Rocco Gattellari (6 September 1941 – 23 June 2023) was an Italian–Australian boxer, Olympian, political candidate and businessman. He was the 2010 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Veterans category.

Olympic Games

Gattellari was selected in the Australian team for the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

in Rome, Italy. He defeated Abdelkader Belghiti from Morocco before losing to eventual gold medalist Gyula Török from Hungary.

Professional career

Gattellari made his professional debut on 18 September 1961. On 26 February 1962 he won the Australian

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight. Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...

championship title, which he defended twice.Gattellari defeated several accomplished boxers including Danny Lee, Orizu Obilaso, Ray Perez (three times), Natalio Jimenez, Leo Zueleta, Eduardo Mojica before challenging for the World Flyweight title. On 2 December 1965 he contested the world flyweight title, losing to Salvatore Burruni in the 13th round. On 11 December 1967 Gattellari fought Lionel Rose for the Australian

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

title, losing by a knockout in the 13th round. He retired in 1968. Gattellari made a comeback in 1979, fighting Paul Ferreri for the Australian

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

title. He lost by a TKO in the 3rd round. Gattellari retired with a professional record of 21 wins (12 by knockout), three losses (all knockouts) and one draw.

Retirement

Upon retirement Gattellari became a restaurateur, opening Berowra Waters Inn and then Rocky's at Edgecliff. He went on to become a finance broker. Gattellari contested the 1995 New South Wales state election as the Liberal candidate for

Cabramatta Cabramatta, also abbreviated as Cabra, is a suburb in South Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local gove ...

. He was defeated by Labor incumbent Reba Meagher who sought an

apprehended violence order An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable remed ...

against him. Gattellari died in Sydney on 23 June 2023, at the age of 81.

Autobiography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gattellari, Rocky 1941 births 2023 deaths Sportspeople from the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria Olympic boxers for Australia Flyweight boxers Boxers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Italian emigrants to Australia Australian male boxers Australian people of Calabrian descent 20th-century Australian sportsmen