Frank Chamizo Marquez (born 10 July 1992) is a Cuban-Italian freestyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. Starting his career in Cuba, Chamizo became a World Cup Champion, World Championship medalist and Pan American champion at 55 kilograms in 2010 and 2011, before immigrating to Italy that same year.[1][2] Since then, Chamizo became the greatest Italian wrestler of all time,[3][4] racking up two World Championships (in 2015 at 65kg and in 2017 at 70kg, silver medal in 2019), an Olympic bronze medal in 2016, an Individual World Cup silver medal, a European Games silver medal, four European Championships, in between others.[5] Chamizo is also known for his rivalry with seven-time Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs, against whom he has gone 2–4, but winning the last match.[6]
Chamizo had a trying childhood. He grew up in poverty, and was raised by his grandmother because both of his parents lived abroad.[7] He began wrestling at the age of seven after walking into a wrestling facility out of curiosity.[7] The Cuban government eventually recognized his talent, and helped him attend a secondary school where he could continue wrestling.[1] In addition to his native Spanish, Chamizo is fluent in Italian and can also speak English.
In 2010, Chamizo won a world bronze medal for Cuba; he was only 18 at the time. The next year, he returned to the world championships, where he placed 12th. After the 2011 World Wrestling Championships, however, Cuba's wrestling federation suspended him for two years for alleged difficulties with weight management.[7] At a crossroads in life, he moved to Italy, where his ex-wife is from.
In 2015, Chamizo made his world debut for Italy, and won a gold medal. Before then, no Italian had won a world or Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medal since 1980.
From there, Chamizo went on to win three more world-level medals, including a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 2017 world competition.
Overall, Chamizo won four world-level medals for Italy and two world-level championships.
At the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, he won the bronze medal by defeating Soner Demirtaş 5-3 in the men's freestyle 74 kg third-place match, but his medal was canceled due to doping and given to Soner Demirtaş. He was only suspended for three months.[8]
He won the silver medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, losing 3-1 to Tajmuraz Salkazanov of Slovakia in the men's freestyle 74 kg final match. He reached the final by defeating Dzhabrail Gadzhiev of Azerbaijan 9-4 in the second round, Soner Demirtaş 8-6 in the quarterfinals and Ali-Pasha Umarpashaev of Bulgaria 9-0 in the semifinals.[9]