By Per Ake Persson
Union Box Team of Donetsk, Ukraine, appears to have overcome the troubles they were hit by after the recent political changes in Ukraine and will stage a big show on July 21 topped by three title fights. Super middleweight prospect Stas Kashtanov takes on Majid Ben Driss for the vacant WBC Youth title, welterweight Vyacheslav Senchenko defends the IBF Int´l title against Frenchman Stephane Benito and IBF I/C lightweight champ Andrey Kudriavtsev squares off against Ismael El Massoudi.
EBU middleweight champ Amin Asikainen will get the chance for a voluntary defense on October 6 in Helsinki and there are plans for a big show at the huge Hartwall Arena. As for a new mandatory challenger (replacing newly crowned WBA champ Javier Castillejo) for Amin it´s likely that spot will be taken by Khoren Gevor.
Neva Bear, headed by Igor Shafer, promotes a show in Viborg, Russia, on July 21 with welterweight prospect Marat Khuzeev taking on former Estonian amateur star Albert Starikov. Jr welter Dennis Shafikov is also on the bill.
It deserves to be noticed that the result in the EU title defense by then champ Michel Trabant against Marco Cattikas, won by Trabant on a cut eye TKO, has not been changed although Michel later tested positive for an illegal substance. Trabant has been stripped of the title and is under a one year suspension from the German Federation but his win over Cattikas remains. The EBU simply don´t have any rule for declaring a fight a no contest although one is likely to come in the near future.
