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Paolo Roberto
Paolo Roberto in August 2013.jpg
Statistics
Real name Paolo Antonio Roberto
Rated at Welterweight
Nationality Swedish
Born (1969-02-03) 3 February 1969 (age 55)
Stockholm, Sweden
Stance Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights 33
Wins 28
Wins by KO 13
Losses 4
Draws 1
No contests 0

Paolo Roberto (born 3 February 1969) is a Swedish actor, television presenter, restauranteur and ex-boxer of partial Italian descent. During his boxing career he held several titles. He has starred in several movies and hosted several television programs, including as host of the cooking show Primo Paolo. His acting debut was in Stockholmsnatt, where he starred himself in a dramatization of his early life.

Boxing career

Roberto was born in Upplands Väsby, Stockholms län. He started to compete professionally at the age of 24, but had earlier competed in kickboxing where he became Swedish champion, and before that Taekwondo where he became Nordic champion and repeated Swedish champion. He was known for fighting a lot in the street.

He started off his career with four consecutive victories before running into trouble. After fighting a six-round draw against Roy Dehara he came back to the ring to be stopped in the second round against John Duckworth. His coach said in a post fight interview that Paolo refused to give up and that's probably why the referee stopped the fight. When asked about the incident Paolo simply said if he would give up in a street fight he would die. After his first loss he won fifteen straight fights before taking on the WBC light middleweight champion Javier Castillejo to whom he lost in the fifth round by referee stoppage. Roberto was behind on all scorecards at the time the fight was stopped.

Roberto then moved up in weight to challenge fellow countryman Armand Krajnc for his WBO middle weight title. In between those fights he had four wins. In the fight against Krajnc Roberto had the champion rocking on his feet in the opening round. A right hook stunned his opponent and he had to cover up against the ropes. Then later on in the fight Krajnc finally figured out his opponent and outboxed the smaller challenger.

Roberto then went back to his original weight class welterweight where after three fights he won the vacant WBC International Welterweight title against Raul Eduardo Bejarano. He then vacated his belt to fight for the WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title against Wayne Martell. Roberto dominated the fight and was winning when in the tenth round Martell's cut above his eye had gotten so bad the ring doctor decided he had had enough. In his first defense of his WBO title Roberto got knocked out in the second round against Sebastian Andres Lujan. He never fought professionally again.

All of Roberto's boxing matches took place outside of Sweden, including his championship fights, which were held in Åland, because pro boxing has been banned in Sweden since 1969.

Outside boxing

He was a participant in the first season of Let's Dance, the Swedish version of Dancing with the Stars.

He married Lena Arrelöv on 31 December 2003. The couple have one son, Enzo Antonio Roberto, born in 2004, and one daughter, Elisa Roberto, born in 2007. Roberto and Arrelöv divorced in 2012. His early life is dramatized in the 1987 Swedish movie Stockholmsnatt. He is featured in some chapters of Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played with Fire and played himself in the film based on the book.

Roberto has also talked openly of his conversion experience, which happened on a visit to St. Peter's in Rome. Wishing to approach the image of St. Michael the Archangel (the great "fighter" of the Heavenly Host), he was told he was not allowed in that roped off area. He asked, "Well, why can those people go in?" "They are going to confession," the guard replied. He thought of the empty life he had lived to his present, and told the guard, "Well, I'm going to confession, too." After over an hour with the priest, he said he felt renewed. The girl he had travelled to Rome with is now his wife, Lena Arrelöv. Roberto recounted this episode of his life to Marcus Grodi on the "Journey Home" show of EWTN.

