Boxing News Boxing News
A year after losing his WBA belt and undefeated record to Panama’s Anselmo Moreno, featherweight Wladimir Sidorenko gets an opportunity to win back his title tonight at Halle 7 in Bremen, Germany.
32 year old Hamburg based Ukrainian southpaw Sidorenko, 21-1-2 (7), won the WBA crown in early 2005 and kept it over six defenses but was hard pressed during two of those by Moreno’s big-punching countryman Ricardo Cordoba during two controversially draws.
The light hitting Sidorenko’s run ended on May 31 of last year when he was outpointed in Dusseldorf by fellow southpaw Moreno and hasn’t had a fight since, a decision that could come back to haunt him.
By contrast, Moreno, 24-1-1 (8), has kept busy since turning back Sidorenko, defending his belt twice against seasoned challengers Cecilio Santos and Rolly Matsushita.
In tonight’s contest, Sidorenko will once again have home advantage but will likely have to shake off a fair bit of ring rust before he finds his rhythm and that could give away the early rounds to the champion.
Sidorenko wins fights by outworking and outboxing his opponents and he’ll have to be in peak form in both stamina and accuracy of he is to reverse last year’s outcome against Moreno, who will pressure the challenger behind his characteristically aggressive Panamanian style.
On the undercard, WBA and WIBF Female Featherweight titlist Ina Menzer, 23-0 (9), defends her title against Franchesca Alcanter, 18-8-1 (9), over ten scheduled rounds.
