By Per Ake Persson
Sauerland Event announced the full program for the show in Leipzig on December 10, topped by Arthur Abraham vs Kingsley Ikeke for the vacant IBF 160 lb title. IBF Youth jr middleweight titleholder Zaurbek Baysangurov takes on Argentinian Juan Manuel Aleggio. Lightheavy Kai Kurzawa will now fight American Jose Spearman in a non-title ten-rounder and Cuban cruiser Yoan Pablo Hernandez squares off against Aleksejs Kosobokvs from Latvia in what will be his first six-rounder. French jr middle Christophe Canclaux is in against Ukrainian Vladimir Borovski and at bantamweight, Irishman Bernard Dunne face Daniel Kodjo Sassou. There are 74 rounds scheduled in all. The show at the Leipzig Arena kicks off at 6 PM.
Ex-WBO 140 lb champ Giovanni Parisi is off the December 20 in Bergamo but is replaced by ex-WBC supermiddleweight ruler Cristian Sanavia, who takes on Frenchman Christophe Karagoz - this one was originally set for Milano on December 16. On the December 16 show, Italian veteran Silvio Branco, holder of more titles than you can think of - and the official challenger for WBA 175 lb king Fabrice Tiozzo, tunes up against Czech Radek Seman.
Joseph Gyori have stepped down as president for Hungarian Blue Alligator Promotions to take on a position as vice-President and Chairman of the UBC and WIBA European office. Blue Alligator will remain active with Gyorgi Janosik as CEO.
WIBF supermiddle champ Natascha Ragosina, who might be one of the few capable of giving Laila Ali a good fight, defends the title on January 14 in Aschersleben. As for Ali, she is now in Berlin for final preparations for her upcoming December 17 non-title tussle against Asa Sandell. Sandell, back home in Sweden, exchanged words in the tabloids with ex-pro Paolo Roberto. Paolo feels Asa is in way over her head and might get hurt. Sandell feels, quite naturally, that this is her big chance to crack the big time - and even if she loses a good performance might open the door her to other lucrative fights.
