Domenico Bernasconi

Domenico Bernasconi’s first sporting involvement was on the waters of Lake Como as a rower until the age of 18, when he moved to Milano and discovered boxing. He won the Italian amateur bantamweight title in 1922 and appeared at the Paris Olympics two years later. He turned professional in January 1925, making his début against Giuseppe Gaggiula.

Bernasconi first challenged for the European bantamweight title in December 1925 but lost to the Belgian Henri Scillie. He eventually captured the title in 1929 with a win over another Belgian, Nicolas Petit-Biquet. After one successful defence he lost the title to Spaniard Carlos Flix just six months after winning it. He regained it in 1932 before having his only crack at a world title (IBU bantamweight), in a controversial bout against Panama Al Brown at Milano in 1933. Bernasconi knocked Brown to the canvas in fourth round and although he seemed unable to continue, he recovered and went on to win the fight.

After quitting the ring in 1935, Bernasconi opened a drugstore in Coney Island (USA), where he had settled with his wife Ida Martini, a famous Broadway dancer.