Simone Maludrottu

Infobox_Boxer


name=Simone Maludrottu
realname=Simone Maludrottu
nickname="Boom Boom"
weight=Bantamweight
nationality= Italian
birth_date=Birth date and age|1978|6|4|df=y
birth_place=Olbia, Sardinia, Italy
home=Olbia, Sardinia, Italy
style=Orthodox
total=28
wins=26
KO=10
losses=2
draws=0
no contests=0|

Simone Maludrottu (born 4 June 1978) is a professional boxer from Olbia, Sardinia, Italy. Maludrottu fights in the Bantamweight division and in the current European (EBU) title holder.

Professional career

Debut

Maludrottu made his professional debut in July 2000, gaining a victory in Chivasso, Italy, with a points win over six rounds against Giovanni Delisi. [cite web | author=Boxrec | title="Simone Maludrottu" | work=Boxrec Fighter Page | url=http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=015562| accessdate=13 May | accessyear=2007]

Initial title fights

Maludrottu fought thirteen fights, winning twelve, five by knockout, before he had a chance to fight for his first title belt September 2003 when he challenged Emiliano Salvini for the `Vacant Italian Bantamweight Title in Olbia, Sassari, Italy. Maludrottu won this fight after Salvini retired in the seventh round due to an injury.

European title

In September 2004, after a further three victories Maludrottu challegned Frenchman Frederic Patrac for the European (EBU) Bantamweight Title which the Italian won on points over ten rounds.

World title challenge

Simone Maludrottu made an expedition to Japan and, on January 10, 2008, challenged Hozumi Hasegawa of the WBC world bantamweight class champion in Osaka prefectural gymnasium of Osaka-shi, Osaka of Japan. Maludrottu lost a 12 round unanimous decision to the Japanese champion.

Damaen Kelly controversy

In April 2006, Damaen Kelly challenged Maludrottu at the Andersonstown Leisure Centre in Belfast, author=Tomás Rohan| title="Kelly could make history in Belfast"| work=IrishBoxing.com| url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0420/kellyd.html| accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007] [cite web | author=| title="Kelly could make history in Belfast"| work=RTÉ| url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0420/kellyd.html| accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007] [cite web | author=| title="Controversy as Kelly loses title bout"| work=RTÉ| url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0422/kellyd.html| accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007]

Maludrottu was the naturally bigger man and carried more power having fought and Bantamweight for the majority of his career however Kelly possessed the faster hands and higher technical ability. Kelly's footwork and precise darting jabs frustrated Maludrottu as Kelly stayed out of his range leaving him unable to make his superior power pay. Despite this Maludrottu won an extremely controversial decision by a unanimous points decision. Punch stats showed the that Kelly landed 155 punches while the Maludrottu landed only 87 and the vast majority of onlookers believed that Kelly had won a fairly comfortable decision, but the Sardinian was given the verdict by all three judges. Kelly's promoter Tommy Gilmour stated that "that was shameful. It was the biggest robbery I've seen in 35 years of boxing".. [cite web | author=| title="Kelly is robbed of European glory"| work=BBC News| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4923326.stm| accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007] [cite web | author=| title="Kelly rematch appeal is rejected"| work=BBC News| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4989130.stm| accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007] [cite web | author=| title="CONTROVERSIAL DECISION COSTS KELLY"| work=Sporting Life| url=http://www.sportinglife.com/boxing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=boxing/06/04/21/BOXING_Belfast.html| accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007]

In the following rematch in Maludrottu's hometown of Olbia, on 25 November, 2006, Maludrottu stopped Kelly inside three rounds after Kelly's trainer Mickey Hawkins threw in the towel. Kelly announced his retirement immediately after the fight stating "the time has come for me to walk away. The defeat on Saturday night just confirmed that to me. Every sportsman comes to a point when they know they are at that stage when it is time to go. I've had a great career with highs and lows and I've achieved an awful lot". This was to be Kelly's last fight although he was still the number one ranked Irish bantamweight boxer at the time. [cite web | author=Tomás Rohan | title="Irish Champions" | work=IrishBoxing.com | url=http://www.irish-boxing.com/champions.htm# | accessdate=13 March | accessyear=2007]

External links

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References