Nino Benvenuti biography

Benvenuti received the Olympic welterweight title in 1960. He turned skilled the next yr and received his first 65 matches and the Italian middleweight championship. In 1965 he claimed each the world junior-middleweight title and the European middleweight title. The subsequent yr he boxed outdoors Italy for the primary time, retaining his European title in a bout in Berlin however shedding his world junior-middleweight title to Ki-Soo Kim in a 15-round resolution in Seoul, South Korea.

Benvenuti went to the United States in 1967 and took the world middleweight title on April 17 by defeating Emile Griffith in a 15-round resolution. They met once more on September 28, 1967, and within the rematch Griffith regained the title by prevailing in a 15-round resolution. On March 4, 1968, they fought a 3rd time, and Benvenuti took the title again by profitable a 15-round resolution. Benvenuti then efficiently defended his championship by outpointing Don Fullmer in 15 rounds on December 14, 1968. He made two extra profitable defenses in 1969, profitable on the Seventh-round disqualification of Fraser Scott on October 4 and knocking out Luis Rodriguez within the eleventh spherical on November 22.

After being knocked out within the eighth spherical of a nontitle combat with Tom Bethea, Benvenuti defended his title in a rematch in opposition to Bethea. The May 23, 1970, match additionally led to an eighth-round knockout, however this time Benvenuti was the winner. In his subsequent title protection, Benvenuti misplaced the championship when he was knocked out by Carlos Monzón within the twelfth spherical of their November 7, 1970, match. Benvenuti tried to win again his title on May 8, 1971, however Monzón knocked him out within the third spherical. Benvenuti ended his profession following that match with 82 victories (35 by knockout), 7 losses, and 1 draw. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.