Paolo Roberto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paolo Roberto
Statistics
Real name	Paolo Antonio Roberto
Rated at	Welterweight
Nationality	Swedish
Born	(1969-02-03) 3 February 1969 (age 56) Stockholm, Sweden
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	33
Wins	28
Wins by KO	13
Losses	4
Draws	1
No contests	0

Paolo Roberto was born on February 3, 1969. He is a Swedish person who has done many things! He is an actor, a TV host, and even owns restaurants. He used to be a professional boxer and won several titles. Paolo has appeared in movies and hosted TV shows, like the cooking show Primo Paolo. His first acting role was in a movie called Stockholmsnatt, where he played himself, showing parts of his early life.

Paolo's Boxing Journey

Paolo Roberto grew up in Upplands Väsby, Sweden. Before he became a professional boxer at age 24, he was already a champion in other sports. He was a Swedish champion in kickboxing and a Nordic champion in Taekwondo, where he also won many Swedish titles. He was known for his tough and determined spirit.

Paolo started his professional boxing career with four wins in a row. After a draw (a tie) in one fight, he faced a tough opponent and the referee stopped the fight in the second round. His coach said Paolo never wanted to give up. Paolo himself explained that he always fought with all his might. After this first loss, he won 15 fights in a row! Then, he challenged Javier Castillejo for the WBC light middleweight title but lost in the seventh round when the referee stopped the fight.

Paolo then moved to a heavier weight class to fight fellow Swede Armand Krajnc for his WBO middleweight title. Paolo had won four fights before this big match. In the first round against Krajnc, Paolo hit him hard, making the champion struggle. But as the fight went on, Krajnc managed to outbox Paolo.

After that, Paolo went back to his original weight class, welterweight. After three more fights, he won the WBC International Welterweight title by beating Raul Eduardo Bejarano. He then gave up that title to fight for the WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title against Wayne Martell. Paolo was winning this fight easily. In the tenth round, Martell had a bad cut above his eye, and the doctor stopped the fight, giving Paolo the win. However, in his very first defense of this WBO title, Paolo was knocked out in the second round by Sebastian Andres Lujan. He never fought professionally again after that.

It's interesting to know that all of Paolo's professional boxing matches, including his championship fights, took place outside of Sweden. This is because professional boxing has been banned in Sweden since 1969.

Life Outside the Boxing Ring

Paolo Roberto has done many things besides boxing. He was a contestant in the first season of Let's Dance, which is the Swedish version of the popular TV show Dancing with the Stars.

He married Lena Arrelöv on December 31, 2003. They had a son named Enzo Antonio Roberto, born in 2004, and a daughter named Elisa Roberto, born in 2007. Paolo and Lena later divorced in 2012. As mentioned earlier, his early life was shown in the 1987 Swedish movie Stockholmsnatt. He also appeared in some parts of Stieg Larsson's famous book The Girl Who Played with Fire and played himself in the movie based on that book.

Paolo has also shared a personal story about a big change in his life. This happened during a visit to St. Peter's in Rome. He wanted to see a statue of St. Michael, a famous "fighter" from history. He was told he couldn't go into that area unless he was going to confession. Paolo thought about his life and decided to go to confession too. After talking with a priest for over an hour, he felt like a new person. The girl he was traveling with in Rome, Lena Arrelöv, later became his wife. Paolo shared this story on a TV show called "Journey Home."

Paolo's Boxing Record Summary

Minor Titles Paolo Held

See also

In Spanish: Paolo Roberto para niños