20.02.07 – By Per Ake Persson: Universum have announced the main bouts for the big show in Stuttgart March 17. On top – as Luan himself told local press last week – Luan Krasniqi takes on Brian Minto for the vacant WBO I/C title. The former WBO I/C heavy champ, Aleksander Dimitrenko is in against Danny Batchelder. At bantam Wladimir Sidorenko will face Ricardo Cordoba. A fine heavyweight matchup on the undercard features Taras Bidenko vs Fernely Feliz while Egon Roth squares off against Mike Middleton. Hungarian supermiddle Karoly Balzsay is also on the bill. 12-rounds.de writes that Dutch heavy Richel Hersisa also will appear on the show..
Purse bids for WBA heavy champ Nikolai Valuev´s mandatory defence against Ruslan Chagaev will take place on Friday in Panama City. The minimum bid is one (1) million USD.
Fremkskridspartiet will motion to the Parliament for a change of the law that prohibits professional boxing in Norway reports Nettavisen. Norway have had a ban on proboxing since 1981. Previously Helge Waeroy of Stonehand Promotions wanted to bring WBA heavy champ Nikolay Valuev to Norway – something he thought would be possible with a special permission but that proved to be wrong. Should this motion pass a change in the law can be in effect in 2008 or 2009.
Russian veteran Maksim Nesterenko, who takes on Reda Zam Zam on the Abazi vs Guerrero bill in Copenhagen on Friday have been sparring with the likes of Oktay Urkal and Michel Trabant at the Sauerland training camp in Berlin. The former EBU champ beat Christian Bladt on his two previous visits to Denmark but suffered bad loss to Yuri Nuzhenko in his last bout. As for Trabant, his comeback after a year suspension for testing positive to illegal substances in his win against Marco Cattikas in May of last year, is still pending.
Inbetween the big promotions March 24 in Hamburg and June 23 in Istanbul Arena Box Promotion will also stage gym shows to keep their growing stable busy. Arena also have a hand in the supporting bouts to Maske vs Hill March 31 in Munich.