Pierangelo Pira

Pierangelo Pira started boxing with the Libertas Rimini club at age 16 and was coached by Elio Ghelfi. In his amateur career he was twice bronze medalist at the Italian Championships (1974-75) and in 1976 Pira won the Rimini International Tournament. Internationally his highlight was the 1976 Montréal Olympics as a light-middleweight where he was eliminated by KO in the second round by the upcoming bronze medalist, Soviet Viktor Savchenko.

Pira turned pro shortly thereafter, joining Rocco Agostino’s stable, and his first bout was a win by decision against Nicola D’Orazio on 3 November 1976. After 15 matches with only one defeat, on 25 July 1979 in his city of Rimini, Pira became Italian champion as a welterweight, defeating Gianni Molesini by TKO. He held the title until 30 September 1981 when, in Cagliari, he was beaten by TKO by Francesco Aresti. On 30 April 1982, in Denmark, he fought for the EBU European welterweight crown but was defeated by Hans Henrik Palm, a 1976 Olympian, in a split decision in a 12-round contest. Pira fought until April 1983, with his last bout against Gianfranco Rosi. He ended his career with a record of 28 wins (15 KO) and 4 losses (3 KO).