Euro News

By Per-Ake Persson

Bulgarian heavy Kubrat Pulev, 18-0, is mandatory challenger for EBU heavyweight champ Dereck Chisora, 18-4, the EBU announced today. There´s no date for purse bids. Chisora was mandatory challenger for Pulev when he held the EBU title but Kubrat relinquished the title just ahead of purse bids to fight a final IBF eliminator against Tony Thompson August 24. Pulev won but despite that it appears to be a long wait to before there will be a showdown against the mighty Wladimir Klitschko and a fight against Chisora thus makes sense. Kubrat had to wait almost a year from winning the first IBF eliminator (vs Alexander Ustinov) to the second.

Boxe Loreni, headed by Italian promoter Mario Loreni, was the sole bidder at purse bids at noon October 4 in Rome for EU bantam champ Anthony Settoul´s defence against Rodrigo Bracco. Boxe Loreni bid 6000 Euro and now have 60 days to stage the fight. Date and site is to be announced.

The EBU have called for purse bids for lightheavy champ Juergen Braehmer´s mandatory defence against Brit Tony Bellew. The bids received by the General Secretariat will be opened October 22 at noon at the EBU office in Rome. Bellew may also be the next opponent for WBC champ Adonis Stevenson but that fight have yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, Sauerland have just announced that Braehmer will fight Marcos Oliveira for the vacant WBA title.

Italian promoter Round Zero have cancelled its planned October 19 promotion Rome. It was to be headlined by Emiliano Marsili defending the EBU lightweight title against Kakhaber Avetisian and Giovani De Carolis vs Hadillah Mohoumadi for the vacant EU supermiddle crown. De Carolis withdrew from the show for a fine payday to fight Arthur Abraham October 26 and then Mohoumadi pulled out as EU challenger.

The Diamond Boy, heavyweight Manuel Charr will take on Russian veteran Dennis Bakhtov October 19 in Leipzig. Diamond Boy Promotions thus join forces with SES, who have WBO supermiddle king Robert Stieglitz on top defending the title against Isaac Ekpo.