Italian boxing legend Giovanni 'Nino' Benvenuti dies at 87

ROME: Italian boxing great Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti has died at the age of 87, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) announced on Tuesday. The cause of death has not yet been officially disclosed.

Benvenuti rose to international fame after winning the Olympic gold medal for Italy in the welterweight division at the 1960 Rome Games.

Born in the Istria region, he was also awarded the prestigious Val Barker Trophy, recognising him as the most outstanding boxer of the tournament.

That same year, a young American named Cassius Clay — later known as Muhammad Ali — won gold in the light heavyweight division.

Following his Olympic triumph, Benvenuti launched a successful professional boxing career, eventually becoming a world champion in two weight classes during the 1960s.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to Benvenuti for both his sporting achievements and his advocacy for Italians who suffered under Yugoslav partisans after World War II.

"Thank you, Nino, for your fights in the ring and for those in defense of the truth. Italy will not forget you," Meloni wrote on social media.

After initially losing his crown, Benvenuti moved up to the middleweight division and claimed another world title in 1967 by defeating American Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden.

Though Griffith won their rematch later that year, Benvenuti reclaimed the title in 1968 in their third encounter.

Benvenuti's reign as champion came to an end in 1970 when Argentine boxer Carlos Monzon defeated him in Rome, marking the conclusion of a storied chapter in Italian boxing history.