08.12.06 – By Per Ake Persson: French paper Le Monde have reported a posibble connection between WBA jr welter champ Souleyman M´Baye and a dr Eufemiano Fuentes, a Spanish doctor that has been involved in a big doping scandal that has rocked cycling as well as other sports. It appears that M´Baye, a frequent visitor to Spain in the last few years, has met dr Fuentes in Madrid. The case also involves Spanish superbantam Kiko Martinez, who is the mandatory challenger for EBU titleholder Bernard Dunne. M´Baye tells another paper, l´Equipe, he is looking into suing Le Monde and denies any wrongdoings.
It will be Frenchman Rachid Kanfouah that squares off against Thomas Ulrich for the vacant EBU lightheavyweight title January 13 on Universum´s big show in Halle/Saale.
Jannax Promotion in Finland stage a show in Porvoo January 13 headlined by veteran supermiddle Kai Kauramaki. Heavyweight Sami Elovaara returns after a long layoff due to injuries and take on Czech Ervin Slonka, who on his last visit to Finland kayoed Jukka Jarvinen. At welter Jyrkki Vierela fight Jarno Ruotsalainen in an all Finnish clash. Lightweight Ville Piispanen and cruiser Umar Kemilainen round out the bill. Swedish feather Richard Lundby, could, repeat, could make his long awaited prodebut on this bill.
Former EBU supermiddle Danilo Haussler takes on Australian Marc Bargero on the undercard to Huck vs Aurino December 16 in Kempten. Haussler looked very lucky to get a split duke over Sergey Kharchenko last time – Oct 14 in Copenhagen – out but is hopeful to get a major title shot and and is looking at the winner of Stieglitz vs Berrio, who fights for the vacant IBF title next year.
Heavies Steffen Nielsen, 25-2, and Claus Bertino. 6-0, will fight for the vacant Danish title December 15 in Slagelse on the undercard to Kristjansen vs Zoff. Nielsen is the by far more accomplished, at one time billed as the “new” Nielsen (as in a succsessor to Brian Nielsen), boxer but an upset loss to Julius Francis back in 02 derailed him and he´s never really been back to what he was before that. On paper Steffen should be able to handle the relatively green Bertino, who turned pro this year, with ease but that is on paper and Nielsen´s erratic performances leave plenty of room for an upset.
Supermiddle prospect Stas Kashtanov headlines a Union Box Team show in Donetsk, Ukraine, December 23.
Check out boxingconfidental.com, the new site from Michael Marley!
Check out newsweden.se – the homepage for New Sweden Boxing Promotions – for updates on their event at Scandinavium in Gothenburg January 27. Tickets go on sale December 11.