By Mark Vester

Russian heavyweight, Alexander Povetkin, IBF mandatory challenger for a long time, vs TBA for the IBF's interim title? Well, don´t rule it out. With champ Wladimir Klitschko out until 2010 when he will first will fight with WBO mandatory challenger Eddie Chambers, who was clearly beaten by Povetkin, there is as good case for Povetkin getting an interim shot.

 

WBA super middleweight champ Mikkel Kessler reports in a newsletter from his website mikkelkessler.com that training in Berlin under Jimmy Montoya has gone very well, he´s done with the heavy sparring and now will concentrate on keeping sharp. Kessler fights mandatory challenger Gusmyl Perdomo September 12 in Herning.

 

Newly crowned cruiserweight champ Marco Huck will take on interim ruler Ola Afolabe December 5 in Germany. It´s not a rumour but a confirmed fact announced already at the press conference after Huck vs Ramirez this past weekend.

 

WBA light flyweight champ "on vacation" Brahim Asloum might be heading for retirement. Asloum´s troubles began when network Canal + deciced to offer Brahim a paycut from 750,000 EUR to 500,000 EUR with a bonus cut from 100,000 to 50,000. Asloum refused to accept and has not defended the title since December of 07. He had a non-title fight in April and had plans for a defense in France sold over his website but that fell through due to technical difficulties. The money involved is enourmous for the weight division but Asloum apparently sees it in a different way.

 

"Die Deutsche Eiche", the German Oak, big heavyweight Timo Hoffmann vows to continue his career and wants a revenge fight against WBF heavy champ Francois Botha - as both are promoted by SES it could happen. Hoffmann blames the loss to Botha to the fact that he for some reasons wasn´t in shape but to ringsiders it looked like a case of cagey veteran who just knew too much for the extremely durable and brave but boxingwise somewhat limited Hoffmann.

 

WBA I/C supe rmiddleweight champ Stepjan Bozic from Croatia, # 3 in the WBA ratings, has had some bad luck of recently and the planned defence of the title that was first set for July is now planned for November.

 

Cruiserweight Alexander Kotlobay and middleweight Gennadyi Martirosyan headline JAB Promotions´ next show set for St Petersburg, Russia on September 25. Especially Kotlobay, 14-1-1, is worth watching while Martirosyan, 17-2, returns from a loss in France to Hassan N´Dam.