By Per-Ake Persson
Luan Krasnigi have been stripped of the EBU title for failure to go through with the mandatory defenc against fellow German Timo Hoffmann. Krasniqi´s promoters, Universum, had asked for an extension of the time of the purse bids but weren´t granted any by the EBU Council. Sauerland Event, who promotes Hoffmann, were the sole bidders and set May 14 as date for the fight but Krasnigi never signed the contract. Luan will as planned go through with the WBO eliminator against Lance Whittaker May 28. Hoffmann´s co-challenger have yet to be determined but according to the EBU rules and standard the offer goes to the next available contender. That is right now Wladimir Klitschko.
The Leavander Johnson v Stefano Zoff IBF 135 lb fight have been postponed from May 21 to June 10.
Union Box Team´s big May 6 show in Donetsk have been postponed until the second week of June after all maineventers, Alexei Trofimov, Andrei Kudriaytsev and Vyacheslav Sevchencko, fell out with a virus infection.
The first Fighting Nordin Memorial takes place in Purmerend, the Netherlands, May 21. Only confirmed fighter on the bill is female star Esther Schouten. Fighting Nordin, a very good supermiddle, was shot to death last year. The killing remains unsolved.
Ukrainian heavy Aleksander Dimitrenko and jr middle Norman Schuster are both off the Calzaghe v Veit bill May 7 in Braunschweig due to illness and injury respectively. Dimitrenko was to have defended the WBC Youth title.
Hungarian veteran Zoltan Kalocsai will have his final fight in front of his hometown fans in Paks on the undercard to Bognar v Chiddy (IBC 135). Kalocsai challenged the likes of George Scott, Billy Schwer, Artur Grigorian, Colin Dunne and Sandro Casamonica for various titles at 135-140 and always did well - but not well enough.
Sports Network apparently raised hell about having German Alex Zielke as judge for Calzaghe v Veit - but have accepted Zielke´s compatriot Joachim Jacobsen as replacement. I´m sure I´m not the only one raising an eyebrowe at that.
