By Per Ake Persson
Ukrainian heavyweight Vladmir Virchis has replaced Danny Williams as the mandatory challenger for EBU champ Paolo Vidoz. Deadline for purse offers or agreements is May 16. Virchis was last seen losing a close call to Ruslan Chagaev but is the highest available challenger in the EBU ratings.
P 3 Boxing´s show in Helsinki on May 5 features several interesting matchups with Amin Asikainen vs Christophe Tendil on top squaring off for the vacant EU middleweight title. Jr welterweight Juho Tolppola will now take on Russian Nikita Zaitsev after Pole Krzysztof Bienias had to pull out with a hand injury.
Norwegian Reidar Walstad fights Marcel Kasimov in a fight made at feather scheduled for eight rounds. Team Walstad had wanted to get Frenchman Salim Bouatia, whom Reidar beat twice in the amateurs, as his opponent but no agreement could be reached. Light heavyweight Kim Jensen is in against Latvian Jevgenijs Andrejevs in a four-rounder.
Cyril Thomas and Albert Servidei clash for the vacant EBU featherweight title on May 20 in St Quentin, France.
Ukrainian heavyweight Taras Bidenko takes on Argentinian Fabio Moli on May 12 in Cordoba as part of the annual KO the Drugs festival.
Nikolay Popov outscored Nuri Seferi on 4/26 in Moscow to win the vacant WBO Asian-Pacific cruiserweight title. On the under jr middleweight Kuvanych Toygonbaev returned to action and stopped Ihar Filonau in four.
