By Per Ake Persson: Spanish veteran and former WBC, WBA and EBU champ at jr middle and middle, Javier Castillejo, 62-8-0-1, has decided to continue his career. Castillejo lost the EBU title in April to Sebastian Sylvester after suffering a bad knockout and most thought that would be it for the Spanish alltime great. But the 40-year old wants to continue even after close to 20 years as a pro..
Heavies Dennis Bakhtov and Juha Haapoja clash for the vacant PABA title May 22 in St Petersburg on a German Titov and Alexandre Yagupov promotion. Haapoja, from Finland, is 5-1-1 and a huge underdorg against the vastly more experienced Russian.
Comebacking Swedish heavy Attila Levin is sidelined with a hand injury and need a few weeks rest. Levin was scheduled to fight big Gabe Brown May 16 in Kissimee, Florida, but that is off.
Belgian middle Alex Polizzi is now officially retired and concentrating on a career as manager and trainer. Polizzi goes out at 25-11-3 and fought for many titles and even won some such as the BeNeLux and TWBA belts.
IBF supermiddle champ Lucian Bute have began preparations for the mandatory defence against Librado Andrade scheduled for sometime this fall.
Former WBA and WBC 168 lb champ Mikkel Kessler is now training at the Big Bear training camp in California under Jimmy Montoya and Ruben Chavez. With Kessler from Denmark is his physical trainer and physiotherapist Thomas Macon.
Vinni Skovgaard fights for the female EBU jr welter title on the undercard to Kessler vs Sartison June 21 in Copenhagen. Skovgaard is managed by ex-EBU welter champ Hans Henrik Palm.
Unbeaten Finnish jr middle Mika Joensuu headlines Steel Ring´s show in Turku May 17 and take on Russian Andrei Tylilyuk.
The Martial Arts Delegation, which have on their duty to control martial arts including professional boxing, in Sweden are quite critical towards the national Federation following the show March 27 in Gothenburg where Ratko Draskovic was whacked out by Joey Abell less than two weeks after Sinan Samil Sam had done the same in Germany. Also on the bill where Latvian Jevgenij Andrejevs fighting and losing just four days after doing the same in Ukraine – and it is this fight that is the center of attention. The permission to stage proboxing have a seven day rule between fights (something most civilized Federations in Europe also have). MAD take the break of the rules so seriously that should another similar incident take place the permission to stage proboxing – even with special rules and a maximum of 12 minutes duration – might be revoked. One must point out the comeback of proboxing last year have featured a number of incidents already.