26.02.06 – By Per Ake Persson: The Monte Carlo Boxing Masters II go ahead at the Salle de Etoile in Monte Carlo March 18. It´s a joint venture between World Sporting Promotions and Fight Academy. Headlining is Israeli heavyweight Roman Greenberg taking on Russian Alex Vassilyev in a IBO I/C titlefight. Jr middle Matthew Hatton square off against Belorussian Alexander Abramenko in the chief support.. Another Belorussian on the bill is rising jr light Sergei Gulyakevich, who fights Frenchman Frederic Bonifai.
German/Turkisk middle Mahir Oral aka Lion Mahir face a tough test in Arsen Khachatrian March 11 in Hamburg on the undercard to Masoe vs Sturm.
Domenico Spada and Luciano Lombardi clash for the vacant Italian 160 lb title March 31 in Rome.
Swedish heavy Attila Levin, who used to fight out of Pembroke Pines, Florida, is since some time back home in Stockholm. “I had simply lost desire for boxing even before the Jeremy Williams fight”, says the 29-year old, who lost to Nikolay Valuev last time out. “I don´t rule out a return to boxing but not as it feels now.”
However, Levin can fancy going back to Florida as we discussed a dear subject to all Swedes: the weather. “I just can´t handle this cold like I used to. I´m seriosly thinking about returning to Florida but it´s not just the weather, it´s the lifestyle as a whole I miss.”
Boxteam-Vienna in Austria stage a “Laszlo Papp Memorial” March 25 in Vienna. It´s a mixed martial arts / professional boxing event sanctioned by the EBF with Hungarian jr middle Vilmos Balog on top.
Benjamin Kalinovic, from Sweden but based in Florida, stopped Larry Cunningham in two rounds of Friday night in Oklahoma City in a fight made at welter but Cunningham came in 10 lbs over the contracted weight.
Hungarian Zoltan Kallai got a difficult opponent in late sub Ivica Cukusic Friday night in Budapest but came through to win the UBC /IC supermiddleweight title.
Giorgio Marinelli and Ceri Hall clash for the vacant EU jr welter title March 25 in Rome.
Belgian Cedric Charlier and Luxembourg´s Nascimento Monteiro clash for the vacant BeNeLux 147 lb title February 25 in Herstal. Also on the bill is experienced middle Bendele Ilunga, and cruiser Jean Claude Bikoi.
Danish newspaper Ekstrabladet writes that ex-WBA bantam champ Johnny Bredahl is thinking about coming back.
French welter Anthony Halmaert headlines a show in Petange, Luxembourg, tonight (Feb 24). Halmaert is the cousin of Julien Lorcy.
Swedish welter Benjamin Kalinovic takes on Larry Cunnigham on a show in Oklahoma City tomorrow (Feb 25) night.
Ringside Belgium commemorates the 30 year anniversary since the Lion of Flanders, Jean Pierre Coopman fought Muhammad Ali in San Juan February 20 1976. Ali was coming off the “Thrilla in Manila” and needed a soft touch. Coopmans was at the time relatively green; he had began boxing as a 24-year old in 1970 and turned pro in 72. Ali won easily in five rounds. Coopmans would move on to capture the EBU title and did relatively well. The now 59-year old is still in good shape and works out every day.
Just learned that Spanish jr middle Ruben Varon, 28-3, is the son of ex-middleweight, lightheavy and heavyweight Victor Varon.
There was a time when German manager and agent Olaf Schroeder and former EBU jr middle champ Mourad Louati collaborated just fine – or so it seemed. Louati trained Dutch heavy Richel Hersisia, who was and still is managed by Schroeder. But the two split some time ago and the feud between them took a new and serious turn recently. “Schroeder wrote on his homepage that I let Richel train and fight while injured just to make more money. This is totally wrong and I called him to tell him that and the next thing I know is that he reports me to the police for threatening him” says an angry Louati just back from a trip to Tunisia. The matter gets worse as Louati accuses Schroeder of some serious wrongdoings. “I have given my lawyer documents that proves that Schroeder have forged medical certificates for some fighters. I have also seen him use a double set of contracts so he can screw the fighters even more”, says Louati.
If Louati can prove what he says it would be a pretty serious blow to Schroeder.