Former welterweight boxing world champion Giovanni Parisi was killed here Wednesday night when his automobile was involved in a head-on collision with a truck.
The 42-year-old Parisi was considered Italy's best boxer best for a decade between the latter half of the 1980s and first half of the 1990s.
He was nicknamed 'Flash' for his fast and powerful right which with his technical approach to boxing helped him accumulate a career record of 47 professional bouts with 41 victories, of 29 by knockout, five defeats and a draw.
Parisi won the feather weight gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and held the WBO light and light-welter championship belts before retiring in May 1998 after 40 fights with a record of 36 wins, one draw and three defeats
However, he returned the following year and fought another seven professional bouts, including a failed attempt for the WBO welterweight crown, winning five fights and losing two.
Parisi's quest to win a European title at the age of 39 ended in October 2006 when he was defeated on points by the then reigning European welter champ Frederic Klose.
