Beyer, Urkal Try to Hold the Line in Berlin.

Saturday night in Berlin, Germany’s IC – Center will see two top European fighters in action against dangerous foes. WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer meets seasoned challenger Omar Sheika while European welterweight boss Oktay Urkal will look to stave off the very experienced Russian campaigner, Maxim Nesterenko. The Beyer – Sheika fight is particularly compelling as Beyer has had his difficulties of late while Sheika seems almost destined to win a world title at some point after failing to do so in three previous tries. For the Berliner Urkal, this contest with Nesterenko should prove whether or not the former European light welterweight kingpin can truly hang at 147-pounds after winning the Continental belt from France’s Frederic Klose in May. Super middleweight Markus Beyer, 32-2 (12), is well into his third reign as WBC champion but has hit the canvas during his last two outings. Both Aussie hardman Danny Green and Japanese slugger Yoshinori Nishizawa floored Beyer and the German is only three fights removed from a split decision loss at the hands of Cristian Sanavia. To be fair, Beyer more than returmed the favor by knocking out the Italian in six during their return bout four months later, but “Boom Boom” cannot suffer any defensive lapses if he is to retain his WBC crown against Omar Sheika.

Sheika, 26-7 (17), is a better fighter than the seven losses on his record would indicate but still, the New Jersey man has always seemed unlucky during the bigger moments of his eight year career. Sheika has proved able to beat solid B level and journeymen fighters such as Demetrius Jenkins, Anwar Oshana, Stephane Ouellett, Manu Ntoh and Etienne Whittaker or even future world champion Glen Johnson, but generally, the Patterson native can’t step it up in the clutch times.

In world championship fights against Joe Calzaghe, Eric Lucas and Jeff Lacy or in regional title bouts facing the likes of Thomas Tate or Scott Pemberton, Sheika hasn’t delivered but that could all change in this German opportunity. If the challenger can put up a tight guard and patiently wear down Beyer behind a pressured body attack, he could get to the champion in the later rounds as Australia’s Danny Green nearly did in their rematch back in March. But Sheika has historically had difficulty with sharp boxers and Beyer certainly has superior fundamental skills. It will be very difficult for Sheika to outpoint Beyer because of that and if he is to prevail, the American will probably have to knock the German out.

European welterweight champion Oktay Urkal, 35-3 (11), earned his stripes as a light welterweight. The Berlin resident gave WBC/WBA titlist Kostya Tszyu a scare enroute to losing a unanimous decision five years ago and Urkal beat WBA belt-holder Vivian Harris in the eyes of many last April only to drop a majority decision on the cards. In the rematch six months later Urkal looked to be a shell of what he was in the first bout and was stopped for the first time in his career in round eleven by Harris.

Urkal stepped up to welterweight after that bout and immediately hit the bull’s eye, posting a unanimous decision over Frederic Klose in May to take the European crown. Klose simply didn’t have the power to keep the fast handed Urkal off, but the German’s challenger on Saturday night should be better equipped in that department.

Maxim Nesterenko at thirty-two, is three years younger than Urkal and has been a welterweight his entire career. The Russian has recorded forty-four victories (twenty-eight early) against seven losses in his career but has just gone 3-2-1 (2) over the last two years. A former two time European champion, Nesterenko tried to step up against IBO belt-holder Jawaid Khaliq but was beaten back on two seperate occasions.

Nesterenko will likely have to pull off the performance of his lifetime to beat the tricky Urkal, but looks to be some years off his prime. Vivian Harris as a light welterweight was able to stop the formerly very durable German and Nesterenko will probably come out throwing bombs, which could be his undoing as Urkal is a very sharp counter puncher. If Urkal gets past the seasoned Russian challenger he could be on the short list for another chance at winning it all on the world stage.

Contact Curtis McCormick at thomaspointrd@aol.com