Welterweight (≤67 kilograms), Men

The Italians pinned their hopes on their best boxer in 1960, Nino Benvenuti, who had been European light-middleweight champion in 1957 and 1959 and was already a five-time Italian champion. Benvenuti won four bouts in Rome by unanimous decision to make the final against the Soviet Yury Radonyak, a relative unknown. Benvenuti knocked down Radonyak in the first round, but although the Soviet came back strongly, he would lose a majority decision, 4-1. For his victory, Benvenuti was awarded the Val Barker Trophy as the best boxer at the Rome Olympics. Benvenuti then turned professional and in 1967 defeated Emile Griffith to win the world welterweight title. He lost a re-match against Griffith, but they fought again in March 1968, with Benvenuti winning the rubber match. He then held the world title through November 1970 before losing it to Carlos Monzon. Benvenuti retired after losing a re-match to Monzon in May 1971, finishing with a career professional record of 82 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw. He is considered by many boxing experts as Italy’s greatest ever fighter. After his boxing career ended he became a businessman and sports commentator, and then in 1995 travelled to India, renouncing the material world to volunteer at Mother Teresa’s Hospice.