KZ Boxing: Braehmer vs. Shumenov In Light Heavy Unification Fight January 8

Goossen Tutor Promotions and KZ Event Productions announced today that WBA and IBA World Champion Beibut Shumenov and WBO World Champion Juergen Braehmer will meet in a Light Heavyweight World Championship Unification showdown January 8, 2011 at the Ice Mansion in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

Shumenov, a native of Shymkent, who now fights out of Las Vegas, owns and operates KZ Event Productions along with his brother, Chingis and is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions.

The Shumenov-Braehmer 12-round WBA-WBO Unification World Championship fight is presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions and KZ Event Productions in association with Universum Box-Promotions.

In 2009, Shumenov (10-1, 6 KOs) captured the IBA crown by way of a fourth-round technical knockout of former world champion Byron Mitchell in Shymkent in just his 8th professional bout.

Beibut went on from there to break the record held by Jeff Harding for winning the World Championship in the fewest fights for a 175-pound major World Championship last January 29, 2010, when the 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian won a 12-round split decision against Gabriel Campillo for the WBA World Championship in only Shumenov’s 10th pro bout. Harding’s record of winning the title in his 15thbout stood for over twenty years.

In his first WBA World Championship defense this past July, headlining ESPN Friday Night Fights, Shumenov completely dominated previously undefeated and mandatory challenger Vlacheslav Uzelkov (22-0) in a 12-round unanimous decision victory at Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California.

“My goal has always been to unify the World Light Heavyweight titles and this is the next step,” the 27-year-old Shumenov said. “I’m excited to be fighting at home as the WBA champion against a very tough opponent and another world champion, Juergen Braehmer.”

Braehmer (36-2, 29 KOs), a former European light heavyweight title-holder, won the Interim WBO World Championship, stopping unbeaten Aleksy Kuziemski (17-0) in the 11th round of their August 22, 2009 match in Budapest, Hungary.

Braehmer, a 32-year-old German, successfully defended his WBO World Championship three months later at home against undefeated Dmitry Sukhotsky (14-0) by way of a 12-round unanimous decision. This past April, also in Germany, he defended his World Championship by knocking out Mariano Nicolas Plotinsky (16-3) in the fifth round.

An outstanding amateur boxer who reportedly won 95 of 100 bouts, Braehmer won a gold medal at the 1996 Junior World Championships in Cuba, and defeated future World Champions Ricky Hatton twice in 1996 – including a first-round knockout – Felix Sturm on points in the 1997 German Championships at welterweight, and Carl Froch in 1998 at super welterweight.

“This is the biggest adventure in my boxing career. I really look forward to step in the ring with Shumenov and grab his title in his home country. I don´t have a problem to leave my country. Guys, I´ll come back to Germany with two belts over my shoulders,” stated a very confident Braehmer.

Universum Promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl said, “This fight for Germany is a historic fight. Juergen is the first boxer who can unify two belts in a foreign country. We are proud and happy that Juergen gets the chance to win the WBA belt. He wants to win the same belt which Dariusz Michalcezewski captured in 1997 against Virgil Hill in Germany. This upcoming bout is a very interesting fight. Two Champions in the ring and Juergen steps into the lion´s den.”

Also scheduled to fight on the Shumenov-Braehmer card are three undefeated KZ Event Productions stablemates – WBA No. 7 light heavyweight Gayrat Ahmedov(12-0-1, 8 KOs), WBA No. 13 welterweight Ravshan Hudaynazarov (13-0, 11 KOs), and former Kazakhstan National Champion, welterweight Alexandr Zhuravskiy (9-0, 7 KOs).

Ahmedov, the reigning WBC Asian and PABA light heavyweight champion, and 2007 World Military Games gold medalist Hudaynazarov are from Uzbekistan. Zhuravskiy, who will be making his Team KZ debut, is rated No. 7 by the Asian Boxing Council and No. 11 by the Asia Pacific. All three live and train in Las Vegas where Shumenov also resides.

“The Light Heavyweight division is one of the hottest in boxing today, and with these two World Champions in a unification bout, the winner catapults to the top of the mountain of the other champions,” Dan Goossen said.

“Beibut has defied the customary path of young fighters and has a big fight mentality in each and every bout. This unification in his 12th pro bout is even bigger than breaking Jeff Harding’s record in only his 10th bout. I saw something special in his last fight and I expect to see an even more determined Shumenov on Jan.8.”