European Boxing News: Kessler, Larsen, Gomez, Abraham, Levin, Peret

ByBoxing Press

By Per Ake Persson

WBA Super Middle champ Mikkel Kessler´s defence against German challenger Danilo Haussler appears now to be on for October 25 somewhere in Germany.

Danish media have speculated in Kiel or Flensburg, where Kessler resided for a brief spell, as possible sites but according to Sauerland Event´s CEO, it won´t be in either of these towns close to the Danish border. Nothing is set yetm but Kessler´s former stable and gymmate Mads Larsen could be fighting on the undercard.

It´s official: Vladimir Virchis and Juan Carlos Gomez clash in a WBC heavyweight eliminator on September 27 at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg as a co-headliner along with Firat Arslan´s defence of the WBA cruiser title against Guillermo Jones. WIBF Junior Fly champ Julia Sahin defends her title in the third headliner.

IBF Middleweight champ Arthur Abraham will defend the title on October 4 against Raul Marquez at a site to be announced in Germany.

Finnish Steel RI ng Promotions begins the season September 12 in Reisjarvi with unbeaten junior welter Jaakko Myllyla on top, taking on Frenchman Mourad Sabry El Malik.

Attila Levin continues his comeback on September 5 in Karlstad, Sweden, when he takes on Nikolai Valuev look-alike Evgeny Orlov. Orlov, 8-2-1, made his pro debut already back in 1998 but then turned to martial arts before returning to boxing last year when he became one of Ruslan Chagaev´s sparring partners during training for the first fight against Valuev.

Orlov impressed and has since racked up seven straight wins over rather soft opponents. He´s not as tall as Valuev and a lot heavier around the midsection, but strong enough to take the Swede the distance.

Russian journeyman Daniel Peret takes on Polish heavy prospect Mariusz Wach tomorrow night on a BoxingEurope promotion in Swiebodzice.

It´s Peret´s eleventh fight this far in 2008 and he has another lined up on September 27 in St Petersburg. Norwegian junior welter Geir Inge Jorgensen is also on the bill that is headlined by Piotr Wilczewski, who fights Sergey Kharchenko in a non-title ten-rounder.

Hungarian junior middle Attila “Viper” Kovacs keeps busy with a six-rounder on August 19 in Stu rovo, Slovakia, on a show put on by LP Promotion, headed by still active heavyweight Laszlo Paszterko.

Check out Don Mario Rivera Martino´s column at the WBO website! It´s great to see somebody remembering the good old days and where modern day professional boxing comes from and, in some cases, still remains.