The Italian Boxing Federation (FPI) is marking its 110th anniversary with a championship-packed night at Rome's PalaTiziano on July 4, bringing together four title bouts that will test the depth of Italy's current boxing talent against international challengers. The event, broadcast live on Canale 20, will feature a world title defense, a European Union Silver belt clash, and two national championships.
Why This Matters:
• Rare multi-title showcase: Four championship belts on one card represents the biggest domestic boxing event in Rome in recent years
• Olympic pedigree on display: 2008 Beijing bronze medalist Vincenzo Picardi returns to challenge for European honors
• Women's boxing spotlight: Italy-based Cameroonian Pamela Noutcho defends her IBO world lightweight title
• Two undefeated heavyweights collide: Both Angelo Morejon and Antonio Carlesimo bring perfect 10-0 records into their Italian title fight
European Silver Belt Headlines Evening
The main event pits Mauro Forte (22-1-2) against Vincenzo Picardi (12-1) for the EBU Silver bantamweight championship—a belt Forte captured last December by defeating Salvatore Contino in the capital. The vacant EBU Silver designation serves as a pathway to full European title shots and carries significant weight in continental rankings.
Picardi, now 37, brings both Olympic and World Championship bronze medals from his amateur days (Beijing 2008 and Chicago 2007 respectively) plus experience as a former Italian and European Union professional champion. His lone defeat came years ago, and his return to title contention represents one of the more compelling comeback narratives on the Italian circuit.
"I'm giving everything in the gym to face an Olympic bronze medalist," Forte said at the event's press conference last week. "The public can expect a great show."
Picardi responded with quiet confidence: "I'm ready to show what I'm worth." The matchup pairs Forte's relentless work rate against Picardi's technical polish—a classic boxer-versus-pressure-fighter dynamic that should play well for the PalaTiziano crowd.
World Title Defense for Noutcho
Pamela Noutcho Sawa, the Italy-based fighter born in Cameroon, will defend the IBO women's lightweight world title she won last November in Bologna. That victory came via split decision over Karen Elizabeth Carbajal (97-92, 95-94, 94-95), adding a world belt to her existing collection of European and Italian straps.
Her challenger, Colombia's Jenny Tulca, brings an aggressive style that should force Noutcho to display the full range of skills that earned her the number 1 ranking in the EBU lightweight women's division as of March 2026. Women's boxing has gained momentum in Italy over the past three years, with fighters like Stephanie Silva, Jasmine Di Felice, and Bianca Voglino all appearing in EBU top-10 rankings across multiple weight classes.
Noutcho's defense forms part of a broader push by the FPI to elevate female fighters—a strategic priority outlined by federation president Flavio D'Ambrosi, who described the evening as "a film where our boxers are the protagonists, writing another chapter in the history of Italy's noble art."
Middleweight and Heavyweight Italian Titles at Stake
The co-main event sees Francesco Faraoni (8-1) challenge Giovanni Rossetti (12-4) for the Italian middleweight championship. Faraoni enters as the betting favorite despite Rossetti's experience edge, with oddsmakers favoring his youth and recent momentum.
In the evening's most evenly matched bout, Antonio Carlesimo and Angelo Morejon—both undefeated at 10-0—will settle the Italian heavyweight title. Carlesimo framed the fight in stark terms: "My opponent's strategy will be to avoid exchanges. I'll be the one attacking for every round. I'm training as if I'm going to the front lines."
The heavyweight division has historically been Italy's thinnest weight class at the elite level, making this domestic clash between two unblemished prospects a genuine litmus test for the category's future depth. The winner will likely find himself fast-tracked into EBU rankings, where compatriot Guido Vianello currently sits at number 12 in the full heavyweight standings.
What This Means for Italian Boxing's European Standing
The July 4 event arrives as Italian boxing enjoys a measured resurgence after decades of inconsistent results. As of March 2026, 58 Italian fighters appeared across various EBU rankings—a respectable showing that places the country firmly in Europe's second tier behind traditional powers like the UK, Germany, and Spain.
Notable recent achievements include Etinosa Oliha's 2023 IBO middleweight world title and Michael Magnesi's 2020 IBO super-featherweight crown. The country also claimed 7 gold medals at the 2026 Olympic Hopes tournament in Sarajevo, signaling healthy grassroots development.
The FPI—founded March 2, 1916—has structured its 110th anniversary celebrations around both elite professional showcases like Roma Boxing Night and youth development initiatives. The federation hosted the Mediterranean Boxing Tournament in Catania earlier this month, drawing 147 athletes from 11 nations, and sent delegations to the World Boxing Cup in China and the European U19 Championships in Serbia.
Logistics and Broadcast Details
Roma Boxing Night takes place July 4 at the PalaTiziano, with first bell scheduled for evening primetime. Canale 20 will carry the broadcast live, providing free-to-air access across Italy. The event is co-promoted by The Art of Fighting and De Carolis Promotions—the latter named for Giovanni De Carolis, who won the WBA super-middleweight world title in 2016 and remains one of Italy's most recognizable recent champions.
Institutional backing comes from Italy's Ministry of Sport and Youth, Rome's Department of Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion, and the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI)—a level of government support that underscores boxing's continued cultural relevance despite competition from mixed martial arts and other combat sports for younger demographics.
Tickets for the PalaTiziano event remain available through standard Rome venue channels, with pricing structured to accommodate families and casual fans rather than exclusively catering to the hardcore boxing audience—a deliberate choice by organizers hoping to broaden the sport's appeal as the federation enters its second century.
