24.09.05 – By Malik Lee: The 100th birthday of Max Schmeling will be celebrated by Germany on Wednesday, Sept 28 as WBO Heavyweight Champion Lamon “Relentless” Brewster takes on Luan “Lion” Krasniqi at the Color line Arena in Hamburg. Brewster (32-2-0, 28 KO’s) will be fighting for the first time outside of the United States since he started fighting professionally in 1996.
Krasnigi (28-1-1, 14 KO’s) comes into the ring with no belts having held the European (EBU) heavyweight belt twice in 2002 and 2004. Krasnigi, a German native has beat up at least eight Americans who have dared to square off with him in his homeland, sending them back stateside as losers.
On October 1, Showtime will be adding to a crowded night of fighting as they are airing a fight on premium cable creating some competition for the Pay Per View of Jones/Tarver III on the same night.
Showtime’s main event will be for the IBA heavyweight title when James “Lights Out” Toney scraps with Dominick “The Southern Disaster” Guinn. The under card will feature Chris “Rapid Fire” Byrd engaging in a fist-a cuff against DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson for the IBF Heavyweight title.
Toney will enter the ring for the first time since testing positive for a steroid type substance in April 2005. Toney apologized for his mistake saying he was rushed into the ring after a shoulder surgery saying the substance was prescribed by a doctor. However, less than a month after Toney worked John Ruiz over to win a unanimous decision claiming the IBA and WBA
championship belts, the New York State Athletic Commission changed the results to a no contest, and the WBA reinstated Ruiz as its champ.
Guinn last fought in May of this year to a draw with Friday Ahunanya. Prior to that, he lost in December of 2004 to Serguei Lyakhovich. Guinn was undefeated in his first 24 fights until he lost to Monte Barrett by split decision in March of 2004.
Byrd is looked upon my manner as the number one heavyweight in the world by sum. In Byrd’s last fight in November of 2004, he beat Jameel McCline in a split decision, Byrd’s last lost came in 2000 to the fists of Vitali Klitschko. Vitali was avenging his family name after Byrd fought with his brother Wladimir sending him home quitter after he did not get up from his stool, six months prior.
Williamson’s last venture in the ring was a fruitful one in April, beating Derrick Johnson for the vacant WBO, NABO and WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight belts. Williamson had previously beaten Oliver McCall in November of 2004, after losing to Wladimir Klitschko the month before.
Jones/Tarver III the rubber-match will answer the question can Roy Jones Jr finish a fight for the first time since 2004 not flat on his bum knocked out?
Jones (49-3, 38 KO’s) until 2003 was a living legend, winning fights easily. He would swagger into the ring and come out of without a bruise scratch or any noticeable marks on his face. That Jones seems a distant memory to the one who has been knocked out the last two time he took a pay check to climb into the ropes.
Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (23-3, 18 KO’s) forever etched into the minds of Jones fanes after he lost a split decision to Jones in 2003. Only to see Tarver start the rematch by asking “Roy if he had any excuses tonight?”, after the referee asked if either boxer had any questions. Tarver went on to knock Jones out cold in the second round, in a scary fashion for any boxer unconscious for more than a few seconds let only a generation’s super hero.
Also on Oct 1 Larry “The Legend” Donald will also venture over to Germany when fights Nikolay “The Beast from the East” Valuev in a WBA Heavyweight Title Eliminator at the EWE-Arena in Oldenburg. Valuev will put his WBA Intercontinental belt on the line for the eliminator bout, in hopes it will open the door for a mandatory fight with John Ruiz currant WBA belt holder.
Donald (42-3-0, 24 KO’s) has gone 4-2-2 since fighting to a draw in late 2000 with Obed Sullivan in Las Vegas. This will be his fourth trip aboard fighting in Denmark (W-Cleveland Woods-1997), Argentina (W-Jeff Paul Lally-1997), Germany (L-Vitali Klitschko-2002).
Valuev (41-0-0, 31 KO’s) won the Vacant WBA Intercontinental title in November of 2004 having defended the belt twice. He calls St. Petersburg, Russia home having traveled to Germany many times to fight. Having beat people up in Russia he has not been afraid to take his show on the road fighting in Korea, Ukraine, USA, Japan, Australia, and England.