INQUIRER Sports

MILAN ? Italian superheavy weight Roberto Camarelle smashed a one-punch bomb, a short and soundless left straight that stopped his foe from Belarus in 35 seconds of the first round, but it was Russia which made the biggest impact by putting a total of six fighters in Saturday?s finals of the XV World Boxing Championships here.

Camarelle, 28, Olympic gold winner in Beijing, knocked out Viktar Zuyev to arrange a gold-medal duel with Roman Kapitonenko of Ukraine.

The dynamite blast, which sent Zuyev down like a falling building, was driven with a smooth precision that defined Camarelle?s overall silken style.

There was neither rush nor urgency when the Italian southpaw cocked and unleashed what should go down as the single most devastating blow in the semifinal program, maybe the climax of the 12-day tournament that involved the world?s finest amateur boxers.

The crown erupted to celebrate its hometown hero, also called hereabouts as ?The Professor,? but it was powerhouse Russia, with six ready and able bidders for the gold that emerged from the semifinals assured of a dominant finish.

Cuba, aiming for a significant showing after going gold-less in the Beijing Olympics last year, stuttered and sent only a couple of boxers into the finals, the same number as that of host Italy, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

China and the United States have one finalist each.

Filipino Harry Tañamor, who figured in the light flyweight finals in Chicago 2007, was at the sidelines on Friday, together with his teammates, to observe and compile reports on the winning ways of successful countries here.

They will render individual reports, together with their coaches, which will be used in reforming the amateur boxing program at home.

They were scheduled to leave for home early Sunday and are expected in Manila Monday morning.

Together with lightweight Domenico Valentino, Camarelle will lead the Italian charge for the gold before an expectedly exultant crowd at the Mediolanum Forum.

But, great as Camarelle is, the world may not be able to enjoy and appreciate his silken fighting gifts.

Although there are foreign scouts here eyeing for future heavyweight pros, Camarelle, already 28, is bugged by a recurring back problem.

Kamen, a Bulgarian journalist who said he?s a friend of international boxing referee Bruce Mctavish, said Camarelle is a boxing wonderboy which the world may never see.