02.09.05 – By Per Ake Persson: EBU bantam champ Simone Maludrottu will face his mandatory challenger, Belgian Carmelo Ballone, on October 8 or 15 in either Cagliari or Olbia (Italy) after purse bids were won by Italian promoter Antonio Puddu yesterday (Sep 1). On the undercard it´s announced that faded ex-heavy champ Evander Holyfield will appear..
Italian jr welter Gianluca Branco has suffered a hand injury in sparring and underwent surgery today (Sep 1). Branco, who was lined up to fight WBO ruler Miguel Cotto September 24, is expected to be able to begin training in six weeks.
Chilean welter Joel Mayo has been forced to pull out of his IBF I/C challenge against Ukrainian Viacheslav Senchenko. Mayo suffered a knee injury during yesterday´s (Aug 31) training. The fight was originally scheduled for September 2 in Donetsk but had been moved to September 10 in Moscow.
Hungarian Felix-Promotion, headed by Felix Racz, have the main bouts for their 11-fight show in Debrecen September 10 set. In the mainfight Janos Nagy defends the IBC 130 lb title against Tontcho Tontchev, Joszef Nagy makes his debut at supermiddle against Maneno Oswald and Bettina Csabi takes on Zarriko Fatuma in a WIBF-GBU bantam fight. Jr middle Laszlo Buranyi, the IBF Int´l champ at 154, is featured on the undercard.
IBF I/C supermiddle champ Robert Stieglitz, based in Germany and signed to SES, will fight Colombian Alejandro Berrio in an IBF eliminator. Date and sate to be announced.
Many ifs and buts but Czech OK KO Promotions appear to be pretty sure that Danish cruiser Lasse Johansen will defend the IBF Int´l title December 3 in Prague against the winner of Roman Kracik vs Lubos Suda September 10 also in Prague. Johansen fights Pavol Polakovic on the undercard. Meanwhile Kracik is pencilled in to fight September 20 on Spotlight Boxing´s show in Prague – which may be a bit optimistic considering he has a twelve rounder on hand Sep 10.
Corrado Battaglia and Giuseppe Truono clash for the vacant Italian 135 lb title October 7 in Siracusa.
Asa Sandell, the female supermiddle from Malmoe, Sweden, takes on one Vashon Living October 8 in Laughlin, NV. Rock & Sock Promotions also have Elena Reid on the bill in a tuneup before a possible rematch against Regina Halmich December 10.
Swedish heavy Aldo Colliander is back in Hamburg sparring with the big boys at the Universum gym.
Vatche Wartanian is back home in Stockholm after five and a half years in America. Wartanian, a jr welter with a 7-2-2 ledger, hopes to be back in the ring during the fall after over two years out.