29.11.06 – By Per Ake Persson: The Martial Arts Delegation have today said YES to New Sweden Boxing Promotion in Gothenburg to stage a professional boxing “light” show January 27. All fights will be over six two-minute rounds, 10 ounce amateur gloves will be used in all fights, no headgears, the ringside doctors have the right to stop the fights at any time and all participants must be 20 years old or more on the evening of the show.. The Martial Arts Delegation writes they feel that with the special rules the safety on this show is as high as it is in amateur boxing. At the same time the Martial Arts Delegation have turned down an application from Sauerland Event to do a show under the WBA rules January 20 in Stockholm headlined by Nikolai Valuev. More to come.
OPI 2000 promotes a big show in Milano January 25 topped by two EBU titlefights. At jr welter Ted Bami defends the title against Gianluca Branco while jr middle ruler Michele Piccirillo takes on Michael Jones, also from the UK. At the same time OPI 200 have announced they will begin to collaborate with Arena Box Promotion in Hamburg. The first joint venture is the show in Hamburg December 15 where Mahir Oral defends the EU 160 lb title against Domenico Spada. The vacant WBC Int´l title is also at stake. Together Arena and OPI 2000 have a lot of good fighters.
Danish supermiddle Rudy Markussen might return to action on Team Palle´s December 15 show in Slagelse. Markussen, then highly ranked by all the major organisations, pretty much blew it all as far as a world title challenger in getting stopped by Russian underdog Sergey Tatevosyan October 14. Come next year we might see a Lolenga Mock, the current EU champ, vs Rudy Markussen clash where there won´t be much left for the loser. The December 15 could also feature an interesting showdown at feather / jr light between Danes Ervis Masha and Jagdar Abdulla.
Welters Nordine Mouchi and Jackson Osei Bonsu will fight for the vacant EBU title early in 2007 with AMI promoting it in France. There was to have been purse bids today (Nov 29) in Rome but the parties involved came to an agreement.
Spanish superbantam Kiko Martinez have vacated the EU title for a position as mandatory challenger for newly crowned EBU champ Bernard Dunne. Miguel Mallon and Salem Bouaita could be squaring off for the vacant EU belt.
Eternal IBF mandatory challenger Robert Stieglitz will finally get the chance to fight for the title left vacant by Joe Calzaghe. Stieglitz could be in against Colombian Alejandro Berrio, whom he beat in an eliminator for the # 1 rating. Since then Stieglitz have patiently waited and even stepped aside to allow Calcaghe vs Lacy.
German lightheavy Thomas Ulrich will continue his career and go for the EBU title he held before challenging and losing to WBO titleholder and stablemate Zsolt Erdei. The title is now vacant and a co-challenger will be decided during the EBU council meeting in France December 3.
Nigerian veteran Henry Akinwande is mandatory challenger for EU heavy champ Michael Sprott.
Italian jr middle Sven Paris stopped Felix Vargas in three November 27 in Santo Domingo.