All championship fighters and the two combatants of the TV main event successfully made weight today at VW-Zentrum Leverkusen for their contests on the Universum event on Saturday at Wilhelm-Dopatka-Halle of Leverkusen, Germany. WBA bantamweight world champion Wladimir Sidorenko, 17-0 (6), from the Ukraine weighed 117.75 for his first title defense against Venezuelan Jose De Jesus Lopez, 21-5 (16), who weighed 117.25. Live on ZDF television read more ...

Bad luck for Michel Trabant. The German welterweight contender of the Universum boxing stable can’t fight the IBF eliminator scheduled for November 26 in Leverkusen, Germany. The 26-year-old man from Berlin suffered a deep cut on his eye during a sparring session on Thursday. Trabant, 41-2 (18), is the second major fighter to drop off the boxing show at Wilhelm-Dopatka-Halle. One week ago Felix Sturm injured his left elbow and had to read more ...

In another impressive performance for the unbeaten WBO Junior Welterweight title-holder, Cotto avenged his 2000 Olympic loss when he battered his opponent so badly that he couldn't see. In the ninth Abdullaev complained of impaired vision and the ringside doctor called a halt to the delight of the 10,231 people who attended the card at MSG. "I want to apologize to everybody that I couldn't fight," said Abdullaev (15-2, 12 KO's)... read more ...

It is a fight that has revenge written all over it although Cotto thinks otherwise. Cotto downplays the grudge factor, stating: “I can’t think of it as personal. I’m a professional. I have a job to do. The Olympic chapter is over. Now it’s time for a new chapter.” But Abdullaev believes there is a lot to learn from rereading the previous chapter of their meeting... read more ...

For the Hamburg-based 31-year-old Uzbek Abdullaev, it will be the first professional world title shot. He will now continue his preparation in a training camp on the German-Polish island Usedom. "New York is the boxing capital of the world," Abdullaev said. "After defating Cotto I will learn more English. And Uzbekistan will call out a national holiday." If Abduallev defeats Cotto, he would be the first fighter under the Universum Box-Promotion banner to capture a world title at 140 lbs... read more ...