World Boxing Organization (WBO) Cruiserweight Champion Captain Huck (33-1, 24 KOs) could not believe his eyes when he met challenger Rogelio Rossi (17-2-1, 11 KOs) at today´s press conference in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Listed at two meters by BoxRec, the “Argentinian Giant” turned out to be much smaller than that. “Maybe he shrunk of fear,” Captain Huck said. “Doesn’t matter anyway. I don´t care what size he is. I have knocked out taller and smaller opponents. I will clinch a spectacular victory on Saturday night. He will not get my title.” Huck then measured his opponent. The result: 192 centimeters!
Rossi seemed to enjoy the confusion regarding his height. “It´s true, I´m not two meters tall,” he stated. “But I will still defeat Huck. If you´re scared, your opponent looks much bigger than he actually is. I guess this has happened to Huck. I will take his title on Saturday night. I have trained hard and I will win.”
German coaching legend Ulli Wegner said Rossi´s actual size will make no difference. “We have done sparring with tall guys and with small guys, we are prepared for everything,” he stated. “If Rossi was clever, he would have stood on tiptoes during the face-to-face to look bigger than he is. I don´t think he can cope with Huck´s explosiveness and aggressiveness anyway.”
In the co-featured main event, IBF Intercontinental Middleweight Champion Dominik Britsch (25-0, 9 KOs) defends his title against Billy Lyell (24-9, 5 KOs), while unbeaten heavyweight sensation Kubrat Pulev (13-0, 6 KOs) takes on Travis Walker (38-6-1, 30 KOs) for the IBF International Heavyweight Title.
EUROPEAN WOMEN’S C’SHIPS -TAYLOR ADVANCES TO S/FINALS BUT SMITH AND O’NEILL BOW OUT
October 19th – IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION
Katie Taylor is through to the semi-finals of the European Women’s Championships following a comprehensive victory over Ayzanat Hajiyeva of Azerbaijan in Rotterdam today.
The Irish lightweight, who was 13-3 up going into the fourth and final round, earned a 17-4 win to claim her third victory in three days at the Championships.
She’ll now meet Sweden’s Helena Falk in Friday’s semi-final.
The Taylor/Falk bout is a repeat of the 60Kg clash which Taylor won on a unanimous decision in her hometown of Bray last August.
Taylor, who is guaranteed at least bronze following today’s win, is aiming for five European gold medals in-a-row in Rotterdam.
Meanwhile, Ceire Smith lost out in her quest to reach the semi-finals this morning following a 24-9 defeat to Poland’s Sandra Drabik in the bantamweight division.
The first round finished 3-2 in Drabik’s favour, but the Pole, who claimed silver at the 2011 European Union Championships, pulled away in the final three rounds.
Kilkenny light-heavyweight Lauragh O’Neill also produced a brave performance but bowed out following a 16-7 loss to Tinea Naga in a repeat of the 2011 European Union semi-final which the Hungarian won 26-10.
Thursday is a rest day at the Championships. The semi-finals and finals will be held on Friday and Saturday.
European Women’s Championships Rotterdam, Holland
October 17th (Preliminaries)
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Julia Irmen (Germany) 15-7
69Kg: Laoise Traynor (Bray) lost to Lauren Price (Wales) 2-21
75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) beat Viktoria Kebikava (Belarus) 18-9
October 18th (Last 16)
48Kg: Lynne McEnery (St Pauls) lost to Lynsey Holdaway (Wales) 11-12
51Kg: Katie Rowland (Geesala) lost to Nicola Adams (England) RET3
54Kg: Ceire Smith (Cavan) beat Csilla Nemedi (Hungary) RSC4
57Kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family) lost to Sandra Kruk (Poland) 9-16
60Kg; Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Romina Marenda (Italy) 22-3
64Kg: Kelly Harrington (Corinthians) lost to Martina Schmaranzova (Czech Republic) 9-9 (count back)
75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) lost to Savannah Marshal (England) 3-22
(No count back scores available)
October 19th (Quarter-finals)
54Kg: Ceire Smith (Cavan) lost to Sandra Drabik (Poland) 9-24
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Ayzanat Hajiyeva (Azerbaijan) 17-4
81Kg: Lauragh O’Neill (Paulstown) lost to Tinea Naga (Hungary) 6-17
October 21st (Semi-finals)
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) v Helena Falk (Sweden)
Irish squad
48Kg: Lynne McEnery (St Pauls)
51Kg: Katie Rowland (Geesala)
54Kg: Ciere Smith (Cavan)
57Kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family)
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray)
64Kg: Kelly Harrington (Corinthians)
69Kg: Laoise Traynor (Bray)
75kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh)
81kg: Lauragh O’Neill (Paulstown)
Team manager: Anna Moore
Coaches: Pete Taylor, Zaur Antia, Damien Walsh
Physio: Mary Louise Ryan
ALEXANDER USTINOV vs. DENIS BAKHTOV THIS SATURDAY
by the European Boxing Association – EBA – Undefeated ALEXANDER USTINOV will defend this Saturday, Oct. 22nd 2011, his European ‘EBA’ Heavyweight Championship against the strong Russian challenger DENIS BAKHTOV (33-6-0/23 KOs) in the city of Cherkassy, south from Kiev. It will be one of the strongest challenges so far for the European Heavyweight Champion from ‘K2 Promotions Ukraine’.
The event will be televised live by the Ukrainian National TV and it will count with other major K2 prospects like Kostyantyn Rovenskyy, Vitaliy Neveselyy, Max Bursak and Oleksandr Cherviak.