A Veit for the WBO 168 lb interims world title

28.04.04 – The event on May 8 at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund now includes three title contests. 30-year-old German Mario Veit, a pro since 1995, will fight against experienced Kabary Salem for the WBO interims world title at 168 pound. It will be the first step to appoint a heir to long reigning WBO supermiddleweight king Joe Calzaghe who attempts to win a world title at 175 pound on June 5 in Manchester, England, challenging IBF champ Glen Johnson. Should Calzaghe win the title and choose to stay at light heavy, the winner of the Veit vs Salem fight will see the “interim” tag removed and become the recognized WBO champ at supermiddleweight.

Mario Veit of Germany suffered his only loss in a previous title challenge against Calzaghe but, after that bout, the skillful German contender went 12-0 and made his way up in the rankings. Salem, a 36-year old Egyptian now fighting out of New York City, USA, is at his first major challenge but already owned different regional belts in his seven-year career and should provide a stern test for the lanky German.

Veit is 43-1 with 22 knockouts. Salem is 23-2 with 12 KOs.

Main event in Dortmund is the first title defense of WBO light heavyweight champion Zsolt Erdei, 19-0 (13), who will try to turn down the challenge of the undefeated Argentine Hugo Hernán Garay, 20-0 (10). “Firebird” Erdei will complete his last week of sparring seeing himself reunited with his coach Fritz Sdunek who just returned from Los Angeles where he won the WBC heavyweight world title with his other charge Vitali Klitschko.

Beside Erdei and Klitschko also Mario Veit is trained by Sdunek.

Third title contest in Dortmund will be a European light heavyweight championship between reigning title holder Stipe Drews, 25-0 (12), and Ukrainian challenger Konstantin Shvets, 17-2-2 (11). Drews won the EBU belt in February 2003 and defended it twice since.

Exclusive Klitschko-Sanders weigh-in video on Boxing.de

Visit www.boxing.de and watch the exclusive Realvideo of the weigh-in of Vitali Klitschko and Corrie Sanders on April 22 in Los Angeles, outdoors at a location close to the Staples Center.

Plus: Great photo gallery of the WBC heavyweight championship between Klitschko and Sanders!