European Boxing News: Kentikian, Sturm, Solis, Cantatore

By Per Ake Persson

Susianna Kentikian retained the WBA flyweight title and added the vacant WIBF belt to her collection with a hardfought unanimous decision over Nadia Hokmi from France.

It was scored 97-95, 96-94 and 97-94. Hokmi protested but was overrun in the first half of the fight by the agressive champion. She did better in the later rounds and had Kentikian in trouble in the last but it wasn´t enough.

British veteran Lee Swaby survived a first round knockdown and became the first to take hard punching German Sebastian Kober the distance in 12 fights. After six it was scored 59-54 twice and 59-55 for Kober.

Argentinian junior welter Marcos Maidana, another hard puncher, had a lot of trouble with slippery Mexican Manuel Garnica but finally knocked him out with a body shot in the eighth of a scheduled ten-rounder.

Sebastian Zbik retained the WBO Intercontinental middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Brazilian Samir Dos Santos Barbosa. It was scored 120-108 twice and 119-109. Zbik dominated but couldn´t hurt Barbosa, who in turn was too small to have an impact on Zbik.

Junior light Vitali Tajbert outclassed brave Frenchman Youssef Djibaba and stopped him in the tenth and last round with only nine seconds to go. Djibaba was under pressure but looked alright enough to be allowed to go the full ten.

News: Luan Krasniqi and Aleksander Dimitrenko may clash in an internal Universum heavyweight eliminator February 23 somewhere in Germany, writes the always well informed Bild Zeitung. -It´s not a done deal yet but we are talking, said Universum boss Klaus Peter Kohl. If it comes off it will be for the vacant European title.

Next up for WBA middle champ Felix Sturm is a voluntary defence. Both Randy Griffin and mandatory challenger Javier Castillejo will have to wait a little longer.

Cuban heavyweight prospect Odlanier Solis square off against South African veteran Francois Both December 23 in Halle / Saale. In the nominal headliner German heavy Steffen Kretschmann face Turhan Altunkaya for the national interim title.

Meanwhile, Arena have announced that Solis´ compatriot, world ranked junior light Yuriorkis Gamboa, will train in Los Angeles with fitness coach Moritz Klatten. Klatten came to Arena from the David Haye camp and has done an exellent job this far. Just check Juan Carlos Gomez´s exellent stamina against Oliver McCall …

There´s been around 6000 tickets sold for European cruiser champ Vincenzo Cantatore´s defence against Dane Johny Jensen December 14 at the Palalottamatic in Rome.

Dutch junior light Innocent Anyanwu have been inactive since June with every planned fight falling through for reason or another. Innocent, 10-0-1, could get a spot on the undercard to Osei Bonsu – Faradji January 12 in Antwerp, Belgium.