Nespro: I’ll take Buglioni to school in our italian showdown

GAETANO NESPRO

Italian Gaetano Nespro has trashed WBO European Super-Middleweight Champion Frank Buglioni and says he will teach the young star a lesson when they meet at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday 15th February.

Nespro hails from Naples – the same city as Buglioni’s grandfather – and is looking forward to his ‘Italian-showdown’ against the unbeaten Londoner on the show which is headlined by European Heavyweight Champion Dereck Chisora, plus Bradley Skeete challenging for the Vacant WBA Intercontinental Welterweight title against former World Champion Vivian Harris, all live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).

The 34-year-old has the edge in experience with 21 victories from 31 fights and has previous held the Italian middleweight crown plus a challenge for the IBF World title against Sebastian Slyvester.

And Nespro says he’s not intimated by his first trip to Britain to meet the hard-hitting young star of British boxing.

“I do appreciate and respect Buglioni’s skills, but come on, who has he fought until now? He’s never been in a ring with a boxer like me. I think my experience will be the key, I will put him on a schoolbus and teach him a lesson like a man does to a kid,” said Nespro.

“I fought Sebastian Sylvester in his hometown in Germany. I fought Patrick Nielsen in a football stadium, in front of 30,000 people. Do you really think I can be affected by the British crowd? It will be like a walk in the park for me”.

Buglioni makes the first defence of the WBO European belt that he won against Stepan Horvath at the Copper Box Arena last November with a crippling eighth round body shot, but Nespro says he won’t fall for the same punch.

“I saw Buglioni’s win over Horvath. It was a great shot, I have to give him credit for that. Still, I will not be there to be hit so there is no chance he can land such a shot on me”.

“I hear that Buglioni is calling me old. What he calls “old age” I call “experience” and “ring craft”. I will show him angles he has never seen. He will be in for an unpleasant surprise if he thinks I am just a glorified journeyman. I almost have more title fights than Buglioni has fights. I’m smarter, I’m quicker, I’m faster than he is”.

“I fought Giovanni De Carolis in his hometown for the Italian title and he was the rising star of Italian boxing. He thought I was too old for him… does it remind you of anything? I clearly outpointed him. And it’s not like De Carolis is a bum, he just fought Arthur Abraham in his last title clash”.

“I’m not making a prediction of how I will win the fight. I’m from Naples and we are superstitious, we do not make actual predictions. Back home there is a lot of interest in this fight. It will be a kind of domestic derby, but I’ve got no doubt that I will end up the winner”.

Tickets for Rock The Box III, priced at £40, £50, £70 and £120, are available from Eventim on 0844 249 1000 or online at www.eventim.co.uk

Watch live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546). Join at www.boxnation.com

(Photo: BOX REC)