By Per Ake Persson
Bild writes today that the long term TV deal between Universum and ZDF ends July 31. For the final show Universum plan to leave with EBU heavyweight champ Audley Harrison fighting Alexander Dimitrenko at the tennis stadium in Rothenbaum. Dimitrenko is mandatory challenger for Harrison. The EBU have set April 28 as deadline for purse bids or agreement - so it´s still open if Universum´s plan will stick. After July 31 it´s also still open on how Universum will function. There haven´t been announcements about a new TV deal though some rumors have pointed towards a deal with German SKY TV. Other rumors say Universum will concentrate on managing fighters and not promote shows.
Sauerland Event will stage IBF middle champ Sebastian Sylvester´s defense against Roman Karmazin June 5 at the Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg. Sylvester is a big drawing card in this part of Germany and he´s almost at home.
Former WBC cruiser and WBO light heavyweight champ Zsolt Erdei is mandatory challenger for the EBU light heavyweight title but is apparently in a situation where his contract with Universum will expire this summer. Erdei plans to fight on and could end up with another German promoter.
Turkish welterweight Selcuk Aydin is preparing in Miami for his showdown against Luis Collazo for the WBC title June 5 in Istanbul. Aydin is trained by Ismael Salas with Jorge Rojas as conditioning coach.
Former European lightweight champ Franco Brondi have passed away in Livorno at the age of 73. Brondi fought professionally 60-68 and had a record of 33-9 fighting among others Ken Buchanan, Pedro Carrasco, Olli Maeki and Borge Krogh.
Danish heavy weightClaus Bertino is now official challenger for EU champ Francesco Pianeta. The EBU have set April 29 as deadline for purse bids or agreement.
Sauerland Event´s latest signing, talented Swede Erik Skoglund, will campaign at cruiserweight and face Hungarian Viktor Szalai in his prodebut April 24 in Herning on the undercard to Froch vs Kessler.
It won´t be called the Fermand Roeland Memorial as it has for the past 15 years and it´s moved one day but there is a show at the Tempelhof in Bruges, Belgium, April 30 (instead of May 1). This year´s show is topped by veteran middleweight Mike Algoet.
Sauerland Event´s Danish boxing program begins May 15 in Horsens with a show topped by local lightweight Kim Poulsen and comebacking supermiddle Rudy Markussen.
