Zappavigna Ready to Reign

By James Walden: Twelve months after cementing his legacy as Australia’s hottest boxing prospect, dishing out a twelve round boxing lesson to former IBF super flyweight champion Gairy St Clair, twenty-two year old Leonardo Zappavigna is looking to make history, joining the ranks of Australia’s greatest as he aims to bring the vacant IBO world lightweight title home to domestic shores; a feat, which if successful, would see him equal the achievements of Australia’s reigning greats, IBO middleweight champion Anthony Mundine, IBO super middleweight champion Sakio Bika, and IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green.

Although relatively unknown with the mainstream public, the Leppington born slugger, who holds an unblemished record of twenty two victories, with fifteen knockouts, has developed a cult following among boxing fans, unseen upon Australian shores since the arrival of Kostya Tszyu, some twenty years earlier.

With an educated left hand, and powerhouse overhand right, the protégé of trainer Tommy Mercuri has all but mauled his way to the top of the lightweight food chain, walking through opponent after opponent, with his one track road to success being marred by the destruction of any opponent foolish enough to stand in his way.

Yet, in challenging for the vacant title, and hoping to achieve the mainstream recognition befitting a world champion, Zappavigna has set his sights on perhaps the toughest challenge of his career, taking on the veteran hard man, Ecuadorian Fernando Angulo.

Whilst Angulo, twenty nine, holds a somewhat tainted record, twenty two wins, six losses, with fourteen knock outs, his rugged, wild, hard hitting style has seen him compared throughout the US as the lightweight Ricardo Mayorga. With a forth round stoppage over local club fighter Ranee Ganoy, and a twelve round decision loss against the four time world champion Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz, for the WBA world title, Angulo has the strength and style to test Zappavigna’s talent against the best in the world.

For Zappavigna, who is coming of a six round points win over Sergio Macias, two months prior in his US debut, the Angulo bout seems certain to pit his polished skills and explosive power against the hard jawed, stiff strength of a fighter of equal calibre.

For fight fans, this means war.

Returning to the US on the 6th of March, fighting abroad for only the second time in his professional career, Zappavigna will once again fight on the undercard of fellow Australian Vic Darchynian, as the “Raging Bull” defends his WBA and WBC super flyweight titles against the little known Rodrigo Guerrero.