Euro news 5-7-08

Per [perake.persson@comhem.se]

Ruslan Chagaev´s postponed defence of the WBA heavyweight title against Nikolai Valuev will according to German newsagency DPA go ahead July 5. Site is not determined. Meanwhile Universum strongly dismiss a story in Bild Zeitung as to why the fight was postponed. According to the tabloid, basing its story on Chagaev´s former manager Taymas Niyazov, the champ suffers from a detached retina that he had surgery on already back in 2001 - but now the injury is even worse. According to Niyazov / B Z Chagaev is almost blind in the left eye. Niyazov is said to have written to WBA, Universum, Sauerland Event, German network ZDF after Chagaev had beaten Matt Skelton informing that according to several sources Chagaev´s eye condition is worse than ever. It´s said that not even with surgery will Chagaev´s eyesight improve much. Meanwhile Chagaev states to B Z that he sees good enough to beat Valuev a second time as well. Universum boss Klaus Peter Kohl dismiss Niyazov and the story and says that Chagaev passed the yearly medical checkup as well as a further medical when the content of the letter was known and that the WBA have given green light for Ruslan to fight on.

Mikkel Kessler and Dimitri Sartison clash for the apparently by then vacant WBA supermiddle title June 21 at the Brondby Hall on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Sartison, WBA # 4 and 22-0, was born in Kazachstan but grew up in Germany representing Gifhorn in the amateurs. In 2003 he turned pro with Spotlight Boxing and have developed steadily into a solid boxer / puncher. Last year he beat stablemate Gusmyl Perdomo in an internal eliminator for his career best win. Kessler, 39-1, comes back from the superfight against Joe Calzaghe and the loss of the WBA and WBC titles and must be regarded as a big favourite. The Dane will spend three weeks at the famed Big Bear training camp in California with Jimmy Montoya as trainer. Montoya have previously worked with Kessler then the then undefeated prospect was with WBA bantam champ Johnny Bredahl. Kessler leaves for California May 9.

German cruiser Marco Huck take on Slovakian Frantisek Kasanic for the IBF I/C title May 17 in Bayreuth. At the same time the internal Sauerland eliminator between heavies René Dettweiler and Cengiz Koc is postponed until July 19 as Dettweiler needs to adjust to new trainer Otto Ramin. Dettweiler was trained by Ramin in the amateurs but have been with Manfred Wolke since turning pro.

Italian jr middle and former IBF world champ at welter, Michele Piccirillo, last seen challenging for the WBC crown, continues his career with a fight against Czech Patrick Hruska on the undercard to Lynes-Branco May 16 in Torino. Heavyweight Paolo Vidoz fights Brit Matthew Ellis.

There´s been some misunderstandings around German jr light Vitali Tajbert. He still holds the EU title, however he also accepted a position as EBU mandatory challenger, which according to the rules meant he would be stripped of the EU belt. Tajbert then decided to remain EU titlist and let go off the spot as mandatory challenger.

Cuban Erlandis Lara have according to Bild Zeitung fled the country by boat with Arena Box Promotion financing it and is hiding in Mexico while awaiting the paper work to be done to travel to Germany. Meanwhile Guillermo Rigondeaux was supposed to have been on the boat but jumped off in the last moment.

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