By Per Ake Persson
WBA jr. middleweight title holder Joachim Alcine´s defense against Frenchman Christophe Canclaux could be on for April 5 in Montreal. Contracts are not signed though and there´s not yet approval from the WBA.
Sauerland Event´s undercard to Valuev vs Liakhovich is shaping up very well. Cruiserweight Alexander Frenkel face experienced Arthur Williams, young heavyweight Francesco Pianeta goes for the vacant WBC Youth title against overaged Donnell Wiggins. Australian Kali Meehan face American Jeremy Bates in a scheduled ten-rounder, heavies. Arthur Abraham´s younger brother Alexander square off against decent Youkri Chentour, jr. middleweights.
WBA middleweight champ Felix Sturm will make a voluntary defense of the title April 5 at the Burg Waechter Castello in Duesseldorf. WIBF jr flyweight queen Julia Sahin will co-headline. No opponents have been announced for the two.
Former WBA jr welterweight ruler Souleyman M´Baye returns to action in London March 8 on the undercard to Haye vs Maccarinelli. M´Baye fights Dominican Jose Soto. Soto, now based in Spain, tuned up this past weekend with a points win over Romanian Ionut Trandafir.
ABU lightweight king Sam Rukundo, from Uganda but fighting out of Sweden, defends the title March 23 in Esbjerg, Denmark.
Unbeaten heavyweight Carlos Takam, 13-0, will fight Russian Daniel Peret, 10-11, on the next Grand Tornoi show Februari 21 in Paris.
Turk Atagun Yalcinkaya, silver medallist at light flyweight in the Athens Olympics, has turned pro with Arena Box Promotion and will make his debut March 11 in Halle / Saale at bantamweight. The then 17-year old Yalcinkaya lost in the finals to Cuban Yan Barthelemy, who´s also with Arena but based in the US.
EU jr welterweight champ Giuseppe Lauri defends the title February 29 in Milano against Brit Peter McDonagh. Lauri´s WBC Int´l belt will not be at stake but will be declared vacant in case of a loss. Gianluca Branco, also at jr. welterweight, appear in an eight-rounder and Odlanier Solis face Croatian spoiler Ivica Pericovic in another eight-rounder.
It´s confirmed: Theresa Perozzi will fight Natascha Ragosina March 15 in Magdeburg. There will be seven belts at stake: WBA, WBC, GBU; WIBF and WIBA that Ragosina already holds, plus IWBF and WIBC. This is believed to be a record of some kind.