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02/28/2007 Archived Entry: "Euro-Beat Update: Bonsu Bounces Mouchi in 8 for EBU Welter Title!"
Euro-Beat Update: Bonsu Bounces Mouchi in 8 for EBU Welterweight Title!
By Per Ake Persson
Courtesy of Boxing Press
WELTERWEIGHT Jackson Osei Bonsu, a Belgian with roots in Ghana, won the vacant EBU title with an eighth round kayo of Frenchman Nordine Mouchi last night in Yvelines after what ringsiders describe as an intense, dramatic fight that saw both men on the floor.
Mouchi used his speed to build up an early lead in the fight but Bonsu, a very hard puncher, floored him in the sixth. Mouchi however got up and knocked down the Belgian. Mouchi now made the mistake of trading with the puncher and got knocked out in the eighth.
The new champion is now 24-1 with 21 early endings. Previous stoppage wins over highly regarded Russian Mikhail Krivolapov and Maxim Nesterenko indicates the new champ is for real. Mouchi, a quarterfinalist in the 96 Olympics, dipped to 29-4. He´s never, despite some good results, really been able to make the transition to the pros.
Castillejo vs Sturm II April 28 in Oberhausen?
Various media reports says that newly reinstated WBA middle champ Javier Castillejo will defend the title against Felix Sturm April 28 in Oberhausen. Universum won´t confirm or deny this.
Castillejo beat Sturm in July of last year but lost the title to Mariano Carrera in December - only to get it back when the Argentinian tested positive to illegal substances. Carrera he strongly denies any wrongdoings and vows to win the title back.
Someone close to EBU heavy champ Vladimir Virchis told this reporter that Virchis´ next fight was scheduled for April 28.
Klappert and Kalnars score wins
Latvian heavy Edgar Kalnars won on a second round disqualification over Hungarian Janos Somogyi February 24 in Grossziethen on the outskirts of Berlin. Kalnars was scheduled to fight for the vacant In´t l Latvian title March 10 in Riga but that show is now postponed until May 5. Jr middle Nick Klappert, like Kalnars with Elite Box Promotion, stopped Slovakian Marian Tomcany in the second.
Kurzawa vs Bennema March 24 but ...
Lightheavies Kai Kurzawa and Karim Bennama are scheduled to fight for the vacant EU title March 24 in Hamburg but the Frenchman will also fight tomorrow, Feb 27, in Cuxhaven on Spotlight Boxing´s show against Aleksyi Kuziemsky.
Ex-WBO heavy champ Herbie Hide, last seen in Las Vegas campaigning as a cruiser, arrived in Hamburg Monday to spar with Arena Box Promotion´s prospects. After sparring today Feb 27 - Hide signed a contract with Arena and could be making his debut for them already March 9 when Arena stage a small show at their gym. On the bill are Konstantin Airich, Selcuk Aydin and Steffen Kretschmann - all three were left without fights when a planned show in Riga March 10 was posponed.
Cuban amateur stars, all Olympic Gold Medal winners, lightfly Yan Barthelemy Varela, flyweight Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano and heavyweight Odlanier Solis Fonte are all according to Arena on their way to Hamburg and have signed with Germany´s fastest growing promotional outfit. The three escaped recently from the Cuban national team during a training camp in Venezuela. Arena already have a solid connection to Cuba in former WBC cruiser champ Juan Carlos Gomez.
Swedish heavy Aldo Colliander is heading to Hamburg to spar with the big boys signed to Arena Box Promotion. Aldo have previously spent a lot of time in Germany sparring with all the "names" at both Sauerland Event and Universum.
Russian heavy Daniel Peret, who was Norwegian champ in the amateurs, is back home in Murmansk nursing an injured shoulder. Peret was to have fought Diether Roth yesterday in Cuxhaven but Roth was pulled out with a bad cold.
The Martial Arts Delegation in Sweden have given Innuendo Inc permission to stage a combined thaiboxing / proboxing show "light" May 19 at the Globen Arena in Stockholm. MAD weren´t entirely happy with what went down at the "Return" show Jan 27 in Gothenburg and have demanded that the fighters are more evenly matched than they were on that bill. The permission is for a maximum of six profights with ex-pro and TV star Paolo Roberto handling the matchmaking. MAD´s full 15 page decision (in Swedish only) can be found at t.lst.se and offers partly very interesting reading - at least in the proboxing part.
LA-based Swedish lightweight Shadi Hamsho is looking to return to the ring March 29 after a brief layoff due to a managerial dispute.
Norwegian cruiser Thomas Hansvoll is now a commentator for the Norwegian leg of EuroSport. Hansvoll is looking for fights but there´s nothing scheduled at the moment.
Juho Happoja and Jari Markkanen clash for the vacant Finnish heavyweight title March 16 in Kuopio. Jr middle Mika Joensuu squares off against Justin Barnes, from Scotland but based in the Netherlands, in an interesting clash between undefeated fighters.
Danish supermiddle Mads Larsen, in training at the Sauerland camp in Germany, got the flu recently and it was so bad that he was sent home in order not to infect the other fighters in camp. Mads is now back in Berlin though and in full training.
Norwegian jr welter Geir Inge Jorgensen face Brit Silence Saheed March 9 in Torrevieja, Spain. The other profight on the pro/am bill features heavyweight Ervis Jegeni.
Swedish welter Isam Khalil, 13-1-2, is likely to be back in the US for another fight late March or early April.
