By Jake Donovan
The October 24 bill in Dusseldorf, Germany already stars the best heavyweight in the world today. Now it also includes the very best female boxer.
Undisputed welterweight queen Cecilia Brækhus has been added to a loaded card that is topped by the World heavyweight championship between reigning king Wladimir Klitschko and unbeaten top contender Tyson Fury.
Not only is Brækhus fighting in supporting capacity to Klitschko, but has also made key career moves that includes officially being part of his training stable. The undefeated welterweight – born in Colombia but now based out of Norway – has enlisted former heavyweight contender-turned trainer Johnathon Banks as chief cornerman for her upcoming bout against an opponent to be named.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and show once again why I’m the pound-for-pound number one,” Brækhus said of the opportunity. “And returning on Klitschko’s big event, with my new trainer, is a huge step-up for my career and a dream come true.”
The 33-year old Brækhus (27-0, 7KOs) has held at least one alphabet title since 2009, having made 16 successful defenses over the past six years. An active ring campaign in 2014 ended with a win, but not exactly on a high note as she was forced to fight through the excruciating pain of an injured foot in eventually topping Jennifer Ratzke in their unification bout last November.
The 10-round decision win was her last fight to date, as she’s spent most of 2015 healing her wounds and also awaiting the perfect opportunity to return. There’s certainly no grander stage than in the presence of one of the longest-reigning heavyweight champions in boxing history.
“It is great that Cecilia fights on the undercard of this mega event,” noted Bernd Bönte, managing director of Klitschko Management Group. “Wladimir recommended his coach Jonathan Banks to Cecilia, and after an initial training session they felt this is a great combination for many great fights to come. We are proud to promote our first female world title fight, and are looking forward to this great cooperation with Cecilia and her team.”
Brækhus will head to the United States later this month to begin working with Banks in camp at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit. From there the team will relocate to Fort Lauderdale and eventually Austria, part of Klitschko’s normal ritual for any given fight in Europe, particularly in Germany.
No matter the opponent, the reigning welterweight champ promises to put on a great show – if not steal the show altogether.
”I’ll definitely be more than ready to defend my five titles once again”, Brækhus said.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox