Steve “USS” Cunningham (22-2, 11 KOs) will make his first fight under the promotional banner of Team Sauerland when he takes on Troy Ross (23-1, 16 KOs) for the vacant IBF Cruiserweight Title in Neubrandenburg on June 5. In the co-featured main event, IBF Middleweight Champion Sebastian Sylvester faces mandatory challenger Roman Karmazin. “We are thrilled to add this fight to our June 5 card,” said Team Sauerland General Manager Chris Meyer. “I have no doubts that Steve Cunningham will make a successful debut and reclaim his IBF title. But Ross is a strong opponent. I want to thank his management – namely Yvon Michel and Jeff Wald – to make this fight happen in a very short period of time. It will be an exciting evening.”
Earlier this week, Team Sauerland announced the signing of Cunningham. “He is a fantastic fighter,” Meyer added. “I expect him to beat Ross. It would give him a lot of interesting options because the cruiserweight division is loaded with talent in Europe. I am sure Marco Huck would also like to take revenge for his dramatic loss two-and-a-half years ago. But there are also a couple of other options for Steve. First he needs to put aside Ross, which will be a tough task..”
Braekhus keen to write history, clinch third major belt on May 15
Cecilia Braekhus (13-0, 2 KOs) is determined to get her name into the record books when she enters the ring on the Sauerland show in Herning on May 15. The WBC/WBC female welterweight champion could add a third belt to her collection after it became known that her fight against Victoria Cisneros will also be for the vacant WBO Female Welterweight Title. “That is fantastic news,” Braekhus said from her training camp base in Berlin. “It is my goal to be the best female fighter outthere and adding the third title would certainly be another step into the right direction. I want to win as many titles as possible.”
It would be a rare occasion that a female champion holds belts from all three major governing bodies – the WBA, WBC and WBO. Said Kalle Sauerland: “We all know that Cecilia is a special fighter. Winning another title at her young age would be further proof of the legacy she is about to build. I am convinced she will take care of business against Cisneros in Herning.”
Meanwhile, the American challenger is confident she can shock the world and defeat the “First Lady”. Cisneros said: “My dream was to fight the best and winning but now it is more about representing my country, my state, my city and my barrio of San Jose. I feel like I must win now for my rights to be known as the female from nowhere destroying the world champion Cecilia Braekhus in a fight for three world titles.”