Bahía Blanca, “The Final Round: A Tribute to Nino Benvenuti”

A few months after his passing, the Consulate General of Italy in Bahía Blanca organised on 9 September "The Final Round: A Tribute to Nino Benvenuti", as part of the Italian Sport Day in the World.

The event honoured the sporting and human legacy of Nino Benvenuti, a figure widely known and deeply appreciated in Argentina, across generations. The tribute featured the exceptional participation of Osvaldo Principi - Argentina's most renowned and respected boxing presenter, commentator and journalist - who also worked in Italy for two years during his long career.

In an exclusive interview conducted by Principi in 2020 for Argentine television, Benvenuti shared personal memories with the audience, including his special connection to Argentina, the emotion of fighting at Madison Square Garden in New York, the responsibility of being both Olympic and world champion, his relationship with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and his intellectual honesty in acknowledging the merit of his opponents.

Musical and artistic interludes - including tango performances dedicated to boxing - helped complete the portrait of Benvenuti, who became de facto a true ambassador of Italian sport in Argentina. His popularity, both in and out of the ring, during and after his legendary matches with Carlos Monzón, earned him this distinction.

This was demonstrated not only by the large audience, which filled one of the city's largest venues, but also by the diversity of participants who came to pay tribute to Benvenuti: from Argentina's former champions (such as Carlos María Giménez) to the present and future of the local boxing scene (including Neri Muñoz).

The event was officially recognised as being of municipal interest, and Principi was named guest of honour of the city.

"The Final Round" also provided an opportunity to highlight the extraordinary economic value generated by Italian sport, as emphasised by Consul General Nicola Bazzani in his opening remarks.