European Boxing News: Ismailov, Lebedev, Stieglitz, Blain, Fedchuk, Kessler

By Per Ake Persson

Cruiser Ali Ismailov and Denis Lebedev clash for the WBO Intercontinental title December 19 in St Petersburg. It´s a surprising matchup as Lebedev also is co-challenger for the vacant European title with Herbie Hide in the other corner.

Hide vs Lebedev have a deadline for agreement or purse bids November 24 and the winning promoter has 60 days after that to stage the fight. The show also feature heavies Maxim Maslov and Artur Marabyan for the vacant EE-EU title.

WBO super middle champ Robert Stieglitz has extended his contract with SES in Magdeburg. The contract was to expire in June of 2010 but is now lasting until 2012. Robert has fought for Ulf Steinforth´s SES since the beginning of his pro career in 2001. Stieglitz won the WBO title in August with a come from behind victory over Karoly Balzsay.

French junior welter Willy Blain returns November 19 at Cirque d´Hiver in Paris. Blain, formerly signed with Spotlight Boxing in Hamburg, takes on Brazilian Andre Marcos Nascimento on this AMI Production promotion that is topped by the semi-finals in the "Grand Tournoi" with Djamel Selini fighting Tarik Khaidouri and Thierry Karl in against Karim Bennama. Both fights are scheduled for eight with the fighters to weigh in at somewhere between 76 and 80 kilos.

Ukrainian light heavy Andrij Fedchuk have been killed in a road accident Sunday November 15. Fedchuk won a bronze in the20 00 Olympics and a bronze in the 2004 European championships.

A team of Danish boxing experts have voted on the best Danish boxer since WWII in Jyllandsposten. The winner? Mikkel Kessler of course with Tom Bogs coming in second and Johnny Bredahl third. Check out knock-out.dk for complete results.

The voting was unfortunately only open to Danish fighters defined as born in Denmark and thus excludes the likes of Ayub Kalule and others who fought their entire careers with Denmark as base. All fighters involved with the exception of Jorgen Johansen were handled for most of their careers by Hall of Fame Promoter Mogens Palle.

Giant Norwegian former strongman Arild "the Hulk" Haugen, 23, turns pro December 11 in Valencia, Spain, Haugen has no previous experience from boxing but has of late sparred with, among others, ex-European light heavy champ Ole Klemetsen. Haugen weighs in at around 130 kilo, pure muscles and is said to be an extremely gifted athlete. But can he fight? His team, manager Tor Kragebuen and trainer Ulf Johansen thinks so.

It´s on: Attila Levin, 33-3, vs Alex Mazikin, 13-3-1, square off in Tampere November 27. It´s the first test for Levin since coming back last year.