European Boxing News: Jensen, Sartison, Kessler, Sam, Vidoz, Solis, Botha

By Per Ake Persson

Former European Cruiser Champ Johny Jensen has announced his retirement after failing a brainscan, which is bad enough – unfortunately the story doesn´t end there.

According to Danish websites sporten.dk and politiken.dk , Jensen failed the brainscan twice before: first before his upset win over Italian Vincenzo Cantatore in Rome in December of last year and then again as he lost the title to Frenchman Jean Marc Monrose in Marseille in May.

In both cases it appears the Dane came in with a document saying he had failed the MR scan but with a permission to fight from the Danish Federation. How this could happen isn´t easily explained.

Jesper D Jensen, head of the Danish Federation, comments to Danish media that he´s not a doctor and only confirmed that in the permission to fight that all documents were enclosed.

Jensen then passed the final medical exam in both Italy and France where the medical documents where supposed to be checked but somehow no-one noticed or cared to check.

The hospital that performed the brainscan says they dutifully sent the result to the doctor who had sent Jensen to them – what happend there is anybody´s guess but the info wasn´t passed on.

Jensen has been promoted by Team Palle throughout his career, but it was apparently trainer Poul Duvill that took care of the paperwork on the road.

The incident overshadowed today´s press conference in Copenhagen where Dmitri Sartison and Mikkel Kessler met eye to eye. The two fight for the vacant WBA supermiddle title June 21 in Brondby.

Ex-pro Fredrik Alvarez has lost his case against Swedish medical authorities. Alvarez had sued for damages for malpractise. After a fight in 1999, the fighter slipped with a bottle in his hand and was badly cut.

The wound healed but the pain remained, although Fredrik fought on and it wasn´t until later it was discovered that there was a piece of glass left in the hand.

Alvarez and his lawyer claimed the damage the piece of glass had done has ruined his career. The medical authorities have paid some compensation already and acknowledges the mistake made and that Alvarez can´t use the left hand properly, but the court didn´t see that the injury in effect had ended Fredrik´s career. The case may still be appealed.

The Sinan Samil Sam vs. Paolo Vidoz, Odlanier Solis vs. Fransois Botha show set for July 4 has been moved from Istanbul to Ankara. Sam vs. Vidoz is for the vacant European and IBF Intercontinental Heavyweight titles.

Slovenian welter Jan Zaveck outscored German Marco Cattikas last night in Maribor to win the vacant IBF Intercontinental title. Zaveck is now getting ready to fight European champ Jackson Osei Bonsu on July 26, also in Maribor.