Latvian cruiserweight Milans Volkovs will step into the ring for one of the biggest fights of his career on June 8th, 2025, when he faces Italy’s local favorite Fabio “Stone Crusher” Turchi in the heart of Florence.
The 10-round fight at an open-air square famed for its historic basilica, Piazza Santa Croce, headlines the Leone Boxing Night event branded “Inferno a Santa Croce”, with the vacant WBO Global Cruiserweight Title on the line. The event is co-promoted by Italy’s OPI Since 82 and legendary gear brand Leone 1947, in collaboration with Top Rank, and will be broadcast internationally on DAZN and ESPN+.
As the main event of the evening, Volkovs’ fight is significant: the winner will claim the WBO’s Global Cruiserweight belt, which is a large stepping-stone title that can elevate the victor’s world ranking and future title opportunities.
Milans “Big Bad Wolf” Volkovs, 25, is a professional boxer from Riga, Latvia, and currently one of the Baltics’ most promising fighting talents. He sports a professional record of 11–3–2, with 6 of those 11 wins coming by way of knockout.
Volkovs is a rangy and technically sound cruiserweight. Before turning professional, Volkovs was a well-rounded amateur: a multiple-time youth champion of Latvia who also represented his country at European and World amateur championships.
According to BoxRec rankings, Volkovs is currently the top-rated cruiserweight in Latvia and sits within the upper echelon of the world’s cruiserweight contender — a remarkable status for a fighter with just 16 pro bouts. In October 2024, he scored a headline-grabbing upset in London by defeating undefeated British prospect Tommy Fletcher.
A few months prior in May of 2024, Volkovs had tested himself against another touted unbeaten fighter — Oronzo Birardi of Italy — in a bout on a Frank Warren-promoted card, but dropped a close decision after eight rounds. Notably, both Fletcher and Birardi are prospects from the stable of Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren.
Fabio Turchi is arguably the most accomplished opponent Volkovs has faced to date. The 31-year-old has been a fixture in European boxing, having previously held the WBC International cruiserweight title and challenged top contenders (notably went toe-to-toe with Britain’s Richard Riakporhe in 2022).
The backdrop and theme of this event are also unlike any other. Piazza Santa Croce — one of Florence’s most symbolic squares — will serve as an open-air stadium. Fittingly, the promotion has embraced Florence’s literary heritage as well: the event title “Inferno a Santa Croce” nods to Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”. The famous inscription “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate” (“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”) even adorns the event posters.
Open-air boxing events in such iconic locations are relatively rare. The ring and seating will stand in the piazza with the magnificent Basilica di Santa Croce — the burial place of Michelangelo and Galileo — as a backdrop.Beyond the headline bout of Turchi vs. Volkovs, the card features a strong supporting lineup of title fights and notable fighters. In the co-main event, Italy’s Francesco Grandelli (18–4–2) will face undefeated Florentine Simone Rao (11–0) in a 10-round contest for an International featherweight title. Another title fight will see Moroccan-born Othmane Dioual (9–2–1) take on local favorite Leonardo Balli (10–1–2) for the WBC International Silver super-middleweight championship.
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