Paolo Roberto

Paolo Roberto (born 3 February 1969, in Upplands Väsby, Stockholms län) is a Swedish ex-boxer, actor, and former TV host of partial Italian descent.

Paolo Roberto
Statistics
Real namePaolo Antonio Roberto
Weight(s)Welterweight
NationalitySwedish
Born (1969-02-03) 3 February 1969
Stockholm, Sweden
StanceSouthpaw
Boxing record
Total fights33
Wins28
Wins by KO13
Losses4
Draws1
No contests0

Boxing career

Roberto started to compete professionally at the age of 24, but had earlier competed in kickboxing where he became Swedish champion, and before that Taekwondo where he became Nordic champion and repeated Swedish champion. He was known for fighting a lot in the street.[1]

He started off his career with four consecutive victories before running into trouble. After fighting a six-round draw against Roy Dehara he came back to the ring to be stopped in the second round against John Duckworth. His coach said in a post fight interview that Paolo refused to give up and that's probably why the referee stopped the fight. When asked about the incident Paolo simply said if he would give up in a street fight he would die. After his first loss he won fifteen straight fights before taking on the WBC light middleweight champion Javier Castillejo to whom he lost in the fifth round by referee stoppage. Roberto was behind on all scorecards at the time the fight was stopped.[2]

Roberto then moved up in weight to challenge fellow countryman Armand Krajnc[3] for his WBO middle weight title. In between those fights he had four wins. In the fight against Krajnc Roberto had the champion rocking on his feet in the opening round. A right hook stunned his opponent and he had to cover up against the ropes. Then later on in the fight Krajnc finally figured out his opponent and outboxed the smaller challenger.[4]

Roberto then went back to his original weight class welterweight where after three fights he won the vacant WBC International Welterweight title against Raul Eduardo Bejarano. He then vacated his belt to fight for the WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title against Wayne Martell. Roberto dominated the fight and was winning when in the tenth round Martell's cut above his eye had gotten so bad the ring doctor decided he had had enough. In his first defense of his WBO title Roberto got knocked out in the second round against Sebastian Andres Lujan.[2] He never fought professionally again.[2]

All of Roberto's boxing matches took place outside of Sweden, including his championship fights, which were held in the Åland Islands, because pro boxing has been banned in Sweden since 1969.[5]

Outside boxing

He was a participant in the first season of Let's Dance, the Swedish version of Dancing with the Stars.[6]

He married Lena Arrelöv on 31 December 2003. The couple have one son, Enzo Antonio Roberto, born in 2004, and one daughter, Elisa Roberto, born in 2007. Roberto and Arrelöv divorced in 2012. His early life is dramatized in the 1987 Swedish movie Stockholmsnatt. He is featured in some chapters of Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played with Fire and played himself in the film based on the book.[7][8]

Roberto has also talked openly of his conversion experience, which happened on a visit to St. Peter's in Rome. Wishing to approach the image of St. Michael the Archangel (the great "fighter" of the Heavenly Host), he was told he was not allowed in that roped off area. He asked, "Well, why can those people go in?" "They are going to confession," the guard replied. He thought of the empty life he had lived to his present, and told the guard, "Well, I'm going to confession, too." After over an hour with the priest, he said he felt renewed. The girl he had travelled to Rome with is now his wife, Lena Arrelöv. Roberto recounted this episode of his life to Marcus Grodi on the "Journey Home" show of EWTN.[9]

Scandals

In 2017, Roberto ended up on a couple of occasions in hot water for allegedly sexist jokes on social media, one in connection with metoo.[10] However, after criticism from, among others, Gudrun Schyman, Roberto defended himself with the fact that it was a joke and the truly terrible are sexually abusive acts.[11]

In May 2020, he was arrested on suspicion of buying sex from a young woman from another European country. The strike was made in an apartment in central Stockholm in a police operation. Roberto confirmed the sex purchase during a tv interview. In connection with this, he was dismissed from his program manager assignments on TV4 and dropped by the company representing his selling of Italian Food range Paolos.[12][13][14]

