By Fabian Weber - Reporting from Tarvisio, Italy
03.09 - On September 14 WBO lightweight world champion Artur Grigorian, 34-0 (22 KOs), will be challenged by an athletic and highly motivated Italian warrior: Former WBA champion Stefano Zoff. Despite of his age of 36 he is a top-10 lightweight contender worldwide and holds the European crown.
However, Zoff’s body tells that his ambitions still don’t end with the European title. It’s because he carries a tattoo reading “World Champ” which were pricked into his upper arms in 1999 after his victory over WBA world champion Julian Lorcy.
Zoff had good reasons to be proud of his victory. Despite of the home town advantage of the highly regarded Frenchman who at that point had only lost one of his 39 pro fights Zoff captured the World Boxing Association title in Le Cannet with a close split decision in August three years ago.
“I can not describe how happy I was when I became world champion in 1999”, Zoff, 38-7-2 (16 KOs), remembers. “This was the inspiration of a whole life.”
That’s why it was an even deeper disappointment when the Italian pugilist who is also marked with several other tattoos all over his body lost the world title just three months later. In his first title defense in Las Vegas Zoff lost by TKO to Gilberto Serano. The referee stopped the fight in round 10 after the Italian suffered several serious cut injuries.
“When I lost my title to Gilberto Serano I was not really in great shape. I was having a bad day and Serano in contrast had a very good day. Usually I would beat Serano any time.”
There is no doubt that Zoff will be in great shape this time. He is training intensive and highly motivated since many weeks. His preparation residence is Tarvisio, a North Italian holiday village, surrounded by mountains and a picturesque landscape. Zoff is working out four hours a day, together with his long time coach Elio Tricario: Two hours in the morning, two hours in the evening. In the morning Zoff is making 12 km runs, in the evening he spars and is doing other exercises.
“It’s the first time I chose Tarvisio as place to prepare myself”, Zoff explains who beside his Italian mother tongue speaks some English.
“I went to the mountains to be even more concentrated and work out more effective”, the athletic and wiry Zoff said. “Tarvisio is a very quiet place and I have many friends here.”
The man from Monfalcone (Gulf of Trieste, 150 km from Venice) is convinced that he will manage to cause another sensation on September 14 when he challenges the undefeated WBO king Artur Grigorian. Since he lost his own world title Zoff celebrated a highly successful comeback. He won nine fights in a row and captured the European championship, a title he had also won as a featherweight. He won the EBU 135 lb. crown in May of last year with a knockout over Djamel Lifa and defended it twice successfully, both times scoring KOs as well.
“I’m preparing for this fight for my whole life. I come to Germany to win. I come to Germany to defeat the great champion Grigorian.. It’s not only Grigorian who I will challenge. I challenge a great German boxing team and a big boxing organization. I respect the WBO and now I want to become a champion of this organization myself.”
“I have respect for Grigorian. He is an incredibly successful champion. His success has also something to do with his great team. Combined they are simply top. He made 15 title defenses. This is outstanding. But the fight against me will be one title defense too much.”
The training and sparring of Zoff is specifically orientated on Grigorian’s appearance. Zoff is sparring (behind closed doors) with Italian middleweight contender Cristian Sanavia, 25-1 (11 KOs), a former European champion - and southpaw like Grigorian. Sanvia.
“Grigorian is a real strong champ, very strong for a lightweight. That’s why I chose a middleweight as sparring partner. He is giving me a good sense of Grigorian’s physic. At the same time my sparring partner is southpaw of course”, Zoff explains and notes that Sanavia will shortly challenge Jerry Elliot for the WBC international title in Germany.
In front of his possibly last big hurray Zoff didn’t neglect tactical preparation either. He studies video tapes of Grigorian and has even been watching the WBO champion live on one occasion. In February 2000 he went to Berlin when Grigorian defended his title against Zoff’s Italian countryman Sandro Casamonica.
“Of course I know that it will become extremely hard for me. Grigorian is a great champion and he has the home town advantage. Still I’m very positive that I will beat him.”
“After my victory I will come back to Tarvisio with Grigorian’s crown and have a big party here.”
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