European Boxing News: Sinan Samil Sam, Oliver McCall And Felix Sturm

By Per Ake Persson

Swedish heavyweight Aldo Colliander has been added to Arena Box Promotion’s big show in Ankara, Turkey, June 16. Colliander thus joins an impressive line up of heavyweights:

WBC International champ Sinan Samil Sam takes on ex-world titlist Oliver McCall in the headliner with WBC Latino heavy ruler Juan Carlos Gomez in the co-feature.

Cuban heavy Odlanier Solis is also on the bill so and so are Steffen Kretschmann and Konstantin Airich, both undefeated heavies.

On Saturday, April 28 in Oberhausen, Germany, Felix Sturm won the WBA middleweight title on a unanimous decision over Spaniard Javier Castillejo. It was scored 116-112, 116-112 and 115-114. There were no knockdowns.

Sturm boxed on the move in a very tactical fight while Castillejo chased and worked the body of his opponent. After ten, Sturm knew the fight was in the bag and he coasted in the last two.

Castillejo felt he had done enough to win the fight and Sturm vs Castillejo III could be in the works. How you scored this fight depends largely on how you view boxing: slick defence and few but clean counters or steady agression with lots of hard punches, some blocked, some missed but some landing.

Croatian Stipe Drews outscored Italian Silvio Branco to win the WBA lightheavy title after a good, exciting fight. It was scored 116-113, 116-112 and 115-113.

Drews outboxed Branco early but lost control of the fight midways and was in trouble in the eighth but regained command and closed out strongly for a deserved win.

Ina Menzer retained the WIBF featherweight title on a unanimous decision after ten over Colombian Maria Andrea Miranda.

Sturm, Drews and Meynzer are all trained by Michael Timm, who two weeks ago steered Ruslan Chagaev to victory over Nikolai Valuev.

Frenchman Willy Blain retained the WBO I/C jr welter title on scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112 over Argentinian Pablo Andres Godoy. Blain can do it all boxingwise but lacks power and have a questionable chin.

Rudolf Kraj stopped Mauro Adrian Ordiales in the third to retain the WBC International title. Ordiales took quite a beating and was floored twice in th third before it was stopped.

Middleweight Khoren Gevor outscored Wilson Rafael Sosa Pintos after eight but picked up a bad cut along the way.