Boxing In Europe: Weekend Results

Despite the headlining Ruslan Chagaev vs. Nicolay Valuev WBA heavyweight title rematch being called off, the show at Hartwell Arena in Helsinki, Finland went on as planned last night.

Local man Juho Tolppola, 22-6-1 (9), failed in his bid to win the European Union light welter title from Italian evergreen Giuseppe Lauri, 48-6 (28), when he was DQ’d in the tenth round.

On the undercard, Colombian born Norway resident Cecilia Braekhus, 12-0 (2), defended her WBA/WBC female welterweight crowns with a points verdict over American puncher Amy Yuratovac, 6-3 (6).

Undefeated Russian light welter southpaw Denis Shafikov, 20-0 (11), gunned down Australia’s John Cotterill Jr, 23-8 (10), at 2:00 of the first round while Germany based Swede heavyweight Robert Helenius, 8-0 (4), KO’d former British champ Scott Gammer, 18-4-1 (9), in the sixth of a scheduled eight rounder.

At Thueringenhalle in Erfurt, Germany, undefeated prospect Serdar Sahin, 16-0 (10), stopped Mario Stein, 22-5 (17), in the tenth and final frame to win the German cruiserweight title.

Sports Palace in Kiev, Ukraine witnessed former European light middle champ Zaurbek Baysangurov, 21-1 (16), crush ex-Italian welter titlist Cristian De Martinis, 22-3 (1), in just one round to capture the vacant WBA Intercontinental light middle belt.

Middleweight prospect Maksim Bursak, 18-0-1 (7), stopped Alexander Sipos, 19-7-2 (9), in the fourth frame of a scheduled eight.

On Friday, former Commonwealth lightweight and European Union super feather champ Willie Limond, 32-2 (8), won the vacant WBU lightweight crown by handily outpointing Ryan Barrett, 17-6-2 (4), at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland.

Thursday saw Affif Belghecham, 18-3-1 (3), defeat Woulid Guarras, 19-5 (13), for the vacant European Union light middle title when Guarras elected not to answer the bell for the 11th frame at Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, France.

On the undercard, two-time European title challenger Hussein Bayram, 31-3 (17), stopped Damien Bertu, 22-5-1 (7), in the sixth of a ten rounder at light middle.