European Boxing News: Sam, Skelton, Abell, Gamboa, Fragomeni, Levin

ByBoxing Press

By Per Ake Persson

Sinan Samil Sam vs. Matt Skelton for the vacant European heavyweight title have been set for May 30 in Istanbul, Turkey. This will be the second Arena show inside a week in Turkey as Selcuk Aydin faces Lucky Lewele for the vacant WBC International junior welter belt April 25 in Trabzon.

42-year old Ratko Draskovic, blown out in two rounds, by the above mentioned Sam on March 14 in Munich steps in as opponent for American heavy Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell March 27 in Gothenburg. Draskovic comes in as a late sub for Ivica Perkovic. This fight headlines Pugnus´ show at the Liseberg Hall and is under the Swedish rules (max distance is 12 minutes) scheduled for six two minute rounds.

Cuban future all-time great Yuriorkis Gamboa is now training in Miami for the showdown against WBO # 2 Marcos Ramirez May 17. Handling the strength and conditioning is Moritz Klatten, who previously was largely responsible for getting Juan Carlos Gomez in tip top shape.

Russian cruiser and former WBA challenger Valery Brudov faces Frenchman Martial Bella Olema March 23 in Chelyabinsk.

Italian cruiser Giacobbe Fragomeni will now take on Bulgarian Konstantin Semerdiev March 29 in Forli on a OPI 2000 show headlined by female flies Simona Gassani and Stephania Bianchini.

Swedish heavy Attila Levin returns to action March 28 in Kissisimee, Florida, and faces Willy Perryman in a scheduled six-rounder. Levin has been out of the ring since losing to back to back to Jeremy Williams in 2004 and Nikolai Valuev in 2005.

Swiss welter Roberto Belge squares off against Brazilian Idiozan Matos April 18 in Lugano for the vacant IBC title.

WBA Intercontinental super middle titleholder Stepjan Bozic from Croatia defends against Belgian Djamel Selini in Bosnia & Hercegovina March 29. Should Bozic win he will then defend the title again in July.

Polish heavies Albert Sosnowski and Marcin Najman have both been featured in the Polish version of the reality TV show “Big Brother”.

Ukrainian middle Avtandil Khurtsidze goes for the vacant EBA middleweight title in the chief support to Baysangurov vs Dzhuman March 23 in Kiev. Khurtsidze faces Latvian Jurijs Boreiko. K 2 East promotes.

Mahamed Aripgadzhiev aka Mahamed Ali and Vasyl Kondor clash for the vacant EE-EU light heavy title April 29 in Minsk, Belorus.

Heavyweight veteran Henry Akinwande is still waiting for his shot at the vacant European Union title. New challenger, replacing Frencman Steve Herelius, is Czech Ondrey Pala.