European Boxing News: Biggest Swedish Fight Card In 40 Years

By Per Ake Persson

The second edition of Pugnus Boxing Promotions´ Night of the Champions is billed as the biggest show in Sweden for 40 years (or since Floyd Patterson lost to Jimmy Ellis in 68 in Stockholm). Well, we haven´t had that much since then considering that the ban on proboxing came into effect January 1, 1970 and lasted until January 1, 2007, but it´s still an interesting show hurt badly by the special Swedish rules.

Former heavyweight champion of the World, Michael Moorer, in Karlstad as trainer for “Minnesota Ice”, Joey Abell and Al Cole, Abell´s opponent, go back a long time. Cole beat Moorer in the US qualification for the Olympic games in 88. -But Al had to take two standing counts and I still lost, how political was that, said Moorer with a stiff smile and one could feel the loss still hurt him – 20 years later.

Cole kept smling and reminded everybody that it wasn´t Moorer he was fighting but Abell, who in turn stated that he was lucky to have a trainer who could do the talking for him. -But I do the fighting, said Joey. Cole, with three years off, came in at 103.2 kg / 227.5 lb while Abell scaled 107.5 /237.

“Merciless” Ray Mercer stepped on the scales fully dressed and weighed 113.8 kg / 251 lb. -Last year I fought the Blonde Bomber, said Ray, and this year I fight the Brown Bomber!

Mercer knocked out Swedish heavy M ichael Lindblad last year also in Karlstad and will tomorrow fight Dutchman Richel Hersisia, a trim 102 kg / 224.75 lbs over six two minute rounds (12 minutes remain the max distance for proboxing in Sweden). Hersisia will have former WBO cruiser champ Ralf Rocchigiani as chief cornerman.

Attila Levin, residing in Florida, will fight for the first time in Sweden as a pro. In one of his last amateur fights he stopped Anders Holmberg, one of the promoters for tomorrow´s show. Levin, a big man at 116,8 kg / 257,5 lbs, will face an even bigger man in Russian Evgeny Orlov, 129,3 kg / 285 lbs, who have Dirk Dzemski in the corner.

Anna Ingman, 68,1 / 150,25, from Karlstad, square off against Olivia Fonseca, 66,9 / 147,5, for the vacant WBC and WPBF Int´l jr middle titles. Ingman will have Swedish legend Leffe Carlsson and EBU jr welter champ Vinni Skovgaard in her corner.

Sauerland Event brings in the Nordic Nightmare, Robert Helenius, who arrived late on the same plane as opponent Ergin Solmaz.

Danish welter Allan Vester might be left without opponent as Pascal Bruno had missed the plane from Nairobi – he was reported to be on his way on another plane but no-one was really sure.

Pugnus Boxing Promotions, promoters for this show, and Danish promoter Anders Vester are again looking into a co-promotion on Danish soil to get around the Swedish rules. A possible site mentioned is Fredrikshavn – easy to reach from Sweden via ferry from Gothenburg.

Oth er news: German heavy Timo Hoffmann is indeed off the planned comeback for October 4. However, Timo have signed with SES and will most likely return October 10 in Barleben – if the German Federation, the BDB, take one month off the one-year long suspension Timo received in November of last year and signs are good that they will.

Team Palle won today´s purse bids in Rome for Lolenga Mock´s defence of the EU supermiddle title against Cristian Sanavia with a bid for 33 333 EUR. Sauerland Event finished second. Site and place haven´t been announced.

Universum have added Russian cruiser Aleksander Alekseev to the big show in Hamburg September 27. Alekseev, already one of the best in world, face American veteran Rob Calloway in a WBO I/C titlefight.

notifight.com hints that it will Belorus Sergey Gulyakevich and Jorge Linares that will fight for the vacant WBA jr light title.