Benvenuti: Italian Boxing Loses Its Monument Says Fed Head

Rome: Italian boxing has lost its “monument” now that Nino Benvenuti has died at 87, Italian Boxing Federation President Flavio D’Ambrosi said. “Today Italian boxing loses its monument, and I feel like saying ‘goodbye, great Nino,'” said FPI chief D’Ambrosi, who in the past also refereed many matches.

According to Ansa News Agency, “Great men make sport great, Nino has left us, he has left his ring, his noble art and those who loved him, however, his memory will remain indelible, his figure is already myth and legend,” D’Ambrosi remarked, emphasizing the lasting impact Benvenuti had on Italian boxing and the sporting world in general.

“Italian boxing and the entire sporting world will remember him forever: he was style, elegance and refinement inside and outside the 4 ropes,” D’Ambrosi continued. He recounted how his father often spoke about Benvenuti’s extraordinary victories and how he embodied the spirit of boxing, both as an Olympic champion and a world champion. Benvenuti instilled in Italians a sense of belonging and pride.

“Nino was that ray of sunshine that illuminated Italian boxing even at the twilight of modern times,” D’Ambrosi added. Concluding his tribute, D’Ambrosi addressed Benvenuti directly, “Nino, you are in history and in the hearts of all those, many, who loved you,” marking the passing of a legend who has left an indelible mark on the sport.