European Boxing News: Klitschko, Johnson, Quato, Mormeck

ByBoxing Press

By Per Ake Persson

It´s official: WBC heavy champ Vitali Klitschko defends the title December 12 at the Post Finance-Arena in Bern, Switzerland, against Kevin Johnson. All due respect to Mr. Johnson, but until Alexander Povetkin and maybe Odlanier Solis get their chance both Klitschko brothers will remain champions.

WBF middleweight champ Kreshnik Quato will now face Fabio Liggieri on Saturday in Dessau, Germany. Quato was to have defended the title against Austrian Gogi Knezevic. In the headliner Francois Botha defends the WBF heavyweight title against Pedro Carrion, who has stepped in for Willi Fischer.

In the third featured bout Slovakian Tamas Kovacs defends the WBF International crown against Hungarian Istvan Varga. The undercard features heavyweight Juergen Lutz, who at 2.17m or 7ft2 is claimed to be the tallest active boxer worldwide.

The EBU has given promoter Hans Henrik Palm until January 16 to promote the fight for the vacant European super middle title between Dimitri Sartison and Mads Larsen. The deadline was in November but Larsen needed more time to prepare.

Dominick Britsch, 16-0, will make another defence of the IBF Youth title December 5 in Ludwigsburg. In the headliner, WBO cruiser king Marco Huck faces Ola Afolabi.

German junior lightweight Vitali Tajbert faces Mexican Humberto Gutierrez for the WBC interim title November 21 in Kiel in the co-headliner to Fragomeni vs Erdei for the WBC cruiser crown.

Gutierrez beat Sergey Gulyakevich on a close call in August and Gulyekevich was a relatively clear winner over Tajbert in December of last year so the German, an exellent boxer who lacks punch, is up against it.

Danish veterans Allan Vester and Christian Bladt will come back when promoter Anders Vester, also coming back, promotes a show in Kjellerup March 26 of next year. If all goes well Bladt and Vester will then clash on the next Vester show. Headlining March 26 is Anita Christensen.

Former cruiser champ Jean Marc Mormeck returns as a heavyweight November 20 in Paris. Opponent will be either Brian Minto or Vinne Maddalone. Mormeck have been inactive since losing the WBA and WBC titles to David Haye 2007.