By Per Ake Persson: The row over the WBA supermiddle fight between Dane Mikkel Kessler and German Dmitri Sartison scheduled for June 21 continues. Sauerland Event have protested the fight saying that their man, Danilo Haussler (ranked # 3 while Sartison is # 4) has been sidestepped. Team Palle have issued a press release in the matter and Mogens Palle does not pull any punches. Fact is, he goes all out saying that Haussler is a shot fighter totally undeserving of the rating he has with the WBA.. Palle points out that the German is only # 11 with the EBU while Sartison is # 6. Haussler´s indeed bad effort on the undercard to Kessler vs Beyer 2006 is also highlighted. There is one opening though: that Sauerland put together an eliminator between Haussler and Mads Larsen with the winner facing the winner of Kessler vs Sartison. Larsen, then with Palle, clearly beat the German in Germany back in 2004.
WBC Youth champ Zapir Gereev is currently training at Gleason´s in New York and will make his US debut this fall. Gereev is managed by Mario Pokowietz and has fought all his pro fights in Germany on shows put on by promoters licensed by the German Boxing Association. Gereev is signed to Don King Promotions but has yet to appear on any DKP show.
Croatian veteran Vedran Akrap have spent most of his career as opponent to the bigger names mainly in Germany fighting above his natural weight. Akrap is now self managed, have landed a TV deal and is the EE-EU middle champ. Thursday night in Zagreb in retained the title stopping Russian Aleksey Chirkov in five due to a cut eye.
Belgian bantam Carmelo Ballone retained the title with a tenth round tko over tricky Belorus, based in Spain, Valery Yanchy Friday night in La Louviere. Ballone was ahead on points when Yanchy was stopped and didn´t come out for the tenth due to a bad swelling and cut.
Odlanier Solis vs Fransois Botha has been moved from Bilbao, Spain, May 30 to the US and will go ahead June 27 in Miami, Florida. Solis vs Botha wil thus go ahead along with Yuriorkis Gamboa vs Jose “Cheo” Rojas. As “compensation” to the Bilbao show Arena moves in WBC Int´l cruiser champ Herbie Hide, who will defend the title against Ehinomen Ehikhamenor from Benin but fighting out of New York. In the co-headliner unbeaten heavy Konstantin Airich square off against Brit Danny Williams. Airich comes in with 40 rounds of sparring against WBC # 2 Vladimir Virchis, who is still waiting for a confirmed date for his eliminator against Juan Carlos Gomez although September 27 is likely.
Finnish Steel Ring tried an interesting experiment on their show Saturday night in Oulu as they transmitted it over internet. Topping the bill was a clash for the vacant BBU welter title between Jarno Ruotsalainen and Marat Khuzeeev. Ruotsalainen, 7-0, won a close but unanimous decison over Khuzeev, 16-3-1.
Norwegian superbantam Reidar Walstad returned to action Thursday night in St Petersburg and beat Ukrainian Nikita Lukin over six on a split decision. Lukin was down in the fourth. In the mainevent Russian heavy Dennis Bakhtov stopped Finn Juha Haapoja in the tenth of a PABA titlefight.
Swedish-Finnish heavyweight prospect Robert Helenius face Dane Ingvardt Jorgensen June 7 in Orebro, Sweden. Headlining are local man (and co-promoter) Kamran Kabinejad and Tonton Semakala. Both take on Latvian opponents.
German heavy Steffen Kretschmann is back in training after a hand injury and is expected to be back on the undercard to Sam vs Skelton July 4 in Istanbul.
Juan Garcia a/k/a “Kid Puerto Cruz” defends the Spanish featherweight title June 17 in Las Palmas against Ivan Ruiz Morote.