Alessandro "Sandro" Lopopolo (18 December 1939 – 26 April 2014) was an Italian 1959 amateur featherweight and 1960 amateur lightweight

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

champion, and also world boxing champion in the light welterweight division afterwards, when he turned professional, between 1961 and 1973. Sandro Lopopolo started his career in 1957.

Boxing career

Sandro Lopopolo was considered as a hometown favorite for the lightweight division Olympic boxing title at 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 where he won the silver medal. At the Olympics, after four easy wins in the early rounds, Lopopolo defeated the Argentine Abel Laudino by split decision in the semifinals. He lost the final to Kazimierz Paździor by a majority decision. Lopopolo turned professional in early 1961 and had a long and successful professional career. Fighting in the light-welterweight category most of his professional career, Lopopolo won the Italian light-welterweight titles in 1963 and 1965 and held the European and World light-welterweight title from April 1966 to April 1967. Lopopolo won the Lineal, WBA and WBC light welterweight titles from Carlos Morocho Hernández on 29 April 1966, after outpointing his opponent. He lost the crown to Paul Takeshi Fuji on 30 April 1967 by technical knockout in the 2nd round. He retired with a record of 58 wins (20 KOs), 10 losses and 7 draws. Lopopolo liked to box from a distance and was part of “the golden era” of Italian boxing, with the likes of Duilio Loi,

Nino Benvenuti Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (26 April 1938 – 20 May 2025) was an Italian professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the ...

, Sandro Mazzinghi, Bruno Arcari and Carmelo Bossi.Former world champion Sandro Lopopolo passes away
wbcboxing.com (27 April 2014). Retrieved on 2015-05-19.Robert Coster (28 April 2014
Sandro Lopopolo passes
. fightnews.com. Lopopolo died in 2014, at age 74, in his hometown, Milan, due to a complication from a respiratory infection.

Professional boxing record

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

* WBA light welterweight champion (140 lbs) * WBC light welterweight champion (140 lbs)

''The Ring'' magazine titles

* ''The Ring'' light welterweight champion (140 lbs)

Regional/International titles

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

light welterweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

champion (140 lbs) (2×)

Undisputed titles

* Undisputed light welterweight champion

References

External links

* *
Sandro Lopopolo - CBZ Profile
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopopolo, Sandro 1939 births 2014 deaths Italian male boxers Boxers from Milan Boxers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Italy Olympic boxers for Italy Olympic medalists in boxing World Boxing Association champions World Boxing Council champions The Ring (magazine) champions Light-welterweight boxers World light-welterweight boxing champions 20th-century Italian sportsmen