A win is all that matters for Cengiz Koc and Rene Dettweiler when the two Sauerland heavyweights battle out an internal duel in Bayreuth on May 17. Koc (23-3, 15 KOs) will be in the ring for the first time since November 2006. Back then, the 30-year-old dropped a unanimous decision against Timo Hoffmann. “The loss really hurt,” Koc said. “It took me a while to get over it.” After rethinking his decision to hang up the gloves, Koc was scheduled to return in May 2007 but a string of injuries have kept him out of action. “He is back in great shape now,” his new coach Oktay Urkal said. “We are full of confidence. Cengiz has kept his style but has become much more mobile.”

Just like his stablemate, Dettweiler (22-1, 11 KOs) is brimming with confidence ahead of the pivotal fight. “I am the better fighter,” he said. “I can only move up in the rankings if I beat him so failure is not an option.”

Dettweiler suffered the only loss of his career on the same night as Koc fell to Hoffmann. 18 months ago, Michael Sprott clinched a split decision win in a fight for the EU heavyweight title. The East German bounced back with four victories in as many fights. On April 12, he defeated Daniel Peret in Neubrandenburg. “I was prepared to fight Cengiz but after he pulled out I had to prepare for three different opponents in a very short period of time,” the 25-year-old stated. “It´s hard to make a convincing fight under those circumstances.”

Dettweiler, who is coached by Manfred Wolke, is determined to show his true potential on May 17. “I used to do sparring with Cengiz every now and then and I always performed well against him,” he said. “I am very optimistic.”