Gianluca Branco

Gianluca Branco, born on September 20, 1970, is a retired Italian professional boxer who fought in the light-welterweight and welterweight weight classes. He had an outstanding career that spanned nearly two decades, from 1995 to 2014, and saw him compete in 53 professional fights. In this article, we take a closer look at the statistics, notable fights, and career summary of Gianluca Branco, one of Italy's most renowned boxers of his time.

Career Summary

Gianluca Branco began his professional boxing career at age 24 on April 7th, 1995, against Aladar Horvath, whom he defeated via 6th round KO. He went on to win 17 more consecutive fights after that, including 11 victories via stoppage. The Italian boxer's first world title fight came at age 33 against Arturo Gatti for the WBC (vacant) title on January 24, 2004, after 33 professional fights. Branco lost to Gatti via 12-round unanimous decision, but that did not hamper his progression, as he went on to capture and defend numerous European titles throughout his career.

Some of Branco's best fights and notable victories include wins over Farid El Houari, Adam Zadworny, János Petrovics, Laszlo Komjathi, Ariel Francisco Burgos, Vasile Herteg, and Nasser Lakrib. Branco had a total of three losses in his professional career, two of which were in title bouts, and the other in a non-title bout. For more details on these defeats, please refer to the 'All of Gianluca Branco's losses section below'.

Fight Record and Statistics

Gianluca Branco's professional boxing career comes with a record of 49 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Branco also achieved 24 knockout wins and lost one time via knockout. Fighting as a light-welterweight and then as a welterweight, he was known for his counter-punching ability, and he was an exceptional defender who had excellent ring intelligence.

Of Branco's 53 professional fights, 49 came out as victories, with 25 by decision/points, and 24 through knockout. He lost three times, twice by decision/points and once via knockout. He also had one draw.

All of Gianluca Branco's losses

As mentioned above, Gianluca Branco's professional boxing career saw him lose three times. Below are comprehensive details on each of his three losses:

Arturo Gatti

Branco's first professional loss came against Arturo Gatti. The fight happened on January 24th, 2004, and was one of the most important matches of Branco's career. It was the first time the Italian boxer challenged for a world title. Gatti, who had established himself as a superstar in the United States, was a tough opponent who gave Branco a run for his money.

Branco put up a good fight, but Gatti proved too strong, especially in the later rounds, clinching a unanimous decision victory after 12 rounds. Nevertheless, Branco showed his mettle and proved that he belonged in the big leagues with his impressive performance.

Miguel Cotto

On March 4th, 2006, Branco got his second chance to fight for a world title when he fought Miguel Cotto for the WBO light-welterweight title. The fight was relatively one-sided, with Cotto dominating proceedings from the opening bell. Branco tried his best to overcome the onslaught, but it was clear that he was outmatched by Cotto, who ultimately won via a stoppage in the eighth round.

Matthew Hatton

Branco's final loss came on March 26th, 2010, when he fought Matthew Hatton for the vacant European welterweight title. Hatton, who was the younger brother of British boxing legend Ricky Hatton, was in fine form and put on a clinical performance against the Italian veteran.

Although Branco gave it his all, he was outclassed by Hatton in most areas, and the judges awarded the younger Hatton a unanimous decision victory after twelve rounds. Despite the defeat, Branco continued to fight after that and went on to win his last two professional bouts.

Career Highlights and Titles

Throughout his career, Gianluca Branco won several regional and European titles. He held the European super-lightweight title twice between 2001 and 2009, the European Union welterweight title from 2012 to 2013, and the European welterweight title from 2014 to 2016.

One of Branco's most notable wins was against Colin Lynes, a fellow European boxer, for the vacant European light-welterweight title. Despite suffering an early knockdown in the second round, Branco showed his resilience and went on to claim a split decision over Lynes on May 16th, 2008, in Turin, Italy.

Branco also had an excellent performance against János Petrovics, whom he stopped twice in his career, once in 2009 and the other in 2011. Petrovics, who retired with a record of 33 wins and 4 losses, was no pushover, and the fact that Branco managed to stop him on two occasions shows just how impressive Branco's counter-punching ability was.

Conclusion

The Italian Gianluca Branco had a remarkable boxing career that spanned nearly two decades. While he wasn't the most decorated boxer of his era, he still fought some of the best fighters in the world and proved his worth in numerous championships throughout his career. Branco was known for his exceptional defensive skills, and he was a counter-puncher who could make his opponents look silly with his ring intelligence. He ended his professional boxing career with a record of 49-3-1, which included 24 knockout wins and only one loss via knockout. Despite retiring from boxing several years ago, Gianluca Branco will always be remembered as one of Italy's finest boxers and a respected name in the world of boxing.

Gianluca Branco Fight Record