European Boxing News: McCall, Gomez, Drews, Asikainen, Sarritzu

By Per Ake Persson

Earlier this week Arena Box Promotion won purse bids for the WBC International heavyweight title fight between Oliver McCall and Juan Carlos Gomez. Arena announce that the fight will land in Berlin October 19, if McCall doesn’t relinquish the title, that is.

Gomez beat McCall back in 2005, but then tested positive for cocaine and got suspended. He is now promoted by Arena and back in Hamburg where he started his pro career and became WBC champ at cruiser, despite a well documented wild lifestyle. McCall upset Sinan Samil Sam last time out.

Arena Box Promotion´s show in Luebeck will now be headlined by Roman Aramian vs Alexander Sipos for the International German middleweight title. The German Federation, the BDB, wants the German heavy champ, 44-year old Andreas Sidon to retire after his 47 second knockout loss to Odlanier Solis, but Sidon wants to continue.

The case could end up in court. If not stripped and license revoked, Sidon will, as previously announced, take on Konstantin Airich. If Sidon is forced to retire, Airich will face an opponent to be announced for the vacant title. Solis and Yuriorkis Gamboa are on the undercard but not Yan Barthelemy, who from now on will fight out of Florida.

WBA light heavy champ Stipe Drews is rumored to be facing Tito Mendoza next. No date or site set though.

Danish junior middle Reda Zam Zam will be trained by Mikkel Kessler´s trainer Ricard Olsen for his important return fight with Venezuelan Carlos Donquiz September 14 in Horsens. Donquiz stopped the then highly ranked and undefeated Zam Zam in the first round in March in Copenhagen.

French veteran Morrade Hakkar is moving up to super middle and has relinquished his position as co-challenger for the vacant European Union middleweight title. Who the other challenger, Finland´s Amin Asikainen, will fight instead, isn´t clear yet.

Labbaas Box Promotion, headed by Jan Eliasson, make their debut December 1 in Tidaholm, Sweden, with a pro/am show headlined by debuting heavy Roddy Benjaminsson.

Kobe Vandkerkhove and Domingos Nascimento clash for the BeNeLux welterweight title October 7 in Aalst, Belgium. Big Dutch heavy Andre “the Intruder” Jansens is featured on the undercard.

Finnish heavy Sami Elovaara faces the once decent Estonian Valery Semishkur September 28 in Stockholm in a supporting bout to Asikainen vs Touzet.

European fly champ Andrea Sarritzu will defend the title October 12 on a OPI 2000 promotion. Neither site or opponent have been decided.

Tobia Loriga and Luca Michael Pasqua clash for the vacant Italian junior middle title on the Di Rocco vs Lauri bill September 21 in Livorno.