Cruiserweight Fabio Turchi Gets Rounds In, Gets W Over Grisunin, From Milan

Italian cruiserweight Fabio Turchi got some work in on Friday, going ten rounds with Nikolajs Grisunin of Latvia at the Allianz Cloud building from Milan, Italy, in a scrap that screened on DAZN.

Both men will have to allow cuts to heal, but the 27 year old Turchi's healing time will come with the knowledge that he got the W, by scores of 99-91, 98-92, 100-90.

The IBF international cruiserweight belt was handed to the Italian boxer after the emcee announced the results. That had to feel good, and especially since Turchi came to the ring seeking to scrub the memory of experiencing his first loss. On Oct 11, 2019, he dropped a split decision to Belfast resident Tom McCarthy, in Trento, Italy. 

Turchi isn't on the RING top ten list, of cruisers, and won't get there with this win. Grusinin is what he is, and what he's not, is even in the top 40 range at those campaigning at 200 pounds and under. 

In the first,  the left-hander Turchi started slow against his fellow southpaw. Midway through he round, he started pumping the jab more. That left hand to the side by the winner towards the later stage looked like it smarted.

In the second, Turchi bobbed some, weaved a bit, and bounced, light on his feet. His jabbed snapped harder, and the loser started leaking crimson from his nose. Maybe that snappier jab did it. 

The blood had ceased to start the third. But the flow picked up again, when Turchi started quick. He thumped to the body, and the loser began to back up. He'd edge forward a bit, sniff the idea of offense, then retreat, the jab in his face accelerating his pull-back. The victor closed the distance, and started landing clean inside. Some uppercuts started landing, and we began to wonder how long Grisunins would last. He is 36, after all. But he earned the purse in Milan. 

In the fourth, the distance between the two really closed. By now, legs were not as fresh as at the start, plus Turchi knew that he was in complete control, so he didn't need to be in a moving mindset. It was basically a sparring vibe, because it was that one sided. And then, just when you began to think how in vain his effort was, a Grisunin counter would land.

In the fifth, Turchi again won the session in lopsided fashion. But, again, the loser would sneak in a timed shot every so often, to send notice that he was not going to be rolled over. You got the sense, perhaps, that Turchi was using this match to get rounds, get work, sharpen his form, work on solidifying certain skills. 

In the seventh, a clash of heads occurred, and a cut formed on the right eye area of Turchi. His cut man earned his cut for the night, after the three minutes. To round eight, we saw more solid whacks to the body by Turchi. The ninth and tenth played out without any notable fireworks or game changing launches or butts. To the cards they'd go, with everyone in the quiet room knowing who'd have their hand raised. 

There were five bouts on this low key card. Dario Morello of Italy went to 16-1, winning an easy work welter tango against Nestor Maradiaga (from Nicaragua; now 8-9-1). Italian featherweight Francesco Grandelli got to 14-1-1 with a UD6 win over Nicaraguan Cristian Narvaez (16-23-5). Italian 168er Ivan Zucco went 12-0 with his stoppage of countryman Pavel Zurgean (now 7-5). A ring doc looked inside the mouth of the loser and then told the ref that he was compromised. Mirko Natalizi went to 8-0, against 36 year old Croatian Frane Radnic (11-19). The loser went down twice in the third, and went to his corner, where the ref visited him. The ref didn't like what he saw and heard and signaled for a halt.

The matchmaking for this card was uninspired, to be charitable.