24.02.07 – By Per Ake Persson: EBU lightweight boxing champ Yuri Romanov will defend the title against Bulgarian veteran Tontcho Tontchev at home in Minsk, Belorussia sometime mid-April. Tontchev will have a tune-up fight in Tirana, Albania, on the Quato vs Zaitsev bill March 3 in what will be the second of the two scheduled pro fights there..
Oktay Urkal departed from the Tegel Airport in Berlin this morning (Feb 24) heading for Madrid and a short stop there before leaving for San Juan, Puerto Rico for the showdown against WBA welter boxing champ Miguel Cotto March 3. Urkal must be regarded as a big underdog but feels his handspeed and overall quickness will make a difference. A big plus for Oktay is of course chief cornerman Uli Wegner, who like many of his German colleagues is a master tactician and conditioner. How the change in temperature from the cold in Germany to the heat (relatively speaking) will affect the challenger? No idea, says Urkal.
Ex-WBO lightheavy king Dariusz “Tiger” Michalczewski paid the all new Arena Box Promotion in Hamburg a visit the other day. Michalczewski, along with artist Bruno Bruni, was reported to be quite impressed with what he saw.
WBA certainly took their time but as it is Spaniard Javier Castillejo is again the WBA 160 lb champ, he has until Sep 2 before making another mandatory defence. Argentinian Mariano Carrera is suspended for six months for testing positive for an illegal substance following his stoppage win over Castillejo in December of last year. Team Carrera have ten days to appeal. Castillejo vs Sturm II will reportedly take place in May in Germany. It deserves to be noticed that the BDB, the German Federation, have declared Thomas Troelenberg a winner on disqualification over Mazen Gierke after the latter tested positive on mariujana after their ten round draw December 15 in Hamburg in a similar case.
New Sweden Boxing Promotions is now headed by Leif Nordman, the original owner, and his son Robert while Wally Munteanu, who´s in custody for various crimes, and face court for other crimes is reportedly out of the company – at least for the time being. New Sweden´s planned promotion in Gothenburg March 31 have received permission from the pro boxing commission in Sweden while the Martial Arts Delegation, who have the final word, will make their decision in March.