Professional boxing record

Professional record breakdown
33 matches 28 wins 4 losses
By knockout 13 3
By decision 15 1
Draws 1
Result Record Opponent Method Stadium Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 28–4–1 Argentina Sebastián Andrés Luján KO Baltic Hall, Mariehamn, Finland 4 October 2003 2 1:22 Finland Mariehamn, Finland Loses WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
Win 28–3–1 United States Wayne Martell TKO (cuts) Kisahalli, Helsinki, Finland 2 February 2003 10 1:52 Finland Helsinki, Finland Wins WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
Win 27–3–1 Argentina Raul Eduardo Bejarano UD Finland 16 November 2002 12 3:00 Finland Helsinki, Finland Wins WBC International welterweight title
Win 26–3–1 France David Sarraille TKO Denmark, Odense Congress Center 30 August 2002 2 2:02 Denmark Odense, Denmark
Win 25–3–1 Hungary Gyorgy Bugyik TKO Gubbio, Umbria, Italy 6 June 2002 2 1:59 Italy Gubbio, Italy
Win 24–3–1 Canada Ron Pasek KO Cirkusbygningen, Copenhagen, Denmark 6 April 2002 3 2:45 Denmark Copenhagen, Denmark
Loss 23–3–1 Sweden Armand Krajnc UD Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany 13 November 2001 12 3:00 Germany Lübeck, Germany For WBO middleweight title
Win 23–2–1 Brazil Luiz Augusto Dos Santos MD Kisstadion, Budapest, Hungary 6 June 2001 8 3:00 Hungary Budapest, Hungary
Win 22–2–1 Panama Edwin Murillo KO Estrel Convention Center, Neukölln, Berlin, Germany 10 October 2000 1 0:50 Germany Berlin, Germany
Win 21–2–1 United States Anthony Ivory UD FTC Stadium, Budapest, Hungary 28 August 2000 8 3:00 Hungary Budapest, Hungary
Win 20–2–1 United States Henry Hughes TKO Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany 4 June 2000 2 1:51 Germany Hannover, Germany
Loss 19–2–1 Spain Javier Castillejo TKO Pabellon Europa, Leganes, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain 19 September 1999 7 1:47 Spain Madrid, Spain For WBC light middleweight title
Win 19–1–1 Bulgaria Stefan Dimitrov TKO Plaza de Toros La Cubierta, Leganes, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain 14 April 1999 6 0:32 Spain Madrid, Spain
Win 18–1–1 Mexico Jesús Mayorga UD Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 13 February 1999 8 3:00 United States Las Vegas, USA
Win 17–1–1 United Kingdom David Baptiste TKO Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool, Merseyside, England 19 December 1998 6 2:51 United Kingdom Liverpool, England
Win 16–1–1 Bulgaria Djemal Mehmedov TKO York, Yorkshire, England 26 September 1998 4 2:48 United Kingdom York, England
Win 15–1–1 Italy Armando Briganti SD Pesaro, Marche, Italy 29 May 1998 8 3:00 Italy Pesaro, Italy
Win 14–1–1 United States Darryl Ruffin UD Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States 28 February 1998 8 3:00 United States New Jersey, USA
Win 13–1–1 United Kingdom Darren Covill PTS Lee Valley Leisure Centre, Picketts Lock, London, England 31 January 1998 6 3:00 United Kingdom London, England
Win 12–1–1 Ukraine Viktor Fesechko PTS Alexandra Pavilion, Muswell Hill, London, England 14 October 1997 8 3:00 United Kingdom London, England
Win 11–1–1 United Kingdom Danny Quacoe PTS San Gennaro Vesuviano, Campania, Italy 9 August 1997 8 3:00 Italy San Gennaro Vesuviano, Italy
Win 10–1–1 United Kingdom Steve Goodwin PTS Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland 5 July 1997 6 3:00 United Kingdom Glasgow, Scotland
Win 9–1–1 United Kingdom Paul King PTS Brondby hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark 24 January 1997 6 3:00 Denmark Copenhagen, Denmark
Win 8–1–1 Morocco Habib Ben Salah TKO Le Caire, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France 19 September 1996 5 2:02 France Le Caire, France
Win 7–1–1 Slovakia Josef Presinsky UD Walsleben, Brandenburg, Germany 16 June 1996 6 3:00 Germany Brandenburg, Germany
Win 6–1–1 United Kingdom Carl Winston PTS Elephant & Castle Centre, Southwark, London, England 29 November 1995 4 3:00 United Kingdom London, England
Win 5–1–1 United Kingdom Ernie Loveridge PTS Town Hall, Battersea, London, England 21 September 1995 4 3:00 United Kingdom London, England
Loss 4 – 1 – 1 United Kingdom Dusty Miller TKO York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England 27 April 1995 2 2:28 United Kingdom London, England
Draw 4–0–1 United Kingdom John Duckworth PTS Piccadilly, London, England 7 November 1994 6 3:00 United Kingdom London, England
Win 4–0 United Kingdom Roy Dehara KO York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England 29 September 1994 1 2:00 United Kingdom London, England
Win 3–0 United Kingdom John Hughes TKO Tooting, London, England 2 June 1994 1 0:21 United Kingdom London, England
Win 2–0 Hungary Zoltan Dano PTS Budapest, Hungary 27 February 1994 4 3:00 Hungary Budapest, Hungary
Win 1–0 Hungary Laszlo Molnar TKO Turku, Finland 18 December 1993 2 1:21 Finland Turku, Finland

Minor titles held

Preceded by
Vacant
WBC International welterweight title
16 November 2002 – 2 February 2003
Vacates
Succeeded by
Alpaslan Aguzum
Preceded by
Vacant
WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
2 February 2003 – 4 October 2003
Succeeded by
Sebastián Andrés Luján

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Paolo Roberto para niños

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