27.02.07 – By Per Ake Persson: Ex-WBO heavy boxing champ Herbie Hide, last seen in Las Vegas campaigning as a cruiser, arrived in Hamburg Monday to spar with Arena Box Promotion´s prospects. After sparring today Feb 27 – Hide signed a contract with Arena and could be making his debut for them already March 9 when Arena stage a small show at their gym. On the bill are Konstantin Airich, Selcuk Aydin and Steffen Kretschmann – all three were left without fights when a planned show in Riga March 10 was postponed..
Cuban amateur stars, all Olympic Gold Medal winners, lightfly Yan Barthelemy Varela, flyweight Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano and heavyweight Odlanier Solis Fonte are all according to Arena on their way to Hamburg and have signed with Germany´s fastest growing promotional outfit. The three escaped recently from the Cuban national team during a training camp in Venezuela. Arena already have a solid connection to Cuba in former WBC cruiser boxing champion Juan Carlos Gomez.
Osei Bonsu stops Mouchi!
Belgian, with roots in Ghana, welter Jackson Osei Bonsu won the vacant EBU title with an eighth round ko of Frenchman Nordine Mouchi last night in Yvelines after what ringsiders describe as an intense, dramatic fight that saw both men on the floor. Mouchi used his speed to build up an early lead in the fight but Bonsu, a very hard puncher, floored him in the sixth. Mouchi however got up and knocked down the Belgian. Mouchi now made the mistake of trading with the puncher and got knocked out in the eighth.
The new champion is now 24-1 with 21 early endings. Previous stoppage wins over highly regarded Russian Mikhail Krivolapov and Maxim Nesterenko indicates the new champ is for real. Mouchi, a quarterfinalist in the 96 Olympics, dipped to 29-4. He´s never, despite some good results, really been able to make the transition to the pros.
Castillejo vs Sturm II April 28 in Oberhausen?
Various media reports says that newly reinstated WBA middleweight boxing champion Javier Castillejo will defend the title against Felix Sturm April 28 in Oberhausen. Universum won´t confirm or deny this. Castillejo beat Sturm in July of last year but lost the title to Mariano Carrera in December – only to get it back when the Argentinian tested positive to illegal substances. Someone close to EBU heavy champ Vladimir Virchis told this reporter that Virchis´ next fight was scheduled for April 28.
In regards of Carrera he strongly denies any wrongdoings and vows to win the title back.
Klappert and Kalnars score wins
Latvian heavy Edgar Kalnars won on a second round dq over Hungarian Janos Somogyi February 24 in Grossziethen on the outskirts of Berlin. Kalnars was scheduled to fight for the vacant In´t l Latvian title March 10 in Riga but that show is now postponed until May 5. Jr middle Nick Klappert, like Kalnars with Elite Box Promotion, stopped Slovakian Marian Tomcany in the second.
Kurzawa vs Bennema March 24 but …
Lightheavies Kai Kurzawa and Karim Bennama are scheduled to fight for the vacant EU title March 24 in Hamburg but the Frenchman will also fight tomorrow, Feb 27, in Cuxhaven on Spotlight Boxing´s show against Aleksyi Kuziemsky