Boxing: Cody Vitalone prepares to take on national titles in Victoria

It is as clear now as when he was a young, hot-headed child growing up in Penrith.

Pugilism stretches back as far as four generations in the Vitalone family, as Cody believes even his great-grandfather may have boxed back in Italy.

With such deep roots in the sport, Vitalone has felt drawn to boxing his whole life.

"Ever since being a young kid, my dad used to train and I used to hit bags," Vitalone said.

"He used to buy be all the stuff, the boxing gloves, and I loved it. I used to just go and punch bags, that's what I did in my free time."

While he was growing up, Vitalone's father, Luke, was a kickboxer and boxer who found success in the professional ranks.

And though the youngster was around the gym since he could walk, he had his first formal training session around the age of 20.

"I just thought 'I'm going to give it a go'," Vitalone said.

"Then I met Jamie [Carroll, owner and head coach at One2Boxing] and he's been the whip."

The 22-year-old started boxing seriously as much out of necessity as desire.

After he initially began, partially under Carroll's tutelage, Vitalone took time away from the sport during last year's COVID-19 lockdowns.

Like many people, he struggled to acclimate to the changes.

"I messaged [Jamie] one day, and I told him I needed to come back because I started drinking again," Vitalone said.

That was in February, and in the nine months since, he has proven that boxing runs in his blood.

Just six fights into his amateur career, Vitalone has won a Golden Gloves title and will attend the national titles in Melbourne next week.

Though he is admittedly "a bit nervous", Vitalone has come a long way from where he began earlier this year, as a slugger with ample talent and power, but minimal interest in defence.

He is eager to test himself against the more technical competition he expects to meet in Victoria.

"These guys down in Melbourne, they're going to be slick boxers," Vitalone said.

"If I rush in and just try to hit them, it's not going to work. They'll pick me off.

"I'm just going to go down there and box smart."

Everything in Vitalone's life is geared towards achieving his goals in boxing. He currently works two jobs, one as a tiler, and another in the family's pizzeria.

But he will stop at nothing to find success in the sport.

"I have to do it, I love it. I wake up and the first thing I think about is boxing," Vitalone said.

After the national titles, he hopes to make another run at the Golden Gloves next year and, eventually wants to turn professional.

And though his style of fighting has matured, he will likely never fully grow out of the "hot-headed, scrappy kid" that moved to Tamworth when he was 13.

But now, nearly ten years later, Vitalone gets to put his fighting instincts in action on the national stage. And next week, despite his plans to box smart, he said with a smile that he still wants to "just go in there and smash heads".

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