By Per Ake Persson
Herníng, Denmark: - Sauerland Event returned to the MCH Kongrescenter in Herning, Denmark, for the second TV 2 Fight Night.
Super middleweight Rudy Markussen had it all too easy against Dejan Ribac who went down three times for a stoppage loss at 2.15 of the first in a scheduled eight-rounder. Ribac showed nothing as Markussen stalked him. The first knockdown was caused by a push but then Markussen connected with what seemed like a half decent punch to the body and the out of shape Serbian played it out big time crawling on the floor. He was up at eight and Markussen rushed in and went for the body and Ribac went down a third time and it was stopped. It was a disappointing fight of what seemed like a good matchup.
Jr. welterweight Kasper Bruun was given an early present for Christmas when he won on scores of 78-74 and 77-75 over Italian Massimiliano Chiofalo with a third vote at 76-76 - and even that was generous to the Dane. Fair enough, it was a messy fight with many of the early rounds difficult to score but in the last three Chiofalo pulled away shaking his opponent with overhand rights.
Danish middleweight Patrick Nielsen outscored Adnan Salihu over six bloody and dramatic six two minute rounds. Nielsen picked up three cuts and Salihu one after more or less accidental head clashes. Patrick showed superior fire power in the first but Salihu took everything and came back. In the second the blood started to flow and it got a lot closer. The Danish judges all had it 60-54 for Nielsen while I had it 58-56 for the Dane. Salihu comes from Kosovo but have been fighting out of Denmark, Sweden and Belgium during his career. Nielsen shows promise but don´t believe the New Kessler hype.
Sauerland´s First Lady Cecilia Braekhus retained the WBC, WBA and WBO titles with an easy three round stoppage of brave but outclassed Serbian lady Eva Halasi. Braekhus took her time, warmed úp and went to work in the second and it was just a matter of time. In the third Cecilia connected with two right hands and Halasi went down. She got up but blinked badly and it was stopped. Halasi sat down again but recovered. Braekhus is now 16-0.
Lightweight Kim Poulsen outscored tough Belgium-based Tunisian Saber Gasmi over eight. Poulsen looked sharp in the early rounds but - again one must add - faded in the last rounds. It was scored 80-71 twice and 79-72. Gasmi was given a standing eight count in the third when he turned away from the action due to what seemed as a leg injury.
Swedish light heavyweight Erik Skoglund opened the show with a four round unanimous decision over Vladislav Spasojevic.
In an all German matchup at cruiserweight, scheduled for eight, Serdar Sahin moved to 18-0 with a sixth round stoppage of Lukas Schulz, now 8-1, after an exciting fight. Schulz was floored in the second but the referee ruled a slip. In the fifth, Sahin connected with his heavy right and Lukas went down, survived the round but was rocked and floored again in the sixth. Trainer Karstten Roewer then retired his man at 1.43.