Yuri Romanov KO’s Tontcho Tontchev To Defend European Boxing Belt

Belarussian slugger Yuri Romanov retained his European Lightweight title last night with a third round knockout of former European Super Feather Champion Tontcho Tonchev last night at the Palace of Sport in Minsk, Belarus.

Romanov, 19-2 (13), overcame the long experience of Tontchev, 37-5 (21), to shatter the Bulgarian veteran's composure with powerful blows that soon found Tontchev on the canvas and unable to continue by the third frame of the contest.

This bout was a homecoming of sorts for Romanov, who for years had been a road warrior posting significant victories in England before winning the European crown with a knockout of Juan Carlos Diaz Melero in Cuidad Real, Spain.

For Tontchev, this may have been his best opportunity to stop the long slow decline of his career that began with a loss to Daniel Attah in 2002.

The near future may see Romanov return to his old stomping grounds in the UK as a showdown with durable British Champion Jon Thaxton has been rumored although the Ukraine's Andrei Kudriavtesv may get the next crack at that Battling Belarus fighter.