By Per Ake Persson

Danish paper Ekstrabladet writes that "the Roadwarrior", Glen Johnson, is calling out for Mikkel Kessler in a fight to take place in the United States at 170-pounds. In one of Glen´s many trips to Copenhagen to spar with Mads Larsen. In the gym was also Kessler, then a newcomer to the pro game.

 

Mads Larsen appears to be out of the fight against IBF super middleweight champ Lucian Bute - nothing is confirmed though. Sauerland Event have an option for a defense by Bute but seems as if another Sauerland fighter, Ukrainian Vitaly Tsypko, is a lot closer to a fight against Bute than Larsen, who then would become free to face Mikkel Kessler, a fight that has already received a lot of publicity in Denmark.

EBU welterweight champ Rafael Jackiewicz defends the title on February 28 in Lublin, Poland, against Italian Luciano Abis. Bullit Knockout promotes the show.

 

The undercard to Braehmer vs Kanfouah for the vacant EBU light heavyweight title on March 7 in Dresden features a rematch between WIBF and GBU jr bantam queen Alesia Graf and Magdalena Dahlen. Light heavyweight Aleksy Kuziemsky and the Bedak brothers, Zsolt and Pal, are also on the bill. Zsolt isn´t bad at all but Pal appears to be one to follow extra close.

 

EBU super middleweight titleholder Karo Murat faces Italian ex-champ and stablemate Cristian Sanavia on February 28 in Neubrandenburg. In a supporting bout EU heavyweight ruler Francesco Pianeta defends against British veteran Michael Sprott.

 

Graciano Rocchigiani has taken over as trainer for Arena´s Turkish jr welterweight star Selcuk Aydin. Aydin will do most of his training at "Rocky´s Gym" in Duisburg,

 

Swedish Champions Promotions have cancelled the show in Norrkoping that was planned for January 28. CP postponed the same show twice this past fall so it didn´t exactly come as a surprise that they cancelled.

 

Swiss heavyweight Nikola Vujasinovic has announced his retirement from boxing. Nikola goes out at 3-1.

 

Gennady Shatkov, one of the many great amateur boxers produced in what used to be the USSR, have passed away at the age of 77. Shutkov won Olympic Gold in 56, European titles in 55 and 59 but lost in the quarterfinals of the 60 Olympics against the famous Cassius Clay, who later became all-time great Muhammad Ali.