# Francesco Pianeta

Francesco Pianeta (born 8 October 1984) is an Italian former professional boxer who competed from 2005 to 2018. He challenged for the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring heavyweight championship in 2013, the WBA (Regular) title in 2015, and in his final fight for the Lineal heavyweight championship in 2018. At regional level, he held the European Union heavyweight title from 2008 to 2009.

## Background

Pianeta was born in Corigliano in the province of Cosenza. When he was six his family emigrated to Germany and his father went to work in a butcher store.
Before he turned to professional boxing Pianeta practiced Muay Thai and had a record of 9 wins and one loss.
Despite being a long-time Germany resident, Pianeta has held close ties with Italy and in 2008 he stated that his ambition was to win the Italian heavyweight title.

## Professional career

Pianeta's first fight as a professional boxer was in July 2005, in Hessen, Germany, when he beat Slovakian journeyman Sylvester Petrovic with a second round knockout.
Pianeta was subsequently undefeated in all of his next 27 fights, with 14 wins by KO and 1 draw.
On 4 May 2013, Pianeta fought Wladimir Klitschko for WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, lineal & The Ring heavyweight titles. He was knocked down 3 times by Klitschko and lost the bout by the way of TKO.
Up until 2018, Pianeta was trained by Alexander Petkovic and promoted by Petkovic′s Petko′s LMS Promotion. Based in Germany, he has also fought in Italy, Ireland, Austria, Poland and Belgium.
Pianeta's final fight was against former unified and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury at Windsor Park on 18 August 2018. Fury dominated the fight in convincing fashion, winning every single round on referee Steve Gray's scorecard in a shutout points decision victory, handing Pianeta his fifth career loss.
In February 2019, Pianeta announced his retirement. He is now a boxing trainer.

