European Boxing News: Sturm, Bouadla, Decarie, Zaveck, Erdei

By Per Ake Persson

WBA middleweight champ Felix Sturm has been to Berlin and visited the headquartes of Bild Zeitung. Sturm told Bild he´s at the moment about 15 kilos (around 33 lbs) overweight after some time off following the birth of his son but will begin a strict diet in the new year. As for the future fights Felix says there are several possibilities but nothing set – a dream fight against Kelly Pavlik can according to Sturm happen in May or June.

Sturm admits that the contractual dispute with Universum is still on but is confident he will win. He does not however mention the upcoming mandatory defence against Gennadyi Golovkin.

Mehdi Bouadla is out due to unclear reasons and Lolenga Mock will now fight Italian Giovanni De Carolis for the vacant EU super middle title January 30 in Aarhus in the chief support to the Larsen vs Magee show.

Also back are local heroes Christian Bladt, former EBU ruler at welter, and Allan Vester, who once challenged Zab Judah for the IBF junior welter title. Bladt takes on Giusseppe Langella while Vester, at junior middle, squares off against Belgian Nefzi Ayoub. Lightweight Martin Kristjansen fights Saber Gasmil of Belgium.

Canadian Antonin Decarie could according to French media fight for the WBA interim welter title sometime in March or April in Levallois Perret against ex-world champ Souleyman M´Baye.

IBF welter champ Jan Zaveck may indeed make the first defence of the title against Pole Rafael Jackiewicz. The fight is headed for Slovenia in March or April.

French junior light prospect Romain Jacob, 8-0, faces Nicaraguan Michael Isaac Carrero February 11 in Sangatte Bleriot-Page. Romain´s father is Thierry Jacob, the former WBC and EBU champ, who now promotes his son.

Polish light heavy Dawid Kostecki goes for the vacant IBC title Februay 6 in Rzeszow against an opponent to be announced. This is Bullit Knockout´s first show in 2010 and next up is a promotion March 20 in either Warzaw or Bialystok and then April 28 in Gdynia.

Light heavies Alejandro Lakatos and Abdelkahim Derghal clash for the vacant WBO European title February 26 in Torrejon De Ardoz, Spain. Derghal replaces Nadjib Mohammedi.

The WBC have set January 22 for purse bids for cruiser champ Zsolt Erdei´s mandatory defence against Krzysztof Wlodarzcyk. Erdei´s future at cruiser appears very uncertain and he weighed just a little over the light heavy limit when he beat Giacobbe Fragomeni.

Junior middle prospect “Golden” Jack Culcay faces Lithuanian Dmitrijus Sidorovicius on Saturday in Magdeburg in his second pro fight. Sidorovicius comes in with a claimed 2-0 record.