European Boxing News: Kessler, Calzaghe, Abraham, Berrio, Bute

By Per Ake Persson

WBC and WBA super middle champ Mikkel Kessler signed today at a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, his part of the contract for the megafight November 3 in Cardiff against WBO ruler Joe Calazaghe. Kessler told reporters he didn´t view fighting away from home would be a problem.

Mogens Palle stated that negotiations with Sports Network´s Frank Warren had been long and very hard. There is still no time set for when the fight will take place but it could be in the middle of the night for European fight fans to give US viewers on HBO a nice evening with one of the biggest fights in 2007 – and it´s by far the biggest fight in history with a Nordic fighter involved. Only Ingemar Johansson´s fights with Floyd Pattersson 59-60-61 come anywhere close to this.

Team Palle will begin the season September 14 with a show in Horsens headlined by cruiser Johny Jensen, who will go for the vacant WBO Intercontinental title. Junior middle Reda Zam Zam will try and get revenge on Carlos Donquiz, who stopped him in the very first round in March. Female bantam Anita Christensen will defend either the WBA or the GBU title on the show.

European super middle champ Cristian Sanavia have been in Berlin to spar with IBF 160 lb champ Arthur Abraham. Sanavia is currently a free agent and one can easily see him being signed up by Sauerland Event, who have a string of super middles for him to fight.

German heavy king Andreas Sidon will defend the title against Konstantin Airich September 21 in Luebeck. Sidon was blasted out by Odlanier Solis in 47 seconds last time out and at 40+ is well past his best – but then again Airich, a decent prospect, is no Solis. Solis is on the this show too, as well as his Cuban stablemates Yan Barthelemy and Yuriorkis Gamboa, who also appear September 2 in Berlin.

Finnish heavy Juha Haapoja headlines a pro/am show put on by Steel Ring Promotions September 15 in Vasa. Steel Ring returns October 13 in Iisalmi with local welter Jarno Ruotsalainen on top. 8-0 junior middle Mika Joensuu is also on the bill.

Junior middle Marco Schulze and cruiser Serdar Sahin will be in the featured bouts to Natascha Ragosina´s defence of the WBA, WIBF and GBU supermiddle titles September 8 in Berlin.

Russian heavy Daniel Peret has fights booked September 15 in Karlstad, Sweden, and September 21 in Luebeck, Germany. Opponent in Sweden could be ex-champ Riddick Bowe, while it could be against Willi Fischer in Luebeck. Peret have also began a career as manager and agent along with Norwegian Robert Walstad.

There were purse bids yesterday for IBF supermiddle champ Alejandro Berrio´s mandatory defence against Romanian, based in Canada, Lucian Bute.