By Per Ake Persson
Former WBA middleweight champ Felix Sturm did not suffer a broken jaw in his loss to Javier Castillejo, but he did suffer a broken nose, writes Universum in a press release. Trainer Michael Timm says the injury was caused by a headbutt already in the first round.
Universum promotes in Magdeburg on September 9 with what at least for now is an all ladies´ show topped by WIBF champs like Regina Halmich, flyweight, Ina Menzer, featherweight and Natascha Ragosina, supermiddle, and GBU jr bantam queen Alesia Graf. Universum are now using a new marketing concept called "Universum Champions Night". The new concept is designed to reach fewer but bigger sponsors.
Among the interested spectators at the Color Line Arena on Saturday night were Pekka Maeki, who promotes, manages and trains EBU middle champ Amin Asikainen. The plan was to begin negotiations with Rimer Boxe about having Javier Castillejo, then mandatory challenger for Amin´s title, come to Helsinki in October. Now Maeki will have to start all over again. Replacing Castillejo should be, if you go by the EBU ratings, Khoren Gevor, who´s signed to Universum.
Also at the Color Line Arena was Denmark-based super middleweight / light heavyweight Lolenga Mock, who´s in Hamburg as sparring for WBO champ Zsolt Erdei. Mock told me he will be on the undercard on the big Beyer vs Kessler show in Copenhagen on October 14.
EU super bantamweight champ Kiko Martinez retained the title on Friday night in Alicante with a one-sided points win over Frenchman John Bikai. It was scored 120-108, 120-108 and 118-110. On the same night, in Hospitalet de Llobregat middleweight Jorge Sendra could only draw with Oliver Tchinda and lightweight Francisco Nohales, the reigning EU champ, got the same result against David Racaj.
WBA lightheavy champ Fabrice Tiozzo weighed in at a whopping 88,5, kilos / 195 lbs for his non title fight against Henry Saenz. His promoter, Michel Acaries, said about ten days before the showdown in Le Cannet he expected Fabrice to come in one or two kilos over lightheavy limit. Still, Tiozzo won a a fifth round knockout and is expected to take on the winner of the interim titlefight July 27 between Manny Siaca and Silvio Branco.