By Per Ake Persson

Arena Box heavyweights Steffen Kretschmann and Konstantin Airich are both in action on March 6 in Cuxhaven. Kretschmann faces Russian Denis Bakhtov while Airich is in against Czech Ondrey Pala. Herbie Hide vs Matt Godfrey headlines in a WBC eliminator.

 

The EBU have ordered it's flyweight champ Ivan Pozo to give Frenchman Christophe Rodrigues a rematch. Pozo won the then vacant title on January 16 on a controversial technical decision. The EBU have set February 16 as deadline for purse bids or agreements.

 

EBU lightweight champ Jonathan Thaxton defends the title February 28 against Frenchman Anthony Mezaache.

 

WBA I/C jr welterweight ruler Bruno Zamora could be defending the title against Swedish-based Ugandan Peter Semo on April 17 in Udine.

 

WBO I/C 147 lb king Christian Bladt has again had his defence against Sven Paris postponed and it will now probably go ahead sometime in February instead of January 30.

 

Belgian welterweight Jackson Osei Bonsu could have the second of his WBC eliminators against Jesus Soto-Karass sometime in April. Jackson lost the EBU title in September but was still approved for a WBC elminator - or rather two and has to win both to get a shot at the title.

 

WBC Youth welter titleholder Oliver Guettel defends the title against American Brandon Baue on February 27 in Aschersleben. Norman and Philipp Schuster are also on the bill along with Tommy Altmann and Maria Lindberg.

 

Ukrainian heavyweight Vladimir Virchis has had second thoughts about retiring and will resume his career. Virchis lost a WBC eliminator to Juan Carlos Gomez last time out.

 

The case is still open - appealed the decision from the Martial Arts Delegation in Sweden to stick the with the current rules that only allow professional boxing with a maximum distance of 12 minutes.

 

The WBA welterweight title is now again held by two "standard" champs: Shane Mosley, who beat "super" champ Antonio Margarito and Ukrainian Yuri Nuzhnenko, who first won the interim title but was named "full" champ last year at the WBA convention.