Boxing In Germany: Dzinziruk, Ulrich, Virchis, Brahmer Win

Universum put on a big show last night in front of 7,000 fans at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg with a WBO championship, two European titles and a regional WBO belt all on the line.

WBO Light Middle titlist Sergiy Dzinziruk, 34-0 (22), wasn’t the headliner of the bill, super middle Jurgen Brahmer had that honor at the Color Line Arena, but the Ukrainian southpaw holds a far bigger belt than the fan favorite and Dzinziruk retained his crown in style.

Challenger Carlos “The Butcher From Brazil” Nascimento, 16-1 (13), came into the clash previously undefeated but had never campaigned outside his home country and found himself at the end of Dzinziruk’s laser-like right jab all night.

The champion didn’t take long to dial in his power shots and the Brazilian import was hurt in the third but managed to fight his way back into the contest.

Nascimento tried to draw Dzinziruk into a slugfest but “The Razor” would have none of it and picked apart his prey round after round.

Dzinziruk isn’t a concussive puncher but by the eleventh frame Nascimento’s foundation began to crumble from absorbing the sheer number of shots.

The champion wasted no time in hammering the visitor with full blooded left hands that soon sent Nascimento hard to the canvas where he was counted out at 1:42 of the eleventh round.

31 year old Thomas Ulrich, 31-3 (21), consolidated his reign as European Light Heavyweight Champion with a brisk first round smashing of Italy’s Leonardo Turchi, 19-4-3 (6).

The overmatched Turchi was never in the fight and a heavy right uppercut ended matters at 2:01 of the initial frame, giving Ulrich his first opening round knockout since 1998.

Ulrich came up short in two previous world title bids but the Berliner is likely on his way to receiving a third chance within a year’s time as he is highly ranked in all the major sanctioning bodies.

Also on the bill, European Heavyweight Champion Vladimir Virchis rematched the man he won the title from last July, Paolo Vidoz. In the first fight Virchis, 23-1 (19), shocked the former Olympic Bronze Medallist with a sixth round stoppage but this time Vidoz, 23-4 (12), came better prepared.

Knockout artist Virchis, of Kiev, Ukraine, fought cautiously, seeking moments to land quick combinations to the head and body of Vidoz before getting back outside.

It looked like Vidoz might have been ready to go late in the bout but the 36 year old weathered the storm of heavy right hands from Virchis to finish the contest on his feet.

Virchis kept his European title by scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 116-112.

Popular super middleweight Jurgen Brahmer, 29-1 (23), of Schwerin, Germany was in a dog fight with ex-WBO Middleweight challenger Hector Javier Velazco, 35-6-1 (16), to the delight of the packed house.

The Argentine import put Brahmer under heavy pressure from the first bell but the younger man put his sharp southpaw skills to work and met his foe with a good right hand jab along with stinging counters.

In the sixth, Velazco’s strategy paid off when he caught Brahmer on the chin with a perfect right hand that had the German on the canvas for an eight count.

Brahmer beat the count but has to draw on his long amateur experience to survive his antagonist’s efforts to finish matters.

From that point on the action swayed back and forth with each fighter having moments in which they landed flush shots on the other.

By the time the smoke cleared, Jurgen Brahmer was declared the winner by scores of 117-111 and 115-112 (twice) and wins the vacant WBO Intercontinental title.