November 24, 1999

European Heavyweight Championship

December 4, 1999, 20:00 CET
Stadionsporthalle Hannover
Ferdinand-Wilhelm-Fricke-Weg, 30169 Hannover
Live on Sat.1 at 22:15 CET

Hannover - November 29, 1999. For the first time in his career Dariusz Michalczewski had to pull out of a scheduled fight. Suffering from a stomach influenza since a week it was impossible for "The Tiger" to get into fighting shape until December 4.

Now Wladimir Klitschko is headlining a card on which the sensational gold medal champion of Atlanta will make the first defense of his European heavyweight title that he won by knocking out Axel Schulz in September. His challenger will be the 35-year-old Hungarian Lajos Eros, 21-8-1 (12 KO=B4s).

It will be the second attempt of Eros to become European champion. He failed to beat Zeljko Mavrovic in 1997, when the referee made the disputed decision to take out the tough 6-foot-2 (1,88 m) Hungarian standing in round five. Since that fight Eros scored five wins in a row, capturing and defending once the WBU international title and beating former French champion Antoine Palatis. Eros is ranked number 11 in Europe.

Wladimir Klitschko, 30-1 (28 KO=B4s), is coming fresh of a knockout win over American Phil Jackson on an event in Las Vegas the day before the rematch between Holyfield and Lewis. All American boxing experts at ringside were impressed without exception and many already speculated and discussed whether even Holyfield and Lewis would be able to resist the incredible left jab and the huge power of the 6-foot-7 giant.

Wladimir Klitschko is ranked WBC #4 and WBA #5.

On the undercard unbeaten German prospects Thomas Ulrich and Mario Veit will take on American opponents. 24-year-old Thomas Ulrich, 15-0 (12 KO=B4s), will take on Warren Moore, 9-3 (3 KO=B4s), in the German's first fight since winning the national light heavyweight championship against Ali Saidi. 25-year-old Mario Veit, 25-0 (14 KO=B4s), will face veteran Bob David Bleakley, 75-22-1 (19 KO`s), in a super middleweight contest.

Thomas Ulrich is ranked number 3 in Europe and #11 by the WBC, whereas Mario Veit is ranked WBO #1, WBA #4, WBC #6 and IBF #9.

Also on the card will be former WBC cruiserweight champion Marcelo Dominguez, 28-3-1 (16 KO=B4s), in a cruiserweight contest over 8 rounds.