European Boxing News: Mathis, Hoffman, Asloum, Krasniqi, Tassi

By Per Ake Persson

AMI Production have cancelled the July 26 show that would have featured WBA Light Fly Champ Brahim Asloum defending the title against Giovanni Segura. Asloum dropped out of training after taking a hefty paycut from televising network Canal+.

Promoter Michel Acaries tried to salvage the show with WBA Female Junior Welter queen Ann Sophie Mathis and European Cruiser Champ Jean Marc Monrose topping the bill, but decided yesterday to cancel the event as a whole.

While Asloum did suffer a big cut in his purse, he still walks out on a 500,000 Euro payday that would have included a100,000 Euro victory bonus if he won.

German heavy Timo Hoffmann is set return on October 4 in Bauitzen in a ten rounder. Hoffmann tested positive for an illegal substance after losing to Aleksander Dimitrenko in November of last year and was given a one-year suspension by the Bund Deutsh Berufsboxer, the BDB. Hoffmann will fight with a GBA, German Boxing Association, license for his comeback.

IBF Youth Junior Welter Champ Decha Bankluagym from Thailand defends the title on October 11 in Chateauneuf-sur-Loire against Frenchman Jean Nicolas Weigel. Weigel lost a European title fight last year to Spaniard Juan Carlos Diaz Melero.

Luca Tassi and Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye clash for the Italian supermiddle title on August 1 in Rome.

Heavyweight veteran Luan Krasniqi is looking to return this fall. Krasniqi has been out since July of last year when he lost a WBO eliminator to Tony Thompson after a poor performance but was all set to fight stablemate Aleksander Dimitrenko this spring when the Ukrainian, unhappy with the payment, pulled out. Luan remains a big name in Germany but needs activity to get into the picture of bigger fights.