17.09.04 – Three months ago Felix Sturm suffered a controversial loss to boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya. Tonight the 25 year old German is fighting top ranked American Robert Frazier to capture the vacant WBO international middleweight title and to maintain his reputation that he build up with his highly impressive performance against “The Golden Boy” on June 5.
Sturm, 20-1 (9), intends to look impressive tonight at Wilhelm-Dopatka-Halle in his hometown Leverkusen because a few hours later Oscar de la Hoya is facing Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed middleweight world championship in Las Vegas. The skilful German badly wants to challenge the winner.
“For now I concentrate on my fight on Saturday. But facing the winner of the de la Hoya-Hopkins fight is what I really want”, the former WBO champion said. “I beat Oscar in June and I should be the one who is fighting a rematch against him tonight or fight against Hopkins for the title.”
Whereas all experts unanimously agreed that Sturm beat de la Hoya, the three judges at ringsite scored the the contest 115:113 in favor of the American. Punchstat numbers later showed that Sturm threw and landed more punches in several rounds incorrectly given to de la Hoya. However, an official protest by promoter Universum was turned down by the WBO.
“Felix must face the winner of tonight’s fight in Las Vegas”, promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl said. “Against de la Hoya he proved that he can beat every middleweight contender in the world.”
Felix Sturm and his opponent Robert Frazier, 30-5-3 (15), both weighed in at 160 lb. on Friday.
On the undercard 6 foot 7 heavyweight prospect from Russia Alexander Dimitrenko, 15-0 (10), 245 lb, takes on American Andy Sample, 32-7-2 (21), 229 lb.
At cruiserweight German Alexander Petkovic, 28-2-3 (15), 198,5 lb, who lost a WBO tittle fight to Johnny Nelson last year will take on dangerous American Damon Reed, 38-9 (27), 196 lb.
Exclusive photo gallery of the official weigh-in on www.boxing.de. Live Broadcast on Boxing.de September 21, 2004
From the Universum-Gym in Hamburg
18:00 – 20:00 www.boxing.de
German/English live commentary: Fabian Weber