March 3, Oldenburg, Germany – By Per Ake Persson: Both reigning IBF 160 lb champ Arthur Abraham and Australian challenger Shannon Taylor weighed in at 159,5 lbs for tomorrow´s fight at the Ewe Arena in Oldenburg. Abraham, looking very muscular and fit, smiled and posed for photographs and signed every autograph asked for. Taylor, wearing toned glasses, had a tense look about him. IBF I/C champ Henry Akinwande came in at 240,5 lbs while challenge Cisse Salife weighed a too heavy 264,5 lbs..
Local star Heidi Hartmann, the WIBF jr middle champ, scaled 150,5 lbs while Bulgarian challenger Borislava Goranova, a head shorter, weighed 150,75 lb. Both ladies stepped on the scales fully dressed.
Marco Huck, 197,25, takes on Brit Lee Swaby, 200 lbs, in a scheduled eight-rounder. Also interesting to see is Croatian Stepjan Bozic, 168 lbs, who takes on Russian David Gogiya, who was in on his way to Oldenburg and couldn´t make it in time for the weigh-in.
Also on his way to Oldenburg was IBF supervisor Benedetto Montella so the rules meeting takes place tomorrow.
News: Sauerland Event have cancelled the planned April 1 show. The mainevent in that show, EBU 160 lb champ Sebastian Sylvester taking on Dirk Dzemski in an all German showdown will now go ahead as the chief support to Byrd vs Klitschko April 22 in Mannheim.
WBC supermiddle champ Markus Beyer will not be in Manchester for Lacy vs Calazaghe but will be doing studio commentary for ARD during Abraham vs Taylor. Beyer´s next defence is set for May 13 in Zwickau.
WBA heavy champ Nikolai Valuev´s next defence is set for June 3 with Hannover as the likely site.
Sauerland Event and Don King Productions are still not on terms for WBA 147 lb champ Luiz Collazo´s defence against Oktay Urkal but I was told Urkal is training towards a fight April 1 even though contracts aren´t signed and no site have been set.