WBA middleweight champ Felix Sturm have in a regional court in Hamburg, Germany, made it clear he will not go through with the mandatory defence against Gennadyi Golovkin. The court did not rule in the existing contractual dispute between Sturm and Universum. A decision in that case is not expected in the near future. In effect in could mean that Sturm gets stripped of the title while he is fighting Universum in the courts. Sturm and his team had apparently made attempts to promote the fight against Golovkin without Universum´s involvement and Universum took legal action and came out a winner – at least short term.
The Klitschko brothers have left K 2 East and have now formed K 2 Promotions Ukraine. Joining them is the the majority of the fighters that used to be with K 2, most notably heavyweights Alexander Ustinov and Andrey Rudenko, lightheavy Vyacheslav Uzelkov, middleweight Avtandil Khurtsidze and welter Valery Brazhnik.
Heavyweight Robert Helenius headlines P 3 Boxing´s show in Helsinki March 26 in a scheduled eight-rounder against Gbenga Oloukun a/k/a Bang Bang Gbenga. Helenius comes in fresh off impressive wins over the likes of Scott Gammer, Taras Bidenko and Lamon Brewster while Oloukun, who also also beat Brewster, lost to Rene Dettweiler last time out. Off the show is the planned EU title fight between Ville Piispanen and Emanuele De Prophetis as Piispanen of lately has been ill. Norwegian feather Andreas Evensen fights Thai Sot Sor Voraphin for the WBO I/C title in the co-feature while supermiddle prospect Niko Jokinen is in against experienced Spaniard Miguel Angel Pena.
OPI 2000 promotes a show March 12 in Bertinoro di Forli with Simona Galassi defending the female WBC title against Esmeralda Moreno of Mexico. Making his debut for OPI 2000 is welter Michele Di Rocco while lightweight Luca Giacon, based in Spain, makes his Italian debut.
Former Italian lightheavy champ Domenico Baccheschi have passed away at the age of 79. Baccheshi went 19-9-4 during the 50´s and ended his career in 1960.
Polish jr middle Damien Jonak is off the big show in Katowice March 6 due to the contractual disputes he have with Bullit Knockout and Sauerland Event.
American heavy Jameel McCline´s comeback that was planned for Hungary in February, then postponed until March is now apparently postponed again – if not cancelled.
04.03 Euro News
