Monday’s press event at the IGEDO Fashion Fairs in Düsseldorf looked more like a posh high society fashion show than a prefight press conference for Saturday’s “Universum Champions Night” at Burg-Wächter Castello. The three glamorous female world champions headlining the card looked like fashion models as they posed in front of the flashbulbs of photographers..
“The runway is not ordinarily my profession, the boxing ring is actually my runway,” said longtime WIBF flyweight champion Regina Halmich (52-1-1, 16 KOs). Halmich will defend against top five rated Wendy Rodriguez (18-3-3, 3 KOs) in the main event. The bout is scheduled to be the legendary Halmich’s second to last before she retires later this year.
“Many great champions have lost at the end of their careers,” stated Halmich just five days before her 55th pro fight, “I have trained as never before because I like to leave nothing to chance. Wendy Rodriguez is a tough challenge for which I have prepared diligently. For me, Düsseldorf brings very good memories. One year ago at the same place I defeated the Hungarian Milo.”
Halmich’s trainer Torsten Schmitz said Rodriguez will be a hard nut because of the athleticism she brings, “Regina has always said she wants to box the best, therefore, she has always looked with an eye to America,” he said. “Wendy Rodriguez is one of the best, so this will be a hard task. I have trained Regina for eleven nice years. We have been through highs and lows and both of us have have grown. She will win this fight!”
Rodriguez sees this fight as the chance of a lifetime. “This will be my biggest fight and my biggest challenge,” she said. “I want to become world champion against the strongest boxer in the world.”
World champion Julia Sahin (18-0, 2 KOs) will defend her WIBF jr. flyweight title for the second time. Her opponent will be Delia Lopez (8-1-2, 4 KOs). “I’m happy to again get the great support from the Düsseldorf fans. Being from Cologne (about 30 miles south) I love this hall and these fans and have no problems with Düsseldorf,” stated the fighter known as “Sunshine.”
Even though Düsseldorf is her hometown, unbeaten WIBF featherweight champion Ina Menzer (17-0, 8 KOs) will be making her first appearance there against Jazmin Rivas (17-4, 8 KOs). It will be her seventh defense. “I’m happy to fight in Düsseldorf because it’s right outside my front door and many of my friends, colleagues and fans can come. With Rivas I have a tough obstacle in front of me – she has a good record and is very dangerous with her eight KO victories. This will become an exciting and top level fight.”
In other bouts, super middleweight Lukas Wilaschek (17-0, 6 KOs), cruiserweight Grigory Drozd (26-1, 21 KOs), unbeaten Olympian super featherweight Vitali Tajbert (11-0, 4 KOs), heavyweight Dieter Roth (13-0, 8 KOs) and Spotlight newcomer Vladimir Tereshkin (1-0, 1 KO) will see action
Tickets for the “Universum Champions Night” are available under:
Universum Ticket Hotline: 040- 696 559 59
CTS-Eventim Hotline: 01805-5 70 000 o. 01805-644332
or under www.boxing.de