European Boxing News: Sturm, Sylvester, Jackiewicz, Vidoz, Castillejo

ByBoxing Press

By Per Ake Persson

Universum won the purse bids today in Panama for WBA middle champ Felix Sturm´s defence against compatriot Sebastian Sylvester. Universum bid $2,815,756 USD while Sauerland offered $1,901,014 USD.

Sturm vs Sylvester, an all-German megafight, goes ahead November 1 at Koenig-Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen.

Polish welter Rafael Jackiewicz, 32-8-1, beat defending European champion Jackson Osei Bonsu, 28-2, last night in Kielce with a unanimous decision in a major upset. The judges had it 116-112, 114-113 and 117-110. It was a major setback for Jackson, who was close to a WBC eliminator or a world title fight.

For Jackiewicz, who proposed to his girlfirend after the decision had been announced, it was the biggest win of his career. Jackson was expected to relinquish the title after beating Jackiewicz to concentrate on a big fight at home in Antwerp on November 11, but did have his mandatory defence against Jan Zaveck scheduled for October 10 in Slovenia.

That date will probably not stick but the new champion probably won´t get a long rest. Waiting for his chance is Ukrainan Vyacheslav Senchenko, whose management had expected a fight against Zaveck for the vacant title.

The fight for the vacant European heavyweight title between Italian Paolo Vidoz and Britt Matt Skelton have December 16 as working date and might go ahead near Gorizia where Vidoz resides.

Instead of Riddick Bowe, Hungarian heavyweight Zoltan Petranyi wound up fighting Mihaly Nemeth for the vacant national title September 12 in six. Last year in Denmark, the Danish Federation nixed Petranyi-Nemeth as too weak a matchup and only allowed the two a four-round exhibition.

In Reisjarvi, Finland, September 12 junior welter Jaakko Myllyla moved to 6-0 with a second round stoppage of Frenchman Mourad Sabry El Malki.

41-year old German Mayala Mbungi has plugged away since 2003, taking on all comers at the 4-6 round level, fighting mainly around super middle and going into the bout against Steve Klockow on Saturday night in Berlin, he was 0-20-4. But that “0” is gone as Mayala beat Klockow.

Ex-champ, WBC, WBA and European, Javier Castillejo is back in training and looking to resume his career. Castillejo suffered a bad ko-loss to Sebastian Sylvester last time out in a European title fight and lost his status as WBA # 1 challenger as well.