Oner Believes Dimitrenko's Collapse Was Psychological

By Ruslan Chikov

The head of Arena Box Promotions, Ahmet Oner, discussed last Saturday's collapse of heavyweight Alexander Dimitrenko (30-1, 20 KOs). Moments before his scheduled fight with Albert Sosnowski in Germany, Dimitrenko fainted in his dressing room and was taken to the hospital. Dimitrenko's promoter, Universum, have placed the blame on a possible incident of food poisoning.  Oner is under the belief that Dimitrenko is dealing with inner stuggles that are mental in nature.

"Dimitrienko is a very nice man, but in my opinion this could be the beginning of the end. I believe the reason for Alexander's fainting is his weak psyche. After the defeat to [Eddie] Chambers, 'Sasha' became a different fighter and lost faith in his own ability. Emotions, which were forming around him just before the start of the fight against Sosnowski, he simply could not not stand the stress and tension. In my opinion, if his coach was still Fritz Sdunek, the situation would be completely different," Oner said.