Danish boxing prepares for historic November
By Carsten Rylander
07.11 - With three major title fights to look forward to, Danish boxing fans can hardly wait for November to come along. Johnny Bredahl kicks off the most interesting eight days in Danish boxing history on November 8, when he makes a mandatory defense of his WBA bantamweight title against Venezuela's Leo Gamez in Copenhagen. One day later, Dennis Holbaek finally gets his shot at IBF lightweight champ Paul Spadafora. And on November 16, Rudy Markussen becomes the first of three Danish world class super middleweights to fight for a recognized title, when he challenges IBF champ Sven Ottke in Nürnberg, Germany.
When Johnny Bredahl knocked out defending champion Eidy Moya six months ago, he became the first Dane to hold one of the recognized world titles (WBC, WBA, IBF) since Battling Nelson almost a century ago. Bredahl (52-2, 26 KO) is a supremely talented boxer, whose height and reach makes him an awkward opponent for everyone, as Paulie Ayala found out in March 2000, when Ayala was awarded a controversial majority decision in Las Vegas. That seemed to be the end of the road for the Dane, who had previously lost in a challenge to Wayne McCullough in 1995. But Bredahl, like wine, seems to get better with age, and he must be favored to beat the much smaller Gamez, possibly by mid- to late round stoppage. Bredahl, who also holds a win over current WBO champion Cruz Carbajal, has expressed interest in unifying with IBF champ Tim Austin and WBC kingpin Veeraphol Sahaprom. Unless Bredahl starts to show his age, it would not be too shocking to see him come out on top of such match-ups.
On a rather curious side note, Bredahl's promoter, Bettina Palle, agreed to stage the Bredahl-Gamez card at the Falconer Center in central Copenhagen (where Bredahl beat Moya for the title) and not as originally planned, at the Brondby Hall in the capital's suburbs. The reason according to Danish newspaper BT : Bredahl, who believes in numerology, and has changed his legal name to Johny Wahid Johansen at the advice of a numerologist, using "Johnny Bredahl" as his ring name only, contacted his numerologist and was told that the Falconer Center would give him a better chance of winning the fight...
Dennis Holbaek (43-1, 22 KO) will attempt to shake off 21 months of ring rust when he challenges Paul Spadafora. Holbaek has been inactive because of a feud with Team Palle, and has to be considered the underdog versus Spadafora. The fast, but light punching Dane is a former IBC- and two-time European champion at junior lightweight, and holds a win over former champion Tom "Boom Boom" Johnson. Holbaek is a talented enough boxer, who tends to confuse his opponents by punching in short, fast flurries, but he has seemed a little gunshy in his six fights since a shocking one-punch knockout defeat to Russian Boris Sinitsin, when Holbaek lost his EBU-title in January 2000. Dennis "The Menace" avenged the defeat with a points win eight months later, but must regain his old form if he is to stand any chance against the Pittsburgh boxer. Spadafora by decision seems the likely outcome.
Three Danes hope to bring the "super" back into the long dormant super middleweight division. Experienced Mads Larsen and hot prospect Mikkel Kessler must wait, though, while Rudy Markussen (27-0, 16 KO) gets the first shot. Markussen is on a string of three one-round knockouts and has been in only one 8-rounder. His relative inexperience could be the deciding factor against Ottke, who may have only one fight more than his challenger, but has fought much better opposition. Still, Markussen should not be counted out - and against Ottke, he probably will not be. Though the Dane takes the fight on fairly short notice, he was already in training for a fight with former champion Dingaan Thobela, and he is reported to be in the best shape of his career. Markussen has good skills and a solid punch, and he will probably take a close look at the tape of Ottke's defense against Anthony Mundine, who seemed to have Ottke in serious trouble at times. But the German is a smart fighter, and his mobility and skills will probably be enough to earn him a decision. Unlike some former Ottke opponents, Markussen comes to fight, though, and his punch and explosiveness will keep him in the fight all the way.
The talent pool in Danish pro boxing is bigger than ever, and other fighters may be close to world title fights. "The Danish Micky Ward", always entertaining welterweight Thomas Damgaard is in the running for a fight with Vernon Forrest. Damgaard has seemed to be on the decline recently, but it may be a case of fighting down to the level of opposition... After an unsuccessful stay at lightheavy, Mads Larsen is back at supermiddle, and he turned in his best performance in years when he knocked out Brazilian Rogerio Cacciatore in two rounds Friday night. The oft-injured Larsen was aiming for a fight with Sven Ottke, but may now have to look elsewhere... Fellow supermiddle, hot prospect Mikkel Kessler, seems ready to step up to title bout level. Kessler looks like a future champion, but needs to step up his opposition soon... With national hero Brian Nielsen on the way out, the search has begun for a new popular heavyweight. Another Nielsen, first name Steffen, suffered a setback when he was knocked out by Julius Francis, and while he is more naturally gifted than namesake Brian, Steffen seems to lack the chin and heart that have been Brian's trademarks... Juniormiddle Mikael Rask is slated to fight Russia's Roman Karmazin for the EBU-belt. No date or venue yet, purse bids are on October 29...Welterweight Hasan Al, who seemed headed for a European title shot against Germany's Michel Trabant, underwent successful surgery for a potentially life threatening slipped disc. Al hopes to be back in the ring in the fall of 2003...
Comments or questions? carstenrylander@hotmail.com
