22.09.06 – Per Ake Persson @ the scales: Edison Miranda and his team arrived early at the congress hall at Hotel Mercure. One could tell by the nervous looks that it would be a close call… Edison first stepped up on the scales in his underwear long before the weigh-in was offically on. He then left the hall with his team. It was announced he had gone to the bathroom. Then IBF champ Arthur Abraham arrived and after a wait for Miranda, Abraham stepped up on the scale and came in bang on 160. The champ looked tense and ready for tomorrow´s fight at the Rittal Arena. Miranda and his team returned and he first stepped on the scale with his underwear, then without but was 200 grams overweight and was given two hours to make 160..
The other fighters on the bill then weighed in: Sebastian Sylvester, 159,75, vs Frank Mezaache, 158,75, for the vacant WBA I/C title at middleweight. Both can punch a bit with their right hands, both are upright ortodox punchers but Mezaache have had his career pretty much ruined by bad hand injuries and that will probably be the difference.
Christophe Canclaux, 153,75, vs Youkri Chentour, 153,25, for the vacant EU jr middle title. Canclaux, once with Don King, have failed to live up to the early expectations but is pretty good anyway and should be too much for Chentour who steps in at a very late notice for Jimmy Colas.
8×3: Vitaly Tsypko, 167,75, vs Stepjan Bozic, 167, in an eliminator where both needs to win to secure their win with Sauerland Event. Tsypko, in training for a fight against WBA champ Mikkel Kessler in May (cancelled when Kessler got injured) should be too much for the once touted Bozic.
Alexander Povetkin, 219,75, vs Ed Mahone, 231,75 over eight. Povetkin continues his education and is moved forward quickly. The fading Mahone shouldn´t be too much of a problem for the talented Russian.
8×3: Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 203,75, vs Jean Claud Bikoi, 201, in a fight where Hernandez needs to show the talent expected of a former Cuban amateur star. This far it hasn´t been up to expectations.
6×3: Nikita Dubunin, 152,25, vs Mazen Gierke, 154 – Gierke could have had a career had someone taken care of him early on. As it is he´s a live opponent for the promising Dubunin.
4×3: Damien Jonak, 157,5, vs Josef Lakatos – who was on his way to Wetzlar during the weighin.
4×3: Andreas Evensen, 129, vs Miloud Saadi, 129,75. Evensen is expected to win but Saadi, 1-5, is a bit like Gierke, at least recordwise.
After all this Miranda returned, stepped on the scales in his underwear, stepped down, took off his underwear, stepped on the scale again and barely made 160 and everyone smiled. Miranda can apparently punch but Abraham, trained by Ulli Wegner, a master tactician, can also punch a bit and should be able to retain the title.
The show begins at 18.15 with ARD televising Abraham vs Miranda and Huck vs El Hadak live.