WBF Heavyweight Champ Richel Hersisia and the “Danish Problem”

SIGNATURE UP FOR GRABS?

09.09 - When all major Danish television companies late last year decided to no longer remain involved in professional boxing on a regular basis, it rocked the sport right down to its boots for all who work in it or just love the game. This – given the astonishing success boxing enjoyed in Denmark for a country that small – unexpected move immediately and drastically effected the number of promotions held by the countries two major promoters, Team Palle and Team Vester. While the Palle stable undoubtly struggles, his rival Anders Vester has almost hit rock bottom. Between 1998 and 2002, Vester and his matchmaker Olaf Schroeder of Germany’s Fight Production regularily produced Intercontinental champions, two European champions and challengers for major ‘world’ championships. Today, after only co-promoting two shows outside of Denmark this year, Vester has lost most his boxers. The only ones remaining are his son, current IBF Intercontinental lightwelterweight champion Allan Vester, plus WBF heavyweight champion Richel Hersisia, the unbeaten Dutch powerpuncher.

Olaf Schroeder, who manages Hersisia, therefore must answer questions regarding the future of the 20-0 (15 KO’s) unbeaten Dutchman, because he is tied to Vester via a promotional contract that expires only at the end of 2004. “So far, we are still happy and all is cool,” starts Schroeder, obviously referring to the level of activity Hersisia enjoyed while other Vester-fighters more or less sat idle. “Boxers in Denmark simply don’t understand the value of having a boxing manager. In a situation like we have, that was the key for Richel to even progress with his career regardless. I worked hard for that and the others were just waiting to get a ring from the promoter.” Indeed, it seems that Hersisia’s career actually exploded after Vester’s TV contract ran out. First, he won the WBA Fedecentro title by blowing out Argentina’s Eduardo Sandivares on his Caribbean island of birth, Curacao, returned home to win the Dutch crown in equally quick fashion before having a final warm-up on the undercard of the Sven Ottke vs Brian Mitchell superfight in Berlin. Then the man called ‘The Dutch Sonny Liston’ grabbed the vacant WBF ‘world’ title by overpowering Sandro ‘Tyson’ Vazquez in May and made a quick defence last month in Austria, engaging in a breathtaking slugfest to top Finland’s Sami Elovaara on a unanimous 12-round decision.

“Obviously, something must happen,” continues Schroeder. “It looks like Anders will not stage any shows anymore this year and we don’t know what the future brings.” Is leaving Vester, like all other boxers except his son Allan did by now, the answer? “To begin with, we couldn’t have worked with a better promoter and really appreciate what Anders did for Richel’s career. He more or less left the career planning to me and trusted my managerial skills. Can we have it better? Hardly. But in this situation, both Anders and myself know that it would be foolish not to talk with anybody that shows an interest in promoting fights for Richel on a regular basis.” However, while it looks that the reigning WBF ‘world’ heavyweight champion’s signature could be up for grabs soon, his German manager in unisone with Hersisia’s trainer, former European champion Mourad Louati, is quick to add: “But it’s got to really, really fit into the spirit of Team Hersisia.”