I hope you don't mind if I start with an old favourite:

NINO BENEVENUTI. (82-7-1 (35))

Born in Italy in Isola d’Istria on 26th of April 1938 Nino Benvenuti although not commonly known today, was destined to become one of very few Europeans to transcend boxing’s borders and enthral the world. The famous commentator Jim Amato was quoted, “Nino captured the American fans with his suave, arrogant demeanour…” However it is fair to assume that his boxing skills and sportsmanlike conduct also had a part to play in this man’s rise to fame and glory.

He embarked on hi highly successful amateur trek at the age of 11 and proved his mettle seizing two European light middleweight titles which was accompanied by nan Olympic gold medal. If further proof of his quality was needed he was awarded the Val Barker trophy for BEST STYLIST following Olympic win. (One must realise that he was awarded this in front of America’s Cassius Clay!)

The inevitable professional debut came in 1961 against an opponent named Ben Ali Allala. This win was the first of fourteen in his first year and he quickly moved on to face quality international opposition in the pursuing years. In these fights he showed not only style and flash, but also heart when getting of the floor to beat Lou Gutierrez, breaking his jaw in the 7th.

Nino’s rise to prominence was crowned by a victory in his first title fight when he beat another Italian (in just six rounds,) Sandro Mazzinghi for the world light middle weight title in 1965. The defences piled up after he seized the title and Benvenuti secured a record of 65-0, only to be handed his first defeat in a controversial fashion at the hands of Ki-So Kim, a forme4r amateur opponent who Benvenuti had previously dispatched.

This turn of fortune saw Nino climb weight to the middleweight division where he would complete his career. His career was more colourful at this weight as he did not enjoy the saw advantage in terms of the power which aided his exploits at 154. On the 17th of April 1967 he challenged the great Emile Griffith for the World Middleweight title. The chemical reaction which occurred between Griffith and Benvenuti was best described as explosive, but Nino walked away with the Middleweight crown on a unanimous decision. The encore occurred months later with Griffith avenging his previous loss.
A less than wise man once said “All good trilogies come in threes,” and so the rubber match was set, with Nino dominating more than in their previous battles and surviving a late Griffith onslaught to regain the middleweight title.

Benvenuti was an active champion defending 5 times in 1968 nand also taking part in a film entitled “Alive or preferably dead.”
Benvenuti dropped a decision over ten rounds to Dick Tiger but Nino rebounded with a last gasp KO win over Luis Manuel Rodriguez. Benvenuti’s career then entered a period of turmoil, with Nino quitting to Ted Bethea but comprehensively outboxing the same opponent in a rematch.

In 1970 he signed to fight a relatively unknown fighter from Argentina. Unfortunately for Nino the fighter was the late great Carlos Monzon. Monzon handed Benvenuti a ferocious beating and stopped him in the twelfth. Upon losing a comeback fight with another Argentine, fighter Jose Roberto Chirino, Nino prepared for a comeback against Monzon. However the machine that was Carlos Monzon had reached full effect and Benvenuti was dispatched in three, helpless on the ropes.

He never boxed again, successfully tried his hand at politics and television and in 1995 turned his back on everything to work as a volunteer in India. Nino Benvenuti was one of those boxers whose life outside the Ring glitters just as much as his career inside them ring did and he certainly deserves to be remembered.