Hungarian super middle Istvan Szili (25-2-2) squares off against 42-year old former world champ Felix Sturm (42-5-3) on March 26 of next year at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany.
The fight, promoted by LIB Box Promotion, is billed as an eliminator for the IBO title. Szili already holds the IBO Intercontinental belt.
Sturm began his comeback last year and went 2-0 fighting for Universum but the two then parted ways without any reason given.
Szili’s career seemed to be fading out after tough losses on the road to Antoine Douglas and Nuhu Lawal he scored an upset win in Australia when he beat Jayde Mitchell, then 20-1.and stopped Mate Kis (17-1-2) in his last fight.
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The EBU and Matchroom acted swiftly and Jack Cullen (20-2-1) is now facing unbeaten Frenchman Kevin Lele Sadjo (16-0) on December 18 in Manchester for the vacant super middleweight title.
Lele Sadjo was already in training for a fight for the EU crown against Gustave Tamba.(16-1).
The winner of Lele Sadjo and Cullen will inherit the injured Emre Cukur (18-1) as mandatory challenger..
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Female super middleweights Femke Hermans and Christina Hammer, both former world champs, are co-challengers for the vacant EBU title. Deadline for agreements or purse offers is January 4.
Hammer went back to the amateurs during the summer in a vain attempt to reach the Olympics but failed and then returned to the pros where she is now signed up by Wasserman Sports.
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The Ukrainian Hulk, heavyweight Igor Shevadzuskiy (8-0) makes his debut for EC Boxing December 18 in Brovary, Ukraine. The Hulk is in against tough UK-based Pole Kamil Sokolowski (11-23-2).
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Clarification: The five German judges that scored the fight between Dominic Boesel and Robin Krasniqi as a win for Krasniqi all have a past with the GBA, the German Boxing Association.
The officials that scored Boesel as a winner October 9 are all with the BDB, Bund Deutscher Berufsboxer. The BDB also sanctioned the show (and has sanctioned all SES shows over the years).