Boxing Preview: Sturm vs. Griffin In Germany

ByRicky Jones

Tonight at Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle, Germany, WBA Middleweight titlist Felix Sturm puts his belt at risk for the second time when he faces America’s Randy Griffin over twelve scheduled rounds.

Sturm, 28-2 (12), is over three years removed from his stellar performance against Oscar De La Hoya in which the newly minted WBO 160 lb titlist seemingly did enough to keep his crown but was assessed a loss anyway.

Since that time the Hamburg resident has enjoyed a mixed bad of success, wading through a collection of older European fighters before striking paydirt against Maselino Masoe to take the Samoan slugger’s WBA title by decision last year.

Disaster struck in Sturm’s very first defense when 38 year old former WBC Light Middle Champ Javier Castillejo shockingly stopped the German in the tenth.

But Sturm bounced back in the rematch, outpointing Castillejo in April to regain control of the WBA title. The 28 year old retained the trophy with a unanimous decision over Argentina based Uruguayan Noe Tulio Gonzalez Alcoba in June.

Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Griffin, 24-1 (12), spent the first four years of his career at light heavy and super middle, losing a six round decision to undefeated Ugandan southpaw James Lubwama along the way.

In 2004, Griffin began to focus and pulled off a good draw against previously unbeaten fellow Philly native Yusef Mack but the breakthrough win came later that year against Julio Garcia for a slew of regional middleweight titles.

Griffin hit a roadblock the next year, drawing in his WBC International title bid against reigning champion James Obede Toney but a solid points win over Masoe in June of 2006 gave Griffin the mandatory challenger position for Sturm’s WBA title.

The Philadelphian, now based in Louisville, KY, will have his work cut out for himself tonight as he’ll be facing a hostile crowd as well as Sturm.

To lift Sturm’s title in Germany, Griffin will have to either stop Sturm or win an overwhelming number of the rounds. Simply put, he’ll have to give the WBA Champion no room to breathe by mounting 12 solid rounds of wall to wall pressure.

But that’s easier said that done, particularly since Griffin has been out of the ring since the Masoe victory and the challenger could very well find himself at the end of Sturm’s jab and defending against the champion’s solid countering skills for twelve long rounds.