European Boxing News: Vidoz, Yefimovych, Asikainen, Terbunja, Braekhus, Ragosina

By Per Ake Persson

Former European heavy champ Paolo Vidoz says his fight in Berlin against Bulgarian prospect Kubrat Pulev this past weekend was his last. Vidoz lost a shutout decision to Pulev. “I never got back into it after losing to Matt Skelton late 2008”, says Paolo.

Vidoz, a big star in the amateurs, didn´t turn pro until 2001 when he was 31 and began his career with Lou Di Bella in the USA but was sent back home after losing to Zuri Lawrence. While he got stopped by a then up and coming Nikolai Valuev he beat the likes of Timo Hoffmann, Michael Sprott and Cengiz Koc before losing to Vladimir Virchis twice.

He got a draw with Sinan Samil Sam in Turkey in the summer of 2008 but then they discovered an error in the scoring and Paolo wound up a split decision loser. Then came the Skelton fight right at home in Milan, a big chance for redemption, but Vidoz just didn´t have it anymore and got stopped. Paolo goes out at 26-10.

Union Box Team in Donetsk, Ukraine, kick of 2011 with a giant show January 14. Topping the bill are five title fights scheduled for 12×3. In the most important fights featherweight Oleg Yefimovych take on Frenchman Philippe Frenois for the vacant WBA Intercontinental title and junior welter Volodmyr Kravets is in against Bastien Laforge with the vacant EBA belt at stake. There are all in all almost 100 rounds of boxing scheduled.

Amin Asikainen and Piotr Wilzcewski clash for the vacant European super middle title early next year in Helsinki, Finland. For Wilzcewski it´s his first fight for a major title while Asikainen, 28-3, is at the crossroads in his career. In 2006 he won the European Union and European titles inside a month and was close to a major fight against either Arthur Abraham, then IBF middleweight king, or Felix Sturm, WBA champ, but gambled on a rematch with Sebastian Sylvester, whom he had stopped to win the title, and lost.

Since then there´s been stoppage losses to Khoren Gevor and Matthew Macklin as well. Amin is a major drawing power at home but this is without a doubt his last chance. Amin and trainer, manager and promoter Pekka Maeki feels that problems making the weight was a main reason for the setbacks.

Swedish media writes that amateur star Naim Terbunja has signed a contract with Al Haymon. The 26-year old Terbunja recently retired from boxing after a dispute on sponsoring towards the 2012 Olympics. He won the New York Golden Gloves during a stay in the US. No date for the pro debut has been announced.

Sauerland´s First Lady Cecilia Braekhus is according to media in Norway to defend her titles, WBA, WBC and WBC, February 12 in Herning, Denmark.

Natascha Ragosina, multiple female super middle and heavyweight champ, is now heading for light heavy on a SES show early next year in Russia. Ragosina was all set to fight late 2010 but was injured in training.