Vianello, a former Italian Olympian with dreams of bringing a heavyweight title fight to the Roman Coliseum, entered the ring as an undefeated prospect with a record of 9-0-1. He had spent years training in Las Vegas, even sparring with the likes of Tyson Fury, to hone the speed and ring IQ necessary to climb the heavyweight ranks.
Watch the full battle between the Italian 'Gladiator' and the Scottish 'Ghost' in Rome: Guido Vianello - Jay McFarlane - Video 3
In contrast, Jay McFarlane was a "colorful character" from a rough area of Glasgow, Scotland. Coming in as a heavy underdog, McFarlane viewed the fight as a life-changing opportunity to secure a contract with Top Rank. He arrived in Rome weighing significantly more than Vianello (126 kg compared to 109 kg) and brought a "rugged" fighting style shaped by a difficult personal history that he credited boxing for helping him overcome. Vianello, a former Italian Olympian with dreams of
