By Per Ake Persson

Matt Skelton didn't just lose the Commonwealth title last Saturday night in Birmingham in his upset loss to Martin Rogan. He was also stripped of the EBU heavyweight title. Mandatory challenger is undefeated Alexander Dimitrenko, who now will fight the highest available challenger for the vacant title. Rogan's promoter Frank Warren is going to push for Rogan to get a crack at the vacant EBU title.

 

Highly ranked Ukrainian heavyweight Taras Bidenko is reportedly curing sore hands which explains his inactivity and why he relinquished the WBA I/C title. Bidenko is expected back though and could participate in an eliminator against Kali Meehan.

 

While professional boxing is struggling in Sweden, K 1 is doing well. K 1 Scandinavia, with ex-pro Paolo Roberto as one of the promoters, staged a show Friday night in Norrkoping with a soldout house. Ironically they headlined the bill with the pro debut of heavyweight Andreas Gustavsson, who outscored Romanian Liviu Ungereanu over four. K 1 Scandinavia promotes again in May and this time in Malmoe, again with Gustavsson on the bill and word is that there will be more pro fights on the bill.

 

Swiss middleweights Yves Studer defends the EE-EU title against Georgian Levian Shonia on May 19 in Berne.

 

"The Dancing Destroyer", Herbie Hide fights Sandro Siproshvili on March 6 in Cuxhaven and will also have his biography out. It´s called "Nothing But Trouble". New trainer Graciano Rocchigiani also have a book out on his colourful career called "Meine 15 runden". "Rocky" also trains Selcuk Aydin, who headlines the show in Cuxhaven as well as super middleweight Christian Pawlak, who appears on the undercard.

 

Francesco Pianeta´s defense of the EU heavyweight title against Michael Sprott will now go ahead April 4 in Duesseldorf. Also booked for the show is the often-postponed heavyweight clash between Cengiz Koc and Oleg Platov. The bill also feature Belgian cruiser Geoffrey Batello, who stepped in at short notice to fight EBU champ Marco Huck, paid the price but also showed he has a future.

 

Dominican amateur star Felix Diaz, Olympic Gold medal winner at jr welterweight 08, have reportedly turned pro with Arena Box Promotion, writes Hoy Digital. Diaz is said to have had offers from just about "everyone" but have waited and waited. Diaz have a long and glorious amateur career and seems like a safe bet to make it in the pros.

 

German jr. lightweight Vitali Tajbert takes on Belgian Herve De Luca on March 20 in Hamburg on Spotlight Boxing´s promotion. Susi Kentikian headlines and defends the WBA and WIBF flyweight titles against Elena "Baby Doll" Reid.

 

WBA bantamweight champ Anselmo Moreno defends, according to a Panamanian paper, the title against Wladimir Sidorenko on May 2 in Bremen, Germany.