## Professional boxing record

| 41 fights | 35 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 21 | 3 |
| By decision | 14 | 2 |
| Draws | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 41 | Loss | 35–5–1 | Tyson Fury | PTS | 10 | 18 Aug 2018 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 40 | Loss | 35–4–1 | Petar Milas | UD | 10 | 16 Jun 2018 | Maritim Berghotel, Braunlage, Germany | For IBO International heavyweight title |
| 39 | Win | 35–3–1 | Dašo Simeunović | TKO | 3 (6), 1:39 | 10 Mar 2018 | Maritim Berghotel, Braunlage, Germany | |
| 38 | Loss | 34–3–1 | Kevin Johnson | TKO | 7 (10), 2:48 | 14 Oct 2017 | Ballhausforum, Unterschleißheim, Germany | Lost IBO International heavyweight title |
| 37 | Win | 34–2–1 | Oezcan Cetinkaya | TKO | 2 (10), 1:11 | 8 Jul 2017 | Amphitheater, Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Won vacant IBO International heavyweight title |
| 36 | Win | 33–2–1 | Edi Delibaltaoglu | TKO | 3 (6), 0:33 | 17 Jun 2017 | TuS Halle, Traunreut, Germany | |
| 35 | Win | 32–2–1 | Hasan Olaki | TKO | 5 (6) | 20 Feb 2016 | König Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Germany | |
| 34 | Loss | 31–2–1 | Ruslan Chagaev | KO | 1 (12), 2:57 | 12 Jul 2015 | GETEC Arena, Magdeburg, Germany | For WBA (Regular) heavyweight title |
| 33 | Win | 31–1–1 | Ivica Bačurin | UD | 12 | 6 Dec 2014 | Sporthall Budakalász, Budakalász, Hungary | Retained WBO European heavyweight title |
| 32 | Win | 30–1–1 | Mickael Vieira | KO | 1 (12), 2:20 | 30 May 2014 | EnergieVerbund Arena, Dresden, Germany | Won vacant WBO European heavyweight title |
| 31 | Win | 29–1–1 | Robert Teuber | TKO | 2 (10), 1:43 | 6 Dec 2013 | Brandenburg Halle, Frankfurt, Germany | Won vacant German International heavyweight title |
| 30 | Loss | 28–1–1 | Wladimir Klitschko | TKO | 6 (12), 2:52 | 4 May 2013 | SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany | For WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 29 | Win | 28–0–1 | Nelson Dario Dominguez | TKO | 1 (10), 2:31 | 16 Nov 2012 | Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany | |
| 28 | Win | 27–0–1 | Frans Botha | UD | 10 | 7 Sep 2012 | RWE Rhein-Ruhr Sporthalle, Mülheim, Germany | |
| 27 | Win | 26–0–1 | Oliver McCall | UD | 10 | 16 May 2012 | Brandenburg Halle, Frankfurt, Germany | |
| 26 | Win | 25–0–1 | Zack Page | PTS | 8 | 7 Jan 2012 | Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Germany | |
| 25 | Win | 24–0–1 | Robert Hawkins | PTS | 8 | 21 Oct 2011 | Brandenburg Halle, Frankfurt, Germany | |
| 24 | Win | 23–0–1 | Ivica Perković | TKO | 3 (8), 1:23 | 2 Apr 2011 | Herning Kongrescenter, Herning, Denmark | |
| 23 | Win | 22–0–1 | Samir Kurtagić | UD | 8 | 12 Feb 2011 | RWE Rhein-Ruhr Sporthalle, Mülheim, Germany | |
| 22 | Win | 21–0–1 | Mike Middleton | KO | 1 (8), 1:10 | 18 Dec 2010 | Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin, Germany | |
| 21 | Win | 20–0–1 | Evgeny Orlov | UD | 8 | 5 Dec 2009 | Arena Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany | |
| 20 | Win | 19–0–1 | Matt Skelton | RTD | 8 (12), 3:00 | 19 Sep 2009 | Jahnsportforum, Neubrandenburg, Germany | Retained European Union heavyweight title |
| 19 | Draw | 18–0–1 | Albert Sosnowski | PTS | 12 | 4 Apr 2009 | Burg-Waechter Castello, Düsseldorf, Germany | Retained European Union heavyweight title |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Johann Duhaupas | UD | 12 | 20 Dec 2008 | Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland | Retained European Union heavyweight title |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Scott Gammer | RTD | 8 (12), | 30 Aug 2008 | Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin, Germany | Won vacant European Union heavyweight title |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Michael Marrone | TKO | 2 (10), 1:23 | 17 May 2008 | Oberfrankenhalle, Bayreuth, Germany | Retained WBC Youth heavyweight title |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Donnell Wiggins | KO | 3 (10), 2:04 | 16 Feb 2008 | Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg, Germany | Won vacant WBC Youth heavyweight title |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Paolo Ferrara | UD | 8 | 29 Dec 2007 | Seidensticker Halle, Bielefeld, Germany | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Leo Sanchez | TKO | 2 (8) | 24 Nov 2007 | Stadthalle, Steyr, Austria | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Colin Wilson | UD | 8 | 29 Sep 2007 | EWE Arena, Oldenburg, Germany | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Miyan Solomons | UD | 8 | 23 Jun 2007 | Stadthalle, Zwickau, Germany | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Paolo Ferrara | SD | 8 | 14 Apr 2007 | Porsche-Arena, Stuttgart, Germany | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Aleksandrs Borhovs | PTS | 8 | 25 Mar 2007 | Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Georgi Harizanov | KO | 2 (6) | 17 Feb 2007 | Sportcomplex van Evere, Evere, Belgium | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Cerrone Fox | TKO | 3 (8) | 20 Jan 2007 | St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Valentin Marinel | TKO | 1 (6), 2:47 | 25 Nov 2006 | Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Vlado Szabo | UD | 6 | 11 Aug 2006 | Toscolano Maderno, Lombardia, Italy | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Dirk Mandelartz | KO | 1 (6) | 20 May 2006 | Piazza di Siena, Rome, Italy | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Ervin Slonka | TKO | 2 (4) | 29 Apr 2006 | University Hall, Berlin, Germany | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Tomas Mrazek | TKO | 2 (4) | 11 Mar 2006 | Mehrzweckhalle, Greifswald, Germany | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Sylvester Petrović | KO | 2 (4), 2:53 | 2 Jul 2005 | Karl Eckel Halle, Hattersheim am Main, Germany | |