European Boxing News: Golovkin, Balzsay, Asikainen, Petranyi

By Per Ake Persson

Weights from Astana, Kazachstan: Both WBA middleweight (regular) champ Gennadyi Golovkin and challenger Nilson Julio Tapia scaled 72.2 kg / 159.25 lbs for tomorrow´s fight that headlines a show with the national amateur championships.

Profibox Promotion, headed by still active heavyeweight Zoltan Petranyi, staged a show in Budapest last night. The headliner between Petranyi and Laszlo Toth, with the UBO European and Hungarian titles at stake, had to be cancelled though as Toth landed in the slammer after a fight on the streets.

In action in the ring cruiser Laszlo Hubert won the vacant national title with a first round stoppage of Istvan Varga while once decent super middle, now an overweight cruiser, Joszef “Hangman” Nagy outscored aging veteran Gabor Halasz over ten.

In Riga, Latvia, last Saturday Akilles Adnan, 2-1, returned to action after over two years out and stopped Vame Kartveli, 10-1, in seven rounds. On paper both are managed by Vassili Boguslavski and fights out of Skarpnaeck gym on the outskirts of Stockholm.

Adnan was a good amateur in Sweden while Kartveli arrived as sparring for the best amateurs, won the Swedish championships, and later turned pro and was quickly moved to 10-0. However, then things turned sour and Kartveli and Skarpnaeck have parted ways. The complete story isn´t known yet but it seems as if Kartveli has used dual identities and it could be a matter for the police. Both Adnan and Kartveli have fought with Polish license during their pro careers.

Former WBO super middle champ Karoly Balzsay has pulled out of a possible fight for the vacant European title against Finn Amin Asikainen. Asikainen will now face Pole Piotr Wilczewski with site and date to be announced.

WBA super middle “standard” champ Dimitri Sartison´s mandatory defence against Irishman Brian Magee is not on and could be heading for purse bids.