09.02.05 – The career dream of European heavyweight champion Luan Krasniqi is within reach. On April 16 the 33-year-old German is fighting the one year younger American Lance Whitaker in an official WBO heavyweight title eliminator. „That’s great news for me“, Krasniqi said, who last defended his European belt on 4th December 2004 with a draw against Timo Hoffmann in Berlin „I’m close to reach the biggest dream of my career.. If I beat Whitaker I will be the first German after Max Schmeling to become heavyweight world champion.”
The fight on April 16 will be the 30th professional contest for the WBO 5th ranked Krasniqi, 27-1-1 (13), who celebrated several great victories at the selected site, the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle of Stuttgart.
As an amateur the highly skilful Krasniqi became European champion and vize world champion and captured a bronze medal at the Olympic Games of Atlanta 1996.
However, Krasniqi’s fight against the 260-pound Whitaker won’t be an easy task. The 6-foot-8 man from California, nicknamed “Mount”, is ranked WBO #1 and has an impressive record of 29-2-1 (24). Whitaker beat among others Al Cole, Oleg Maskaev and Monte Barrett, and captured several Continental American titles.
Bidenko vs. Onofrei rebroadcast on Boxing.de
Hamburg – The heavyweight clash between Ukrainian prospect Taras Bidenko and Rumanian powerhouse Konstantin Onofrei is now available as rebroadcast on www.boxing.de 24h/day for free.
Bidenko, 14-1 (9), beat Onofrei, 19-2 (13), by technical knockout in round 7 at Sportzentrum in Sölden, Austria, in December 2004.
Beginning at 18:00 four fights of that event on December 14 were broadcast live on www.boxing.de with German and English live commentary. From 21:00 Eurosport began to broadcast live on TV all over Europe.
The entire broadcast plus the Bidenko-Onofrei fight can now be retrieved from the ARCHIVE of the LIVE section. Also available are all previous live broadcasts plus several other contests in full length with WBA #1 bantamweight Wladimir Sidorenko and jr. welterweight contender Mahamat Abdullaev.
The next live broadcast on www.boxing.de will take place on February 15. On this Spotlight Boxing event from Stuttgart, Germany, among others Andreas Kotelnik (jr. welterweight), Silke Weickenmeier (WIBF feathweight champion) and undefeated Gusmyl Perdomo (super middleweight) will step into the ring live on www.boxing.de.
Another highlight of the free internet live broadcast will be an IBF Youth World Championship at super feathweight between Renan Acosta and Rashad Ismayilov.
The complete internet broadcast on February 15 will include up to seven live fights.
Next Live Broadcast on Boxing.de
February 15, 2005
18:00 – 21:00 www.boxing.de
12:00 US Eastern Time
09:00 US Pacific Time
German/English live commentary: Fabian Weber