Berlin’s getting a proper scrap on Friday, September 12. Uber Eats Music Hall, not the biggest joint in the world, but it’ll do. And for once, they’re not feeding the crowd padded records. They’ve dragged in Cuba’s Arlen López and Lázaro Álvarez, two Olympic boys with medals dripping off them, and tossed ‘em straight into live opponents. No babysitting here.
Álvarez — three-time world champ in the amateurs, three Olympic bronzes (he collects them like bus tickets) — takes on Spain’s Miguel Queliz Santos at lightweight. And López? The double Olympic gold man gets Argentina’s Martin Bulacio, who doesn’t box neat, he just bangs. This card ain’t clean, it’s risky, which is why it’s worth watching.
Álvarez vs Queliz Santos: Pretty vs Dirty
Álvarez (8-0, 5 KOs) makes fighters look stupid. Slick, tight, hard to catch clean. He said to AGON Boxing he wants to “show Cuban boxing at its best” — fair enough, but Berlin crowds don’t clap for slip-and-slide forever. Queliz Santos (17-3, 8 KOs) is one of those stubborn Spaniards who’ll drag you through the mud. He’s not there to make friends, he’ll spoil, foul, whatever it takes. Álvarez can’t just peacock, he’ll have to bite down and trade.
López vs Bulacio: Surgeon vs Sledgehammer
López (5-0, 2 KOs) is ice cold. Doesn’t blink, doesn’t rush, just carves you up slow. He’s got the Olympic hardware to back it, so no one’s calling him a fraud. “Berlin is special for me… I want to prove Cuban boxing is alive,” he said. Yeah, fine. But Bulacio (16-2, 12 KOs)? He’s got dynamite in his fists, and he don’t need three rounds to test it. Ask Ariel Bracamonte, who got iced before the kettle boiled. If López gets lazy for even a second, lights out. If not, Bulacio’s in for surgery.
Promoter Spin and the Reality
Ingo Volckmann came out with the promoter line when Gualtieri pulled out:
“With Arlen and Lázaro we’ve found an incredible solution. Both are among the most successful amateurs in the world — technically brilliant and pure boxing at its finest.”
Translation: Plan A crumbled, so they wheeled in the Cubans. But you know what? Fair play. Berlin doesn’t usually get this calibre. Two unbeaten Olympians taking actual risks. No safe matchmaking, no fluff. That’s what fight nights are supposed to be about. And if you’re sitting at home thinking you’ll catch the highlights later — don’t bother. You’ll miss the edge.
Berlin Boxing Card – September 12, 2025
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Arlen López vs Martin Bulacio – WBA International & Continental Light Heavyweight Titles
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Lázaro Álvarez vs Miguel Queliz Santos – WBA International & Continental Lightweight Titles
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Hamsat Shadalov vs Alex de la Rosa
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Paul Wall vs A. Fechner – German Championship
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Moussa Gholam vs Misael Vasquez – Junior Lightweight Title
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Yakelin Estornell vs Lina Tejada – Women’s Pro Debut
Event Details
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Date: Friday, September 12 2025
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Start Time: 2:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. UK / 7:00 p.m. German local time
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Venue: Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin, Germany
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Streaming: Live on AGON YouTube
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Tickets: Available now at Ticketmaster.de