I think this would be a good match up... Two white European fighters who were good amateurs and looked like they might have championship caliber skills as pros. Damiani has always been very interesting to me.. He looked to have very good boxing skills got a few good wins but suffered a major set back getting KO'd by one punch from Ray Mercer in a fight he was dominating.. Soon after that he'd be KO'd by another super tough opponent Oliver McCall (anyone know if there is any footage of that bout?). He called it a career after that defeat never getting a chance to challenge for the world title.. I believe he had the stuff to give a good challenge to most heavyweight champions of the 90's will never know though. Golota on the other hand had plenty of opportunities but he never seemed to be able to get things together mentally in his big chances... Later in his career he lost questionable decisions in title bids against Ruiz and Byrd but I feel he looked at his best leading up to and in the fights with Rid**** Bowe... Had these two met how do you think it would've played out?
Close decision either way. or possible late round tko either way. Golota usually did okay in technical boxing matches, which this would have been.
Yeah I don't see Damiani as being the type of opponent that made Golata go into one of his "freak out" modes. It took someone imposing to make him want to quit. What's more is Francesco wasn't much for taking it and Golata for all his shortcomings could dish it out.
this fight could go either way....Golota did not have the kind of power to take Francesco out of there like McCall and Mercer, well the one that fought Bowe did but he may find a way to mess that up. F.D. may squeeze out a SD but depending on the judges close SD either way
I liked Damiani back in the day. I felt he was one of very few European fighters who had anything in the late 80's to early 90's and who's career was hidden largely under the radar.. But he just couldn't take a punch well enough to go 10 or 12 with Golata.. Especially considering that Andrew had both the skills and reach to land on him.
Who knows! Golota was not a big one punch type of guy, but he had a lot of talent. In the end who did Golota ever beat without fouling? I like Damiani here because Golota when pressed fell apart.
Well, he didn't fall apart against Byrd and Ruiz. This fight is closer to those than Lewis, Brewster, etc.
In fairness to Damiani, the Mercer loss says nothing about his ability to take a punch. He wasn't 'knocked out.' That was a punch that shattered his nose, a more or less freak occurrence.
I think Golata would win a decision. Damiani wouldn't be able to hurt Andrew. I think Golata would outwork him for a decision.
The Pole is just too dirty, mean, nasty, and unpredictable to really make a accurate call:huh, he had Million dollar talent, and a 10 cent Brain:-( Damiani would win by DQ, he would frustrate the Pole who would **** away another fight that he was winning..
Man, this fight would've been fun! I'll go against the grain and say that I DO think Damiani had enough power in him to hurt Golota (He was the first man to knock out Du Plooy straight up, and he had been up against some pretty hard hitters up till then), but I don't think it would be enough. A good, rough jab fest until Andrew lands a right and likely breaks the Italian's nose. Poor Francesco and that nose of his just can't catch a break.
