European Boxing News: Sturm, Griffin, Haussler, Kessler, Kotelnik, Bonsu, Piccirillo, Galassi

At the weigh-in yesterday in Halle, Germany, WBA Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm measured up with challenger Randy Griffin of America ahead of their rematch tonight at Gerry Weber Stadium.

Both men looked perfectly fit and trim but I give the weighin procedure on points to Griffin, who came in at 72.4 kg / 159.5 lb with a very confident look about him.

WBA champ Felix Sturm scaled 72.3 kg / 159.25 lb but looked a bit tense. There were no staredowns as the two smiled and posed for the cameras. Hardly anyone outside of people involved with the promotion in some capacity attended the weigh-in. The Gerry Weber World includes a big conference hotel located in a small town not far from Bielefeldt.

The WBA will keep Danilo Haussler as mandatory challenger for its super middle champ Mikkel Kessler despite protests from Team Palle. Palle have argued that Haussler, # 3 in the WBA world ratings but only # 11 in the European ratings, just isn´t good enough to fight Kessler.

It appears that no official protest was made to the WBA, or was accepted, although and thus the earlier decision stuck. Kessler vs. Haussler is to go ahead inside 120 days from June 21. In case of purse bids, the split will be 60-40 in favour of the champion.

WBA Junior Welter Champ Andreas Kotelnik, promoted by Universum, has tentatively agreed to take on Spotlight Boxing’s René Maidana. The two met in Buenos Aires and posed for cameras. But first, Maidana is set to fight in July in Argentina while Kotelnik appears to be set to defend the title on September 13.

European Welter Champ Jackson Osei Bonsu has a busy fall coming up. First, the mandatory defence of the title against Jan Zaveck must take place. Bonsu wants the fight – postponed from June due to a back injury to Zaveck – to take place in August to pave the way for a planned US debut in September. November 11 in Antwerp is then booked for a major promotion, perhaps a world title eliminator.

French veteran Mamadou Thiam has been signed by Danish manager Robert Larsen, who also promoted Thiam´s last fight: a sixth round knockout loss at the hands of Evans Ashira. Thiam is now set to fight Predrag Radosevic on August 1 in Budva, Montenegro.

Italian veteran – multiple champ at welter and junior middle – Michele Piccirillo keeps busy with a fight against Hungarian Janos Petrovics July 18 in Civitanova Marche. The show is headlined by WBC Female Fly Champ Simona Galassi.

Official challenger for European Middle Champ Karo Murat is Russian Dennis Inkin, who due to injuries and illness, has seen a WBC eliminator against Carl Froch go up in smoke.

ABU Lightweight Champ Sam Rukundo has an offer to defend against American based Ray Narh on September 6 in Ghana.