Clemente Russo in the ring at 44. Tatanka’s comeback

“Fifty per cent will come to see me lose, fifty per cent to see me win. One thing’s for sure: one hundred per cent will come for me. I’m a positive person and the important thing is that people are talking about it.” Russo is unfazed by criticism or the scornful judgements of those who disapprove of his return to the ring, especially as it marks his professional debut. Five years after his retirement, the 44-year-old boxer from Campania will face the reigning Italian light-heavyweight champion Momo Elmaghraby – who is 14 years his junior – on 21 November at the Allianz Cloud in Milan.

Following the announcement during the latest episode of Pressing on Canale 5, Russo shared the details from Sofia, where he is supporting the Azzurri at the European Championships in his capacity as head coach of the elite national boxing team. “The lads are on their lunch break now and I’m making the most of it to train, as you can see,” he says, pointing to the vest he is wearing. “The priority is not to take up their space or time, which is why I’ve been training at night for months.” The idea had been in the pipeline for a while, proposed by Edoardo Germani of TAF (The Art of Fighting, the organisation that organises boxing events in Italy). “Whilst coaching the younger lads, I realised I hadn’t lost certain qualities, from speed to my reflexes. But until you actually try to put your head in an opponent’s gloves, you never know whether you’re ready or not. I gave it a go, felt ready and gave the go-ahead.” Although “I would have chosen a different opponent. Elmaghraby fights in a lower weight class, although he’s now bulked up to move into mine (the bout will be contested at the 93 kg limit, ed.). What’s more, he has a record of 15 wins with no draws or losses; I wouldn’t have minded someone a bit lighter.” The initial plan “was to face Jonathan Kogasso, but he turned it down. It would have been even tougher.”

Opponents aside, Russo’s real challenge lies elsewhere. “I’m already pleased to have got back into the game. I’ve always wanted to remain an athlete; I’ve never let myself go since retiring, both for aesthetic reasons and for health reasons. Our body is our Formula 1 car. I’ve never liked coaches who let themselves go, who ‘let themselves slide’. Following a strict programme again gives me a buzz and already feels like a victory, even if it means giving up my evening beer.” Nonetheless, even with meticulous self-care, certain elements can slip away over five years: “At the moment I’m focusing mainly on the physical and athletic side of things. The technical side worries me less – it’s like riding a bike – and I’ll work on that in the final month. Right now I need to shed a bit of a paunch and get my breath back. At my age, I need shorter training sessions, partly to avoid damaging the muscle fibres.”

There are a few question marks, but not enough to shake the confidence of Tatanka, a two-time world champion in 2007 and 2013, and an Olympic silver medallist in Beijing and London. As an amateur. “I have never competed in any of the four professional organisations. In the past, however, I spent six years as a semi-professional, boxing five-round bouts with a seven-round final, winning the World Championship. Then I spent two years as a professional with AIBA, the former World Boxing Federation, where I qualified via the eight-round circuit for the Rio Olympics.” For Russo, his professional debut may not coincide with his last fight: “You can compete up to the age of 45. I’ll turn 45 in July, and perhaps we’ll manage to organise a third bout with Usyk.” Russo beat the Ukrainian in the quarter-finals of the 2008 Olympic tournament, only to be defeated in the final four years later. “It would be a fitting farewell to boxing,” he muses. The idea excites him; even through the screen, you can see he’s raring to go. First, however, there’s Elmaghraby to test himself against. “It’ll be a proper fight. It was originally meant to be an exhibition bout, but due to various technicalities, it couldn’t go ahead. So I decided to actually fight, by registering with a foreign federation. The Italian federation won’t allow it unless you’ve had matches in the last year. So I’m coming from abroad to compete in Italy.”

But why on earth is he doing it? “Certainly not for the money, nor for the fame – I’ve got plenty of both. I think I can be a role model for my own generation and for younger people too. I don’t want to teach my students based on memories; I’d rather stay active and on the same wavelength as them. The Federation are delighted; they know there could be a significant boost to their image.” Whether it was for his victories, his style of fighting with his guard down, or his television appearances, Russo has got people talking about boxing like very few others have done over the last 20 years. He’ll do it again for one more night, even if it means giving the 50 per cent of the crowd who aren’t so keen a reason to cheer. “I want to win, but if defeat comes my way, I can still say I gave it my best shot.”