European Boxing News: Klitschko, Bonsu, McCall, Dunne

By Per Ake Persson

Russian heavy Alexander Povetkin will now face experienced and tricky American Larry Donald June 30 in Moscow. Donald comes in instead of Monte Barrett. Larry has been inactive since coming oh-so-close to beat future WBA heavy champ Nikolai Valuev in 2005 but has kept busy and was sparring with European ruler Vladimir Virchis in Hamburg recently.

European fly champ Andrea Sarritzu has Frenchman Brahim Asloum as his mandatory challenger. Sarritzu drew with Asloum´s stablemate Bernard Inom June 1 in Ajaccio to retain the title.

OPI 2000 have been forced to postpone its planned June 23 show due to lack of TV backing. Giuseppe Lauri vs Michele Di Rocco would have headlined in a European Union 140 lb titlefight. New possible dates are June 29 or July 11.

German paper die Welt broke the news yesterday that ex-heavy champ Vitaly Klitschko will return September 22 in Munich against Jameel McCline.

French welter Frederik Klose, close to a WBA title fight, keeps busy against Anthony Guillet on the Sidorenko vs Arnould show June 29 in Marseille. Junior welter Willy Blain, having his first profight in France, takes on Tarik Amrous. Middleweight Arsen Khachatrian face Majid Bendriss.

WBC President Jose Sulaiman will attend Arena´s big show in Ankara on Saturday and have confirmed that the winner of the Sam vs McCall eliminator will get a shot at the winner of the Maskaev-Peter-Vitali Klitschko fights.

Cruiser Enad Licina, now with Sauerland Event, continues his way up the ladder, June 23 in Zwickau against Pole Lukasz Rusiewicz. Licina, from Bosnia, began his pro career with Spotlight Boxing but lost an “eliminator” to Aleksyi Kuziemsky in 2005. Earlier this year he began a comeback of sorts with Sauerland and shows promise.

European welter champ Jackson Osei Bonsu has, not surprisingly, been give permission to go through with another voluntary defence before taking on mandatory challenger Nordine Mouchi. The question is who voluntarily wants to fight a puncher of Jackson´s calibre? Mouchi had the Belgian down the first time they fought but fell victim of a single punch in the eighth. The latest victim, Cristian De Martinis, was carried from the ring on a stretcher.

Spaniard Oscar Sanchez Sandoval and Portugese Joao Bento clash for the vacant European Union 130 lb title July 27 in Portugal.

Ukrainian, based in Belgium, Oleg Platov and Israeli Roman Greenberg are co-challengers for the vacant European Union heavyweight title.

Arena Box Promotion news: Arena looks to do the rematch between Sinan Samil Sam and Oliver McCall this fall in Istanbul. While Sam suffered a bad eye injury early in the fight it deserves to be noticed that he entered the ring even heavier than he was when he fought Oleg Maskaev – and one of the explanations given to that loss was the weight.

Meanwhile, it´s Cuban heavy Odlanier Solis that is grabbing most of the attention: two pro fights, two first round knockouts and a total of 90 seconds spent in the ring. And getting a decent guy like Alex Mazikin, a top class amateur who probably turned pro too late, out of there in 43 seconds is very impressive.

Stablemate Steffen Kretschmann took out Latvian Edgar Kalnars also in the first. Both Solis and Kretschmann will be on Arena´s show in Hamburg July 6 along with Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Norwegians in action: Jr welter Geir Inge Jorgensen, 24-1, won the vacant WBC Mediterranean title Saturday night in Torrevieja, Spain, with a unanimous decision over Frenchman Fabrice Colombel. It was scored 118-112, 117-112 and 116-113.

On June 23 in Dublin, super bantam Reidar Walstad challenges European champ Bernard Dunne while Thomas Hansvoll and Cecilia Braekhus fight in Zwickau on the undercard to Asikainen vs Sylvester. Hansvoll faces Cuban cruiser prospect Yoan Pablo Hernandez while Braekhus is in against Bulgarian veteran Borislava Goranova.

Ukrainian heavy Aleksander Dimitrenko will be featured in the chief support of Krasniqi vs Thompson July 14 in Hamburg.

Italian cruiser Pietro Aurino has been arrested in Civitavecchia for various charges that includes drugs, firearms and association with organized crime.

EBA welter champ Choukri Yentour retained the title with a unanimous decision over Georgian Georg Ungiadze June 16 in St Etienne, France. The day before EBA head Bartolome Torralba was along with Dane Jesper D Jensen appointed as support directors for the WBA in Europe.