Huge arena in Hamburg to hold Michalczewski’s next fight March 29

29.01 - Hamburg – Boxing returns to Hamburg – together with light heavyweight world champion Dariusz Michalczewski. On March 29 Universum Box-Promotion will awake a Sleeping Beauty by staging a mega event in Germany’s second biggest city after there hasn’t been a big boxing show in Hamburg for several years.

Site will be the newly constructed Color Line Arena that was inaugurated last November with a concert of Phil Collins. The arena has a capacity of more than 14.000. It’s located directly beside the open 55.000 seat AOL-Arena.

In the main event WBO champion Michalczewski, 47-0 (40 KOs), will make his 23rd world title defense.

It will be the first time in five and a half years that the undefeated champion is fighting in Hamburg, his second home. The last time the German-Pole defended his title in the North German sea port was on 13 December 1997 when he knocked out Canadian Daren Cenner at Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, an arena that has less than half the capacity of the Color Line Arena.

“Hamburg is my second home. I was living here for a long time and I’m still staying in Hamburg five months each year”, Michalczewski explained who began pending between Germany and Poland, his native country.

“I love Hamburg and I’m very much looking forward to fighting there again. Over and again boxing fans in Hamburg were asking me when I will step into the ring again here. In addition the Color Line Arena is the most beautiful arena in Germany in my mind. This is additional motivation and additional pressure.”

The management of Universum Box-Promotion and the directors of the Color Line Arena expect a sell out on March 29. Ticket prices range from 12,44 € to 551,44 €.

“We currently negotiate with two top ranked opponents”, Universum manager Peter Hanraths said who was unwilling to reveal any names. “In the next two weeks we will announce Michalczewski’s challenger.”

The man who 34-year-old Michalczewski would like to fight most is still Roy Jones Jr., even though the “Tiger” has no illusions about the improbability of the chances this fight may ever come up.

“For many years I wanted to fight Roy Jones Jr. And he is still the man I would like to fight against most. But of course I know this is becoming more and more unlikely as he moves up to the heavyweight division. This is too bad for all boxing fans”, the “Tiger” said who currently trains at the holiday resort Anfi del Mar on the Canarian Islands.

“But I’m ready and willing to fight anybody. For many years my promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl selected my opponents. And he did a very good job. I never said: ‘I don’t like to fight this guy’. I always accept who he puts in front of me. There is only one thing I want: I want to fight against the best.”

Shortly the WBO world champion will move his training camp to the Polish mountains before he returns to Hamburg on February 17. The last six weeks of his preparation Michalcezwski will work out in the gym of Universum Box-Promotion.

Soon after March 29 there could be more events at Hamburg’s Color Line Arena, the next one maybe already at the end of this year.