30.05.07 – Universum Box-Promotion today announced one of the main undercard attractions for Felix Sturm’s WBA ‘world’ middleweight title defence on June 30 at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. It’s a facinating heavyweight clash between WBA No. 7 Taras Bidenko and Fight Production’s Dutch destroyer Richel Hersisia. Bidenko not only puts his world rating and WBA Intercontinental title on the line, but also his future with promoters Universum in what is an eliminator of fighters jointly promoted by Universum, respectively its sidekick Spotlight Boxing.
The fight is a huge break-through chance for the 33-year-old Dutch and Benelux champion Hersisia, who feels that – despite once calling himself WBF ‘world’ champion – he has been unfairly underestimated for too long.
Just weeks ago, Hersisia joined forces with former ‘world’ champions Ralf and Graciano Rocchigiani, who now train him at their Rocky’s Gym in Duisburg, Germany. “We are happy about this chance, Universum has delivered exactly what we were looking for,” said manager Olaf Schroeder, “Now its up to us to prove what Richel can really do. With the Rocchigiani’s on board, I feel mightily optimistic!”
It’s a giant task nevertheless. Bidenko, six years younger and a bit taller than Hersisia, is 22-2 (12 KO’s) and his only two losses are nothing to be ashamed of. In only his fourth pro fight, he lost a 12-round decision to future WBA champion Nikolay Valuev, who was already 28-0 at the time! And in 2005, Bidenko was widely leading on points when current European champion Vladimir Virchis, a puncher if nothing else, caught up with him in the dying seconds of a 12-rounder. Bidenko boxed in Asia, South America, the USA and all over Europe – and has simply operated in a higher league that Hersisia, even though the man from Den Haag with roots in Curacao has also been a career globetrotter.
The ‘Dutch Sonny Liston’s’ only flirtation at that level ended in failure, when Olympic champion Audley Harrison inflicted the only blemish of Hersisia’s otherwise perfect pro record of 29-1 (23 KO’s) and wrested the WBF crown from him in four rounds in 2004. It seemed Hersisia was too eager to get to Harrison and got caught with a perfect uppercut, but it came to light during surgery on the Dutchman more than a year ago, that he boxed severely injured on his elbows. Hersisia has won all his eight fights (7 KO’s) since that setback.
“I don’t want to say much. Let’s just get ready and have fight. I want to win this one!” was all that Hersisia said from Rocky’s Gym. After years of being overlooked and fighting a sometimes lonely battle together with his career-long manager Olaf Schroeder, both of them know its time for action and not words.
Photo: Richel Hersisia (left) in his last fight against Zurab Noniashvili (W TKO 5)