By Per Ake Persson

Malmoe, Sweden - In a shocking upset, Alexander Dimitrenko (39-3, 25 KOs) stopped rising heavyweight contender Adrian Granat (14-1, 13 KOs) in the very first round for the IBF international title. 

Dimitrenko began the fight nervously, but got more confident after nailing Granat with a left hook. The Swede kept coming - and walked into a perfect counter right and went down as if he was shot by a gun. He made it up but was finished and Dimitrenko poured it on and Granat sank down again. Referee Timo Habighorst counted but Granat was in a different world and it was quickly stopped.

Dimitrenko put new life into his career while Granat´s days as a highly touted prospect ended this evening. He can of course come back but it will never be the same.

Local hero Sven Fornling (12-1) won the vacant IBF Baltic light heavyweight title with a ten round unanimous decision over Arijan Sherifi (13-1). It was scored 99-91 twice and 98-92 after a tough, bloody fight where Fornling´s strength and conditioning won it for him.

Sherifi was close to being stopped in the ninth but weathered the storm and came through then the tenth as well but was worn down by his straight forward opponent. Fornling was cut around both eyes and it bled a lot but he just kept coming after a somewhat slow start.

Russian light heavyweight and former EBU champ Igor Mikhalkin (19-1) came back from a suspension after a disputed positive doping test and won a unanimous decision after eight against hard-punching Yevgeni Makhteinko (a deceiving 8-7).

It was scored 80-72, 78-74 and 79-73.

Mikhalkin, a southpaw, showed good boxing skills as he avoided Makhteienko´s heavy right but lacks punching power in his own right and that might keep from the very best in the world but in Europe he´s clearly among the top.

Super welter Daniel Hartvig (9-0-1) was once awarded for being the toughest boxer on the show - not the best - but the toughest. It was more of that against Hungarian Pal Olah (6-6-1) as Hartvig, badly cut, kept coming and there was numerous more or less accidental headclashes. Olah had a point deducted in the fourth and final round for a headbutt. It was scored 40-35 twice and 39-37.

Female super lightweight Patricia Berghult (6-0) won a split decision over Karina Kopinska (8-16-3) after six. It was scored a way off 59-55 for Berghult and then 58-56 both ways. Kopinska forced action and appeared to land the cleaner punches but it was a close fight - and hometown do sometimes play a part in the scoring.

Super welterweight Sebastian Formella (14-0) outscored Polish journeyman Krzystof Szot (20-20-2) over four. The judges had it all 40-36 for the German, who made his debut for EC Boxing with this fight. Szot came on strong in the fourth but it was too little too late.

Heavyweight Junior Maximus (7-0) stopped Bosnian Abdulnaser Delalic (2-1) 2.40 into the second round. Delalic took two standing out counts and as Maximus followed up the towel came in.

Heavyweight prospect Ali Eren Demirzen (4-0, 4) was too strong for Pole Oleksandr Pavliuk (2-1) in the show opener of EC Boxing´s big show at the Baltic Hall. Demirzen walked through Pavliuk, a decent fighter, for a stoppage 19 seconds in the second round..

Cruiserweight Huseyn Cinkara (6-0) outscored another Pole in Jakub Wojcik (8-17-2) and while Wojcik was floored twice in the third his southpaw left caused Cinkara some problems and the German was shaken twice in the third as well.  Cinkara stayed on the outside after that for a clear win of 40-34 on all cards.