The director of the AP Pavia began in 1966 at the Palaespo. “Boxing was taught to me by the Sconfietti brothers”
the character
Massimo Bugada, president of the Lombard Federboxe, proposed him for the Silver Star of Coni and the number one of the AP Pavia, Maurizio Niutta, awarded him for 55 years of loyalty to boxing. Giancarlo Mezzadra, 71, is the sporting director of the AP Pavia and historical character of the Pavia boxing.
The beginnings
«I entered very young, at 16, in what was then the temple of Pavia boxing, at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni – explains Mezzadra – The teachers were the brothers Francesco and Lucinio Sconfietti. It was the period in which professionals of the caliber of Giordano Campari trained and fought, with whom I had the honor of making gloves, and Giovanni Biancardi, while Santino Reali stood out among the amateurs, and the two Sardones, Salvatore and Vincenzo. There were meetings every week between Pavia and Milan. The quality was such that many people came to see boxers making gloves in the gym. An era where fatigue was the norm and no one was crying out ». On February 14, 1967, Giancarlo Mezzadra made his welterweight debut at 17 with an equal verdict. «At 18 I used to make gloves with pros – continues his story – I won the Lombard novice championships. In Pesaro they lost in the quarter-finals of the tricolors. I went through 60 fights, only losing on points. Among the matches I saw at Palaespo, I mention the defeat of Campari in the Italian lightweight championship in ’67 and the victory of Biancardi’s light heavyweight flag two years later. I had technique and good shots. I went pro in ’77. The first match I did in Denmark, replacing, without my knowledge, the Italian champion against a black giant who the following year was a challenger to the world championship. I also made gloves with world champion Rocky Mattiolie. In ’78 I hung up my gloves because I was a craftsman and I couldn’t keep up with the work-training rhythm ».
The first foreigners
In those years the best Pavese was Santino Reali, he took few hits, he was able to face anyone. The first foreigners arrived in Pavia in the late 1970s. “The welterweight Costa Azevedo was the most famous, he made the world championship with Bruno Arcari losing on points – recalls Mezzadra – in that period we moved to the gym in via Porta, then to the Oratory of San Mauro, then until 1985 at Palaespo, finally PalaRavizza “. Mezzadra becomes a gym assistant. «Our boxers were followed by the manager Branchini who sent foreigners to us or to the Doria in Milan such as welterweight Eddie Blay and the rooster Helenio Ferreira. Many pros trained at PalaRavizza. The best known Vincenzo Belcastro, who won the European Supergallo and victoriously defended the title in Pavia against Hardy and then losing to Medykoune in the courtyard of the Visconteo castle. We opened to women, two reached the top: Anita Torti, who you will personally weave in Kosovo, won the Italian as a pro and fought for the European; Rebecca Nicoli, category kg. 60, which we celebrated after winning the Italian title and the European under 22 championship and which went to the Tokyo Games ». Mezzadra was also president of the Ex Pugili Club, the only one in Italy that included Walter Chiari among its members. –