Sportring Garath boxer Giulia Barbieri is stepping into the ring for the Elite State Championship on Saturday, October 17, marking her next qualification step toward the German Championship. The 21-year-old welterweight, fighting in the up-to-65 kg division, faces Marie Kiesing of PSV Unna at BC Vogelheim in Essen. The winner advances to the NRW final scheduled for October 31, also in Essen.
“I want to win titles, as many as possible,” Barbieri revealed. “I want to sweep the amateur sector and then possibly turn professional. When you are successful in the amateur ranks, opportunities open up automatically.”
Entering the Unknown in Essen
Barbieri enters her upcoming bout against Kiesing with limited intel on her opponent. “I don’t know anything about Marie Kiesing, not even what stance she boxes in,” Barbieri said. “I only know the maximum weight she is allowed to be. I also know nothing about her weight distribution. If she carries everything in her arms, there will be hard punches.” Despite the uncertainty, the Düsseldorf native emphasized she harbors no fear of taking hits and intends to deliver heavy blows of her own.
The upcoming match follows a recent learning curve at the German U23 Championship final, where Barbieri dropped a decision to Yelyzaveta Yaremchuk from Hof, Bavaria. Barbieri had previously defeated the same opponent at an international tournament in Munich. Reflecting on her first major championship appearance, Barbieri noted the heightened atmosphere. “The U23 German Championship was my first major championship ever. Everything was very exciting. Everything was bigger, louder, more tense. It was a completely different feeling than my previous fights,” she said. Rather than viewing the result as a setback, she categorized it as experience.
Refining Tactics After the U23 Final
Both Barbieri and her trainer, Gino Benganaj, identified over-motivation as the primary culprit behind the U23 final defeat. “I went into the final fight over-motivated. I gave so much gas in the entire first round as if there were only ten seconds left on the clock,” Barbieri revealed. “I really wanted to win early. I was too hasty. That cost me the gold medal.”
With 18 amateur fights and 15 wins on her record, Barbieri acknowledges that she is still building the instinctive anticipation found in seasoned fighters. “There are boxers who can tell from the eyes of their opponent that an action is coming,” she said. “I still lack that. You can’t learn that anticipation in training either.”
Benganaj, who serves as both her trainer and the chairman of Sportring Garath, observed a distinct shift in her demeanor since the loss. “Through the final defeat, something happened to Giulia. She has become even more focused, even more goal-oriented, and at the same time calmer and more poised,” Benganaj stated. He added that she possesses the heart, the will, the discipline, and the physical attributes required for success in the sport.
Transitioning from Judo to the Ring
Barbieri took up boxing two years ago—a sport that remained exclusively for men until 1994/95. Before lacing up gloves, she practiced judo during childhood and maintained a regular gym routine. Finding fitness training alone repetitive, she gravitated toward combat sports for direct competition.
Outside the gym, Barbieri pursues training as a dietary assistant and favors dresses and high heels, noting that boxing has shifted her personal confidence. “I always make a wide berth around every argument. Outside the boxing ring, I am the first to run away,” she admitted. “But boxing has changed my personality positively. I am more self-confident, mentally stronger, and have more self-assurance.”
Her rigorous schedule involves six evening training sessions per week alongside clubmates and Benganaj, frequently sparring against male fighters in the club’s improvised ring. “I have also sparred with her quite often,” Benganaj said. “When she gets through my guard and lands a hit, I see stars for one or two seconds.”
October Match Schedule and Next Steps
The elite qualification matches unfold in Essen:
- October 17: Elite State Championship bout between Giulia Barbieri (Sportring Garath) and Marie Kiesing (PSV Unna) at BC Vogelheim in Essen.
- October 31: NRW final in Essen, featuring the winner of the October 17 match.
“When she gets through my guard and lands a hit, I see stars for one or two seconds,” Benganaj said.
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