February 1, 2000

Lübeck - February 1, 2000. Universum Box-Promotion will stage another spectacular championship double header on March 11. Juan Carlos Gomez, the WBC world cruiserweight champion, and Armand Krajnc, the WBO middleweight champion, will defend their titles at Hansehalle Lübeck.

The Hamburg based Cuban Gomez, 29-0 (24 KOs), will make the seventh defense of his title that he won in February of 1998 against Argentina´s Marcelo Dominguez. The undefeated 26-year-old southpaw is widely regarded as the best of the reigning cruiserweight champions.

Sweden´s Armand Krajnc, 21-0 (14 KOs), who like Gomez lives and trains in his adopted home of Hamburg will make the first defense of his middleweight laurels. In a highly exciting fight Krajnc has captured the WBO title in November when he upset British power puncher Jason Matthews. That event caused Sweden for the first time since the legendary heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson (1959) to experience a boxing boom. The 26-year-old Krajnc will enjoy some kind of home town advantage as his great success in November happened at the same venue in North Germany´s Lübeck that will also feature his first defense.

The title challengers of both champions will be announced within the next few days.

Universum Box-Promotion would like to offer condolences here to former world champion Steve Little who past away this Sunday at the age of only 34. Little has been sparring with Gomez in 1999 in Hamburg and his championship experience was a great help for the young Cuban.

"Gomez is incredibly talented", the former WBA champion Little was stating full of compliments in January of last year. "He has the size, the speed and the skills to beat all American top cruiserweights hands down."

We thank the likeable Little for his helpful cooperation and wish his family all the best.

Fabian Weber