Mads Larsen (51-3, 38 KOs) will return to the ring on June 2, taking on Lorenzo Di Giacomo (41-6, 19 KOs) as the Nordic Fight Night hits Herning. The former European Super-Middleweight Champion has been shaping up in Team Sauerland´s training facilities in Berlin. “It´s great to be back,” Larsen said. “I am in perfect shape after all the gruelling training with those German coaches. The fire is still burning inside me and I know that I can still compete at the top level. June 2 will be the first step. Di Giacomo is a tough guy, he has proven his class in recent fights, but to reach the top again, I will have to find a way past him.”
Di Giacomo, 33 and from Italy, boasts a strong record of 41 victories and six losses along with 19 KOs. He challenged Eduard Gutknecht for the European Light Heavyweight Title last summer. “Di Giacomo is strong and rugged,” promoter Nisse Sauerland said. “He is certainly a very risky pick for Mads´ comeback. But we have no time too waste. Every fight is make-or-break for him. However, I am convinced he still has got what it takes to be a champion.”
Larsen last fought in January 2010 when he was badly affected by health problems in his loss to reigning WBA Super-Middleweight World Champion (Interim) Brian Magee. The fight snapped a seven-fight winning streak. “Mads is ready to start another run at a big title,” Sauerland added. “His training in Berlin has been very promising. The coaches, Ulli Wegner and Georg Bramowski, certainly liked what they saw and they believe that Mads can still play a major role at super-middleweight. We will ultimately find out on June 2, but I know they are right.”
Larsen has been training with the likes of former IBF Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham, WBO Cruiserweight Champion Marco Huck and European Light-Heavyweight Champion Eduard Gutknecht to name but a few. “Training twice a day is hard, but I´ve always loved to work out and give it all in practice,” Larsen said.
In the co-featured main event, WBA / WBC / WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (19-0, 5 KOs) will take on Jessica “The Hammer” Balgoun (22-1, 10 KOs). The First Lady will make her fifth fight in Herning – and the first since having her tonsils removed. “Everybody knows there is no stopping Cecilia inside the ring, so it was ironic and tragic that her tonsils forced her out of the super showdown with Anne Sophie Mathis,” promoter Nisse Sauerland said. “Now she has to prove herself against up-and-coming Balgoun, who at the age of 23 is ranked just four places behind her at BoxRec. It will be a tough evening for her but I am convinced that her superior boxing skills will lift her to another exciting victory.”
Speaking from her training camp base in Berlin, the First Lady said: “I am thrilled to be back. Balgoun has an impressive record but when I am at the top of my game nobody can beat me. I will defend my titles and hand her the second loss of her career.”
The full undercard for the Nordic Fight Night in Herning will be announced shortly. Tickets are available at www.billetnet.dk, via phone (+45 7033 1333) and at the MCH box office at MCH Herning Kongrescenter.