Paolo Roberto
 |
Paolo Roberto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Paolo Antonio Roberto 3 February 1969 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Welterweight |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 33 |
| Wins | 28 |
| Wins by KO | 13 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 0 |
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.
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. 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 windy weather 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.[12][13]
Professional boxing record
| 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
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c "Paolo Roberto". BoxRec.com. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Armand Krajnc vs. Paolo Roberto". Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Lujan Wins WBO Belt Against Roberto". Associated Press. 5 October 2003. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ "Kärleksparen i "Let's dance"". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 13 January 2006. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Paolo vill spela – sig själv". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 30 August 2007. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Ilskan mot Paulo Roberto – efter skämtet". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Paolo Robertos svar på hårda kritiken av Gudrun Schyman". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Paolo Roberto köpte sex – får sparken av TV4 • Rix FM avbryter". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Tv-profil erkänner sexköp". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
External links
- Boxing record for Paolo Roberto from BoxRec (registration required)
- Paolo Roberto at IMDb
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