By Terence Dooley

WBA world middleweight champion Felix Sturm sat down with BoxingScene.com to confirm that he is a free agent after severing ties with Universum Promotions.  Felix now hopes to join up with LA-based trainer Freddie Roach ahead of an assault on the American scene.

“I have an appointment with Freddie and I am here to see Amir train with Freddie.  We are talking about working together for my future.  I have my own promotions and am here to see how well Freddie works with Amir,” declared Sturm.

The fighter has held the WBA belt for the past three-years; he briefly lost possession of it when losing to Javier Castillejo back in 2006 but has since defended the title eight times, including a revenge win over the Spaniard.  Sturm, though, has been criticised for defending his title in Germany and, seemingly, refusing to travel abroad to make the big fights.  Sturm hopes to address these barbs in coming fights.

“I want to fight the best fighters from America and that is the reason why we have built up our own promotions.  I hope I can fight some guys from HBO, fighters who are the best guys from the States,” stated Sturm.

“At the moment we are just trying to set a fight for next year in May.  We want to fight the best middleweights in the world and will be happy to start with Kelly Pavlik.  I am thirty-years-old, now is my prime, and I can fight for another six years at the top.”

Sturm travelled to the UK to watch Amir Khan go through his paces.  Felix hopes to join Freddie Roach’s stable and the veteran trainer believes that he can turn the German into a complete fighter.

“I met Felix when I was over to see Klitschko for a fight.  He came up to me and asked why I didn’t smile too much and I didn’t want to tell him it was because I didn’t understand anyone,” laughed Roach.  “Felix is a tremendously smart fighter, very patient, but I’d like to see him more active as I’m an offensively-minded person.  I think he can be a very good fighter with me.”

Roach’s Wildcard Gym would be the ideal launch pad for Sturm’s US assault.  The boxer has an impressive 33-2-1 (14) slate.  Sturm rose to prominence when pushing Oscar De La Hoya to the wire in 2004, although Oscar won that one on the cards many felt that Sturm had done enough to win.  Felix’s new promotional status, coupled with the potential change in training regime, could serve him well as he bids to crack the US market.

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