By Per-Ake Persson
Nigerian heavyweight veteran Henry Akinwande have signed with Sauerland Event and will be included on the May 14 show in Bayreuth where he face Russian Alex Vassiliev. A win there - and a win for maineventer Nikolai Valuev who square off against Clifford Etienne - set the stage for a "giant" showdown between two of the tallest guys around July 16 in Nuremberg. Akinwande is well known in Germany where he impressively beat Timo Hoffmann, lost and drew with Axel Schulz and knocked out Mario Schiesser.
EU jr middle champ Ruben Varon face former French champ Aziz Daari May 27 in Leon, Spain, in a voluntary defence of the title.
Italian welter Sven Paris, 15-0 and the reigning WBA I/C champ, is rumored to be signing with Universum.
German cruiser Aleksander Petkovic comes back on the undercard to Calzaghe v Veit (WBO 168) May 7 in Braunschweig against durable Brazilian Roberto Coelho. Petkovic, only 25 but a pro since 97 is 30-3-3.
French middle champ Frank Mezaache is, again, sidelined with hand problems. Frank, a solid boxer/puncher with a good career in savate, a French martial arts, as well, have a long history of handinjuries.
WBO I/C cruiser champ Firat Arslan will be included on the undercard to Krasniqi v Whittaker May 28 in Stuttgart. Arslan have also accepted a position as mandatory challenger for EU titleholder Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.
Ukrainian heavy Vladimir Virchis takes on German Adnan Serin in the headliner of Spotlight Boxing´s show at Palma de Mallorca May 10. Ex-amateur star Alex Mazikin gets a stern test already in his second profight as he face experienced Brit Gary Delaney. French lightweight Willy Blain square off against Russian Rozalin Nasibulin.
Ex-NBA middle champ Dirk Dzemski goes for his old, now vacant, title June 4 in Aschersleben with SES promoting. Dzemski lost the title to Sebastian Silvester, who since signed to Sauerland Event. Also on the bill is Hungarian Mihaly Kotai, who goes for the vacant IBO belt. Opponents are to be announced. As for Silvester, he is booked to defend the IBF I/C 160 lb title in Bayreuth on Sauerland Event´s show May 14.
Michele Orlando takes on Frenchman Malik Hadjadi in Guidonia, Italy, May 27 and will then go for the vacant EU 147 lb title July 1 against Mustapha Bouziz.
Undefeated Serbian jr middle Dejan Ribac will from now on be co-promoted by Italian OPI 2000 and the Popovic boxing team.
Russian Nikolai Valuev World heavyweight champion? Thomas Damgaard ruler of the welters? Tomasz Adamek champ at lightheavy? Well, at least according to the GBA, who proclaims champions based on their unbeaten records. The little info available on the GBA can be found at andworldboxing.com run by Andy Meyer.
