12.02.04 – On the 14th of February Universum Box-Promotion will present it’s very own interpretation of the Valentine’s Day 2004. At Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart reigning European heavyweight champion Sinan Samil Sam is facing the third and most definitely toughest defense of his crown. Samil Sam, the “Bull of Bosporus”, will fight against his own stable mate Luan Krasniqi who once held the European belt himself.
Sam, 18-1 (11), a Hamburg based Turk, carries the European title since October 2002 when he knocked out reigning champion Przemyslaw Saleta from Poland in round 7.
Three months prior Saleta had dethroned German Luan Krasniqi. Their July 2002 title contest came to an unexpected end when Krasniqi played his own version of Roberto Duran’s “No Mas” and refused to come out of his corner after round nine – an unnecessary and wrong decision he would soon deeply regret. Even though he couldn’t immediately regain his European title Krasniqi at least got the chance for sweet revenge. In April 2003 he was facing his single conqueror again and brutally stopped him in the opening round, knocking the Polish down three times and ending Saleta’s boxing career.
Since the European title had changed hands again Turkish Samil Sam made two successful defenses with knockouts victories over Englishmen Danny Williams and Julius Francis. In a non-title excurse to the US, however, Sam failed to beat undefeated Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez who scored a unanimous 10-round decision against the Turk in an HBO televised card last September.
During the same time Krasniqi, 25-1 (13), ran a five fight winning streak, among others against Sedreck Fields, Julius Francis and Przemyslaw Saleta, and so he successfully recovered his international reputation.
Now the time has come for the 29-year-old reigning European champion Sam and his 32-year-old number one challenger Krasniqi to face each other.
Because they both know that There can be only One leading heavyweight in Europe!
In the co-main event highly promising German light heavyweight contender Thomas Ulrich, 25-1 (18), will defend his WBC international crown against American Michael Rush, 25-6-1 (13).
Ulrich, currently ranked WBC and WBO #5, WBA #10 and IBF #8 enjoys a huge popularity his country since he ended the career of German boxing legend Graciano Rocchigiani in May 2003 with a 12-round shut out decision.