Erminio Spalla

Erminio Spalla (7 July 1897 – 14 August 1971) was an Italian professional heavyweight boxer, film actor and singer.

Erminio Spalla
Erminio Spalla in the 1920s
Statistics
Nickname(s)Occhiovivo
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Nationality Italy
Born(1897-07-07)7 July 1897
Borgo San Martino, Italy
Died14 August 1971(1971-08-14) (aged 74)
Rome, Italy
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights56
Wins42
Wins by KO31
Losses10
Draws3

Spalla studied fine arts in Brera, when in 1910 he saw film footage of the world boxing championships and decided to become a professional boxer. He was the first Italian to win a European boxing title, which he did in 1923. He lost it in 1926 to Paulino Uzcudun and retired from boxing the next year, though he briefly returned to the ring in 1934 and won all three of his final bouts.[1] He returned to art after retiring from the ring.

In October 1937 he debuted as an opera singer in Nel Trovatore in Turin.[2] In the same year he also worked in sculpture and painting.

In 1939 he acted in his first film, Io, suo padre by Mario Bonnard. This was followed by over fifty films and television series, including the war film Giarabub (1942).[3] His last film was I fratelli Karamazov by Sandro Bolchi (1969).[3]

His elder brother Giuseppe was also a boxer.[2]

Selected filmography

References
  1. Page, Joseph S. (2010) Primo Carnera: The Life and Career of the Heavyweight Boxing Champion. McFarland. p. 15
  2. Erminio Spalla. Boxrec
  3. Pisani, Leonardo (24 December 2014) Erminio Spalla: il primo vero campione del pugilato italiano. boxenews.com


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