September 15, 1959 in Wembley, UK, against the British Freddie Gilroy on points. On February 19, 1962, Mario D'Agata fought against Federico Scarponi in Rome for the Italian bantamweight championship and lost this fight after 12 rounds on points. Then he ended his boxing career.

Explanations

• WBC = World Boxing Council
• EBU = European Boxing Union
• Left hand = leading hand is the left hand and the striking hand is the right hand

literature

• Box Sport magazine
• The Ring trade journal

Web links

• Mario D'Agata in the BoxRec database