Michele di Rocco


Michele di Rocco is an Italian professional boxer of Romani origin. He is a former European and European Union super-lightweight champion, and has challenged once for the WBA super-lightweight title. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the 2002 European Championships and represented Italy at the 2004 Olympics, both in the lightweight division.

Professional career

On 2 October 2004, di Rocco made his professional debut against Marian Bunea, stopping him in four rounds. He won his first regional championship—the European Union super-lightweight title—on 26 December 2006, defeating Giorgio Marinelli via unanimous decision. One defence of the title was made a month later, on 30 January 2007, when di Rocco travelled to Finland and scored a UD over Juho Tolppola. On 21 September 2007, di Rocco lost his title to veteran and fellow Italian Giuseppe Lauri, who stopped him in seven rounds. In a rematch five years later, on 14 April 2012, di Rocco stopped Lauri in one round to regain his now-vacant title.
Di Rocco's career highlight came on 8 June 2013, when he defeated Lenny Daws via UD to win the vacant European super-lightweight title. However, the decision was highly disputed by Daws. Four successful defences were made of the title over the following two years. On 28 May 2016, di Rocco travelled to Scotland to face former two-weight world champion Ricky Burns, with the vacant WBA super-lightweight title on the line. In a very one-sided fight where di Rocco was knocked down twice, Burns won by stopping him in the eighth round.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
45Loss41–3–1Eduard TroyanovskyTKO4, 2:181 Jul 2017Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow, Russia
44Win41–2–1Mikheil Avakyan4 25 Mar 2017Atlantico Live, Rome, ItalyAvakyan disqualified for repeated fouls
43Loss40–2–1Ricky BurnsTKO8, 1:5728 May 2016The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, ScotlandFor vacant WBA light-welterweight title
42Win40–1–1Alexandre LepelleyKO8 30 May 2015Teatro Principe, Milan, ItalyRetained European light-welterweight title
41Win39–1–1Kasper BruunTKO9 28 Feb 2015Teatro Principe, Milan, ItalyRetained European light-welterweight title
40Win38–1–1Ruben NietoUD123 Oct 2014Polideportivo Fernando Martín, Fuenlabrada, SpainRetained European light-welterweight title
39Win37–1–1Istvan KissKO3 17 May 2014Pala di Fiore Ostia, Rome, Italy
38Win36–1–1Ville PiispanenUD1221 Dec 2013PalaBadminton, Milan, ItalyRetained European light-welterweight title
37Win35–1–1Lenny DawsUD128 Jun 2013Palazzetto dello sport Elio Pentassuglia, Brindisi, ItalyWon vacant European light-welterweight title
36Win34–1–1Laszlo Robert BaloghTKO1 20 Oct 2012Palazzetto dello sport Gianni D'Arco, Santa Teresa Gallura, Italy
35Win33–1–1Giuseppe LauriTKO1 14 Apr 2012PalaRewatt, Vicenza, ItalyWon vacant European Union light-welterweight title
34Win32–1–1Laszlo SzekeresPTS627 Jan 2012Palazzetto dello sport Mario D'Agata, Arezzo, Italy
33Win31–1–1Laszlo Robert BaloghTKO1, 2:347 Oct 2011Palazzetto dello sport, Monserrato, Italy
32Win30–1–1Robert CristeaPTS622 Jul 2011Palazzetto dello sport, Cecina, Italy
31Win29–1–1Laszlo KomjathiPTS64 Dec 2010Palazzetto dello sport, Decimomannu, Italy
30Win28–1–1Peter McDonaghPTS624 Jul 2010Stadio Is Arenas, Quartu Sant'Elena, Italy
29Win27–1–1Arnold TurosKO2, 2:5612 Mar 2010Palazzetto dello sport, Bertinoro, Italy
28Win26–1–1Carlos Winston VelasquezPTS625 Sep 2009Geovillage Sport Wellness & Convention Resort, Olbia, Italy
27Win25–1–1Attila MolnarKO4 17 Jul 2009Stadio Casaleno, Frosinone, Italy
26Win24–1–1Juan MartinezPTS826 Jun 2009Piazza dei Rioni, Porto Santo Stefano, Italy
25Win23–1–1Hassan SakuTKO2 28 May 2009Pala de Andrè, Ravenna, Italy
24Win22–1–1János PetrovicsPTS620 Feb 2009Palazzetto dello sport, Frosinone, Italy
23Win21–1–1János PetrovicsPTS619 Dec 2008Palazzetto dello sport di Via Austria, Grosseto, Italy
22Win20–1–1Rafael ChirutaPTS614 Nov 2008Palazzetto dello sport, Carbonia, Italy
21Win19–1–1Ferenc SzaboKO4 12 Jul 2008Sequals, Italy
20Win18–1–1Laszlo SzekeresPTS69 Jun 2008Foligno, Italy
19Loss17–1–1Giuseppe LauriTKO7 21 Sep 2007PalaBastia, Livorno, ItalyLost European Union light-welterweight title;
For vacant WBC International light-welterweight title
18Win17–0–1Zoltan Kalocsai2, 2:3625 May 2007Pala de Andrè, Ravenna, Italy
17Win16–0–1Mircea LurciTKO3 27 Apr 2007PalaBotteghelle, Reggio Calabria, Italy
16Win15–0–1Juho TolppolaUD1230 Jan 2007Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, FinlandRetained European Union light-welterweight title
15Win14–0–1Giorgio MarinelliUD1226 Dec 2006Grosseto, ItalyWon European Union light-welterweight title
14Win13–0–1Anton GlofakTKO4 15 Jul 2006Piazza Municipale, Sequals, Italy
13Win12–0–1Kalman Norbert GagyiPTS623 Jun 2006Bonassola, Italy
12Draw11–0–1Giorgio Marinelli109 Jun 2006Stadio della Pallacorda, Rome, ItalyRetained Italy light-welterweight title;
For European Union light-welterweight title
11Win11–0Miro DickyPTS626 May 2006Palazzetto dello sport, Grosseto, Italy, Italy
10Win10–0Antonio MastantuonoTKO7, 1:4817 Mar 2006Palazzetto dello sport, Grosseto, Italy, ItalyRetained Italy light-welterweight title
9Win9–0Massimo BertozziUD1021 Oct 2005Centro Umbria Affari, Bastia Umbra, ItalyWon Italy light-welterweight title
8Win8–0Elad Shmouel108 Aug 2005Piazza della Pace, San Mango d'Aquino, ItalyWon vacant IBF Youth light-welterweight title
7Win7–0Igor KrbusikTKO2 20 May 2005Palazzetto dello sport, Grosseto, Italy
6Win6–0Csaba TothPTS621 Mar 2005San Mango d'Aquino, Italy
5Win5–0Roland DekanyTKO5 1 Mar 2005Palazzetto dello sport, Grosseto, Italy
4Win4–0Jozef KubovskyPTS618 Dec 2004Marina, Grosseto, Italy
3Win3–0Nicolae Burloi627 Nov 2004Palazzetto dello sport Massimo Carrino, Genoa, Italy
2Win2–0Veselin Dimitrov VasilevTKO3, 2:2215 Oct 2004Palazzetto dello sport Lastra a Signa, Florence, Italy
1Win1–0Marian Bunea4, 1:562 Oct 2004Palazzetto dello sport, Grosseto, Italy