64 year old man vs young boxer in a ‘sparring’ match!

When he agreed to a sparring match with this old man, this boxer has no idea what was in store for him.

The old man, believed to be Ernesto Bergamasco who boxed for Italy in the Olympics in the 70s, steps to his opponent wearing a striped jumper and tracksuit bottoms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkenYHDfpOc

The Junior welterweight grew up in Torre Annunziata.

As an amateur he defended the Italian colors in multiple international competitions including the European competitions, the Mediterranean Games and the 1972 Olympics.

Bergamasco is the founder and manager of one of the most famous boxing club in the Vesuvius, the Pugilistica Oplonti.

He coached many boxers to a high level including the son Raffaele Bergamasco, the Italian champion, and professionals Alfonso Pinto, who won a silver medal at the European Championships, and Peter Ahr.

While people have fought in hand-to-hand combat since before the dawn of history, the origin of boxing as an organized sport may be its acceptance by the ancient Greeks as an Olympic game in 688 BC.

Boxing evolved from 16th- and 18th-century prizefights, largely in Great Britain, to the forerunner of modern boxing in the mid-19th century, again initially in Great Britain and later in the United States.

Through the late nineteenth century, the martial art of boxing or prizefighting was primarily a sport of dubious legitimacy.

Outlawed in England and much of the United States, prizefights were often held at gambling venues and broken up by police.

Brawling and wrestling tactics continued, and riots at prizefights were common occurrences.

Still, throughout this period, there arose some notable bare knuckle champions who developed fairly sophisticated fighting tactics.

‘Style’ is often defined as the strategic approach a fighter takes during a bout. No two fighters’ styles are alike, as it is determined by that individual’s physical and mental attributes.