Piero Del Papa is dead, the former boxer was 80 years old. He also acted with Bud Spencer
ROME – Former boxing champion Piero Del Papa died today in Pisa. He was 80 and was sick for a long time. In 1962 he became an Italian heavyweight champion, a title he held until 1964 and in 1966 he also won the European title. After his sporting career he acted as his shoulder in two films with Bud Spencer in "Lo chiamavano Bulldozer", a film entirely shot between Tirrenia and Marina di Pisa, and in "Bomber".
Of the Pope in "They called him Buldozer" he interpreted the role of the barber Osvaldo who showed himself to be a tough guy, but that at the end supported all the requests of the protagonist. In Pisa he also founded a boxing school in the late eighties.
In 'Lo Chiamavano Bulldozer', filmed between Tirrenia and Marina di Pisa, Del Papa played Osvaldo, a barber who pretended to be a tough guy but who at the end revealed to Bud Spencer all the information he asked for. Sketch really entered the myth of Italian cinema. In boxing, Del Papa won the Italian and European title in light heavyweight. Many messages of condolences of the common people, including many also that of Pisa Calcio.
Piero Del Papa in 1960 conquered the national amateur title and was then summoned by Steve Klaus for the XVII Olympics in Rome. From the same year, in 1962 he conquered the title of Italian light heavyweight champion, which he held until 1964. In 1966 he conquered the European title, also of the light heavyweight, beating Giulio Rinaldi in Rome. He retained the continental title – for which he fought 11 times with 7 victories – until 1967, regaining it in 1970 and losing it in 1971: that year he faced the world champion Vicente Rondon in Caracas with the title at stake, but was defeated for KO in the first round.
Piero Del Papa, in addition to Lo Chiamavano Bulldozer, also took part in 8 other films that saw him among the protagonists: among these 'Dear Daddy' with Vittorio Gasmann (Del Papa loved to remember going to Cannes with the troupe) and Yesterday , today and tomorrow 'by Vittorio De Sica, to which he took part as an appearance and who won the Oscar in 1965 as best foreign film.
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Source: Blitz Quotidiano