Boxing In Europe: Weekend Results

It was a good weekend on the Continent with most of the action taking place on Saturday night, and we kick off this report in Germany.

The Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg saw a European title fight at super middle between old rivals as Kitzingen slugger Karo Murat, 19-0 (12), forced veteran Italian southpaw Cristian Sanavia, 40-5-1 (12), to quit after eight rounds.

25 year old Murat first won the European title by defeating ex-WBC Champion Sanavia via close unanimous decision in April of last year and aside from reigning world champions Carl Froch, Lucian Bute, Mikkel Kessler and Karoly Balzsay, now stands as The Man in Europe.

On the undercard, former European Middleweight kingpin Sebastian “Hurrikan” Sylvester, 30-3 (15), returned from a failed bid to unseat WBA Champion Felix Sturm in November by capturing the vacant IBF International Middleweight title with a seventh round KO of Italian Champion Gaetano Nespro, 14-5 (2).

Berlin welterweight Frank Shabani, 17-0 (6), stayed perfect by stopping Italy’s Giammario Grassellini, 17-4-2 (1), heavyweight southpaw Rene Detweiler, 24-2 (12), outpointed Ukrainian Yaroslav Zavorotny, 10-3 (9), and Cuban southpaw cruiserweight Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 18-1 (11), stopped England’s Mickey Steeds, 12-4 (3).

At The Arena in Lubin, Ploand, European Welterweight Champion Rafal Jackiewicz, 34-8-1 (18), of Minsk Mazowiecki continued his remarkable career transformation with his second title defense over an undefeated opponent, outpointing Italy’s WBC Mediterranean titlist Luciano Abis, 25-1-1 (11).

Staring his career at 12-7-1, 32 year old Jackiewicz has gone 22-1 since December, 2004, losing only a majority decision in Italy to Giammario Grassellini and winning the European crown with an amazing upset of world ranked Belgian slugger Jackson Osei Bonsu in September of last year.

On the undercard, light heavy Dawid “Gypsy” Kostecki, 30-1 (21), won his ninth in a row with an eight round points verdict over France’s granite-jawed Martial Bella Oleme, 8-20-1 (1).

Moving now to France, local man Mohamed Bouleghcha, 11-4-2 (4), beat Italian Champion Emiliano Salvini, 12-8-1 (2), for the vacant European Union Bantamweight belt at Salle Pierre Scohy in Aulnay-sous-Bois.

Also on the card, Medhi Bouadla, 16-3 (6), won the French Super Middle title and Affidi Hamdani, 17-4-1 (4), won the French Lightweight title by DQ.

On Friday, we stay in France but move to the Gymnase du Port Marchand in Toulon as domestic and European Union Super Bantam Champ Jeremy Parodi, 24-0-1 (7), turned back Irishman Eugene Heagney, 7-3 (0), over eight rounds.