Italy boxing shorts
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- Regular price€39,00
In short: At the 1960 Rome Olympics Italy took three boxing golds and seven medals in all. One went to Nino Benvenuti, who also left with the Val Barker Trophy for the best boxer of the tournament — ahead of an eighteen-year-old named Cassius Clay. Green, white and red in vertical panels on a Muay Thai cut. 8 sizes, XS to 4XL. €39 in XS, €44 from S to 4XL.
The Games where Italy finished ahead of Cassius Clay
Rome, summer 1960. The Olympic boxing tournament was at home, and Italy dominated it: three titles, seven medals. At welterweight, Nino Benvenuti took gold by beating the Soviet Yuri Radonyak — across five bouts only one judge out of twenty-five scored against him.
The Val Barker Trophy, given to the most technically gifted boxer of the whole tournament, went to him. Second in the critics’ reckoning: an eighteen-year-old American light heavyweight called Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali.
Benvenuti finished his amateur career at 120 fights and one defeat, turned professional in 1961, won 55 in a row and took world titles in two divisions. He said himself he rated the Olympic gold above the belts: a world title can be lost, an Olympic champion stays one.
What the shorts look like
Three full-height vertical panels: green on the left, white in the centre, red on the right. The wide elastic waistband is entirely green, which sets it apart from the other tricolour shorts in the range and pushes the central white forward.
A green label on the waistband carries the logo and the words ESPRIT BOXE — FOR THE GLORY in white. No lettering on the panels, no print: the Italian tricolour reads at a glance from the back of a hall.
The Muay Thai cut, and why it matters
Every country short in this collection shares one cut: short leg, high side split over the hip, wide elastic waistband. That is not styling. The high split clears the hip completely, which is what a head kick and a clinch need — the two movements Muay Thai is built around.
In practice these work for Muay Thai, kickboxing, K-1 and MMA training, and they are just as usable in boxing for gym work and club shows: the leg stays free and nothing catches during footwork.
Technical specifications
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Fight shorts, Muay Thai cut, short leg |
| Disciplines | Muay Thai, kickboxing, K-1, MMA, boxing, general training |
| Design | Three vertical panels, green, white and red |
| Waistband | Wide green elastic, woven ESPRIT BOXE FOR THE GLORY label |
| Details | High side split |
| Fabric | Polyester |
| Colours | Green, white, red |
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL, 4XL |
| Fit | European cut — take your usual size |
| Who for | Men and women |
| Price | €39 in XS, €44 from S to 4XL |
Worth knowing: this is a tricolour with a single-colour waistband — solid green instead of repeating the three bands. The central white carries further, and the whole thing sits well with white or green gloves. For sanctioned amateur bouts, check the corner colour your association assigns.
Getting the size right
European cut — take your usual size. Most Muay Thai shorts on the market are Thai-made and sized accordingly, which is why almost every seller tells you to order one size up. These are cut to European sizing, so that correction does not apply. Eight sizes, XS to 4XL, where the bulk of the market stops at XXL. The elastic waistband absorbs a swing in waist measurement, which helps through a fight camp. If you train in a groin guard, go one size up.
Also worth a look
- Portugal boxing shorts — green, white and orange in the same vertical layout, if you want the Irish tricolour instead.
- France boxing shorts — red and yellow with the full coat of arms, if you want a written motto on the leg.
- Muay Thai shorts — nine plain colourways with a contrast waistband, if you want the same cut without a flag.
- To complete the kit: boxing t-shirts and boxing hoodies.
- To gear up: boxing gloves, mouthguards and hand wraps.
- The full boxing shorts collection.
Frequently asked questions
Do Muay Thai shorts run small?
Thai-made shorts do, which is why the usual advice is to order one size up. These are a European cut — take your usual size. Eight sizes run from XS to 4XL. Between two sizes, or if you wear a groin guard, take the larger one.
What is the difference between Muay Thai shorts and boxing shorts?
Muay Thai shorts sit above the knee with a high side split and a wide elastic waistband, which clears the hip for kicks and clinch work. Boxing shorts run longer with the waistband above the navel, marking the low-blow line. These are the Muay Thai cut, and they carry over to boxing training without trouble.
Who won the Val Barker Trophy in 1960?
Nino Benvenuti, the Italian welterweight, at the Rome Olympics. The trophy goes to the most technically accomplished boxer of the entire tournament, and that year the light heavyweight gold medallist was Cassius Clay.
How many boxing medals did Italy win at Rome 1960?
Seven, including three golds, on home soil. It remains the country’s strongest Olympic boxing showing.
How do you wash Muay Thai shorts?
Machine wash inside out at 30 °C / 86 °F, no tumble dryer, and never put an iron directly on the panels. Skip the fabric softener: it coats the weave and slows how fast sweat moves through it.
Are these unisex?
Yes. The cut is the same for men and women — only the size changes, and the range opens at XS, which is not true everywhere.
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