Professional boxing record
Professional record breakdown
33 matches 28 wins 4 losses
By knockout 13 3
By decision 15 1
Draws 1
Result Record Opponent Method Stadium Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 28 – 4 – 1 Sebastián Andrés Luján KO Baltic Hall, Mariehamn, Finland 4 October 2003 2 1:22 Mariehamn, Finland Loses WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title.
Win 28 – 3 – 1 Wayne Martell TKO (cuts) Kisahalli, Helsinki, Finland 2 February 2003 10 1:52 Helsinki, Finland Wins WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title.
Win 27 – 3 – 1 Raul Eduardo Bejarano UD Finland 16 November 2002 12 3:00 Helsinki, Finland Wins WBC International welterweight title.
Win 26 – 3 – 1 David Sarraille TKO Denmark, Odense Congress Center 30 August 2002 2 2:02 Odense, Denmark
Win 25 – 3 – 1 Gyorgy Bugyik TKO Gubbio, Umbria, Italy 6 June 2002 2 1:59 Gubbio, Italy
Win 24 – 3 – 1 Ron Pasek KO Cirkusbygningen, Copenhagen, Denmark 6 April 2002 3 2:45 Copenhagen, Denmark Return to welterweight division.
Loss 23 – 3 – 1 Armand Krajnc UD Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany 13 November 2001 12 3:00 Lübeck, Germany For WBO middleweight title.
Win 23 – 2 – 1 Luiz Augusto Dos Santos MD Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary 6 June 2001 8 3:00 Budapest, Hungary
Win 22 – 2 -1 Edwin Murillo KO Estrel Convention Center, Neukölln, Berlin, Germany 10 October 2000 1 0:50 Berlin, Germany
Win 21 – 2 – 1 Anthony Ivory UD FTC Stadium, Budapest, Hungary 28 August 2000 8 3:00 Budapest, Hungary
Win 20 – 2 – 1 Henry Hughes TKO Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany 4 June 2000 2 1:51 Hannover, Germany
Loss 19 – 2 – 1 Javier Castillejo TKO Pabellon Europa, Leganes, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain 19 September 1999 7 1:47 Madrid, Spain For WBC light middleweight title.
Win 19 – 1 – 1 Stefan Dimitrov TKO Plaza de Toros La Cubierta, Leganes, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain 14 April 1999 6 0:32 Madrid, Spain
Win 18 – 1 – 1 Jesus Mayorga UD Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 13 February 1999 8 3:00 Las Vegas, USA
Win 17 – 1 – 1 David Baptiste TKO Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom 19 December 1998 6 2:51 Liverpool, United Kingdom
Win 16 – 1 – 1 Djemal Mehmedov TKO York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom 26 September 1998 4 2:48 York, United Kingdom
Win 15 – 1 – 1 Armando Briganti SD Pesaro, Marche, Italy 29 May 1998 8 3:00 Pesaro, Italy
Win 14 – 1 – 1 Darryl Ruffin UD Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States 28 February 1998 8 3:00 New Jersey, USA
Win 13 – 1 – 1 Darren Covill PTS Lee Valley Leisure Centre, Picketts Lock, London, United Kingdom 31 January 1998 6 3:00 London, United Kingdom
Win 12 – 1 – 1 Viktor Fesechko PTS Alexandra Pavilion, Muswell Hill, London, United Kingdom 14 October 1997 8 3:00 London, United Kingdom
Win 11 – 1 – 1 Danny Quacoe PTS San Gennaro Vesuviano, Campania, Italy 9 August 1997 8 3:00 San Gennaro Vesuviano, Italy
Win 10 – 1 – 1 Steve Goodwin PTS Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom 5 July 1997 6 3:00 Glasgow, United Kingdom
Win 9 – 1 – 1 Paul King PTS Brondby hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark 24 January 1997 6 3:00 Copenhagen, Denmark
Win 8 – 1 – 1 Habib Ben Salah TKO Le Caire, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France 19 September 1996 5 2:02 Le Caire, France
Win 7 – 1 – 1 Josef Presinsky UD Walsleben, Brandenburg, Germany 16 June 1996 6 3:00 Brandenburg, Germany
Win 6 – 1 – 1 Carl Winstone PTS Elephant & Castle Centre, Southwark, London, United Kingdom 29 November 1995 4 3:00 London, United Kingdom
Win 5 – 1 – 1 Ernie Loveridge PTS Town Hall, Battersea, London, United Kingdom 21 September 1995 4 3:00 London, United Kingdom
Loss 4 – 1 – 1 Dusty Miller TKO York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom 27 April 1995 2 2:28 London, United Kingdom
Draw 4 – 0 – 1 John Duckworth PTS Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom 7 November 1994 6 3:00 London, United Kingdom
Win 4–0 Roy Dehara KO York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom 29 September 1994 1 2:00 London, United Kingdom
Win 3–0 John Hughes TKO Tooting, London, United Kingdom 2 June 1994 1 0:21 London, United Kingdom
Win 2–0 Zoltan Dano PTS Budapest, Hungary 27 February 1994 4 3:00 Budapest, Hungary
Win 1–0 Laszlo Molnar TKO Turku, Finland 18 December 1993 2 1:21 Turku, Finland Boxing debut for Roberto.

Minor titles held
Preceded by
Vacant		 WBC International welterweight title
16 November 2002 – 2 February 2003
Vacates		 Succeeded by
Alpaslan Aguzum
Preceded by
Vacant		 WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
2 February 2003 – 4 October 2003		 Succeeded by
Sebastián Andrés Luján

References
  1. "Paolo Roberto på Nolia: Respekt kan du bara få – inte ta". Nolia.se (in Swedish). 14 February 2008. Archived from the original on 14 August 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  2. "Paolo Roberto". BoxRec.com. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  3. "Sportbladet granskar Paolo Roberto och Armand Krajnc inför kvällens titelfight – övertag för mästaren". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 3 November 2001. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  4. "Armand Krajnc vs. Paolo Roberto". Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  5. "Lujan Wins WBO Belt Against Roberto". Associated Press. 5 October 2003. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  6. "Kärleksparen i "Let's dance"". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 13 January 2006. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  7. "Paolo vill spela – sig själv". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 30 August 2007. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  8. Persson, Magnus (14 September 2010). "Recension: Larsson, Stieg - Luftslottet som sprängdes". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 November 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  9. Marcus Grodi, Paolo Roberto (15 November 2010). The Journey Home Show (Radio). EWTN. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  10. "Ilskan mot Paulo Roberto – efter skämtet". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  11. "Paolo Robertos svar på hårda kritiken av Gudrun Schyman". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  12. "Paolo Roberto köpte sex – får sparken av TV4 • Rix FM avbryter". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  13. "Tv-profil erkänner sexköp". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  14. "Livsmedelsvarumärket "Paolos" avbryter alla samarbeten med Paolo Roberto". PALOS.SE (in Swedish). 2020-05-16. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
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