Nino La Rocca

Nino La Rocca, born Cheid Tidjani Sidibe on 5 April 1959 in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, became one of Italy’s most recognisable boxers of the 1980s. Fighting as a welterweight and standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, he used an orthodox stance and a style built on speed, athleticism, and eye-catching movement. Though born in West Africa, La Rocca settled in Italy and represented the country throughout his professional career, becoming a crowd favourite in venues across the nation. He compiled a career record of 74 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws, with 54 victories inside the distance, across an active career that stretched from September 1978 until April 1990.

La Rocca entered the professional ranks on 14 September 1978 in Paris, stopping Jean Paul Coppyn inside a round. He boxed frequently in his first few years, travelling between France, Mali, and Italy, and developing a reputation for sharp hand speed and an ability to end contests quickly. In December 1978, he won by third-round knockout in Bamako, and in March 1979, he outpointed Claude Lancastre in Paris. By the time he had established himself fully on the Italian circuit in the early 1980s, La Rocca had strung together more than 20 consecutive wins, many of them early knockouts. Notable names among his victims included Sammy Rookard, Floyd Pearson, and Ralph Twinning, who entered their bouts with winning records but were all beaten convincingly. His activity during this period was remarkable: in 1980 alone, he fought 14 times, winning every bout and often competing only weeks apart.

One of La Rocca’s first international highlights came in June 1981 at the Felt Forum in New York, where he outpointed Milton Seward over eight rounds. For an Italian-based fighter, winning on American soil against a respected opponent demonstrated his potential to operate beyond the domestic stage. Back in Europe, he maintained his momentum, racking up victories against opponents such as Pat Thomas, Clauzelle Longmire, and the durable Jimmy Heair, whom he stopped in the first round. By 1983, La Rocca had developed into a genuine contender, and that year proved to be one of the most important in his career.

In July 1983, he outpointed former world title challenger Pete Ranzany in Rome, then defeated Jerry Cheatham two months later at Madison Square Garden, another statement victory in New York. He continued his strong run by earning decisions over Manning Galloway and Harold Volbrecht, both respected names in the division, solidifying his position as a fighter on the rise. With a long unbeaten streak, La Rocca was rewarded with a WBA welterweight title shot against Donald Curry on 22 September 1984 in Monte Carlo. Curry was an outstanding champion, regarded as one of the finest welterweights of his era, and La Rocca entered the bout as a clear underdog. He fought bravely but was stopped in the sixth round, a defeat that nonetheless placed him among the small circle of fighters who challenged Curry during his peak years.

The loss to Curry marked the high point of La Rocca’s career in terms of international recognition, but he continued to box at a solid level in the years that followed. He returned with a win over Felipe Canela in Las Vegas, showing his determination to fight abroad. However, setbacks followed, including a stoppage defeat to Jerome Kinney in 1985 and a disqualification loss to future world champion René Jacquot in 1986. These results, combined with his failure to secure another world title shot, meant that his career gradually shifted back towards the European scene. Still, La Rocca remained active, fighting often and continuing to headline shows in Italy.

From 1987 onwards, he put together a series of victories against opponents such as Mike Castronova, Boubeker Cherif, Brahim Messaoudi, and Judas Clottey. Though many of these fights were held at smaller venues, they kept La Rocca busy and preserved his place in the Italian boxing landscape. One of his most significant late-career wins came on 15 April 1989, when he scored a unanimous decision over Britain’s Kirkland Laing in Vasto. Laing was a talented and unpredictable fighter best known for defeating Roberto Durán in 1982, and La Rocca’s victory added credibility to his résumé during his later years.

Following the win over Laing, La Rocca captured further wins against Alfredo Costas and Angel Hernandez, but his career began to wind down. In December 1989, he travelled to Amiens to face Antoine Fernandez for the European welterweight title, losing by unanimous decision over 12 rounds. His final fight came on 8 April 1990 in Casella, Italy, where he was disqualified against the unbeaten Luis Garcia. After more than eleven years in the ring, La Rocca retired with 82 professional bouts to his name.

La Rocca’s style combined fast hands, lively footwork, and an emphasis on volume rather than single-punch knockout power. His ability to overwhelm opponents with activity and sharp combinations made him a fan-friendly fighter, particularly in Italy, where his flair and charisma ensured strong followings at arenas in Rome, Milan, and beyond. While he never managed to capture a world title, his challenge of Donald Curry remains a career-defining moment and a testament to his standing among Europe’s top welterweights of the 1980s. His long undefeated run in the first half of his career, his willingness to fight abroad, and his victories over respected opponents such as Ranzany, Cheatham, Volbrecht, and Laing have secured him a place in Italian boxing history.

Although La Rocca’s career is sometimes remembered as one of unfulfilled world-level potential, his achievements speak to consistency, longevity, and popularity. He remains a respected figure among those who followed European boxing in the 1980s, symbolising a time when Italian boxing regularly produced contenders who tested themselves against the very best in the world. His professional journey, beginning in Paris in 1978 and ending in Casella in 1990, reflects both the opportunities and challenges of a talented fighter navigating the highly competitive welterweight division of his era.