On July 15, the Color Line Arena should again become a caldron of emotions. After the spectacular ring battles featuring Dariusz Michalczewski and Luan Krasniqi, Hamburg fight fans can gear up for the return of Felix Sturm. On March 11 of this year, the venue housed a huge crowd that saw the current WBA middleweight champion begin his second world title reign by dethroning Maselino Masoe.
"I am particularly glad to be able to box again in Hamburg," said Sturm at a press conference today in Hamburg. "I want to show the fans what is in me. In my last fight in the Color Line Arena, I had nicely implemented everything, but maybe my emotions were misinterpreted when I raised my hands in round twelve. I want to rectify that."
Felix Sturm enters with an excellent record of 25-1 with 11 KOs, his only loss a controversially points defeat to Oscar De La Hoya. Castillejo, from Madrid, has 60 wins with 40 KOs and is a former WBC super welterweight champion who defended his the title five times. He was also European champion at 154lbs for four years.
"I want to box against top people, even if it is my voluntary title defense," said Sturm. "Castillejo has never been kayoed, not even against Fernando Vargas and Oscar de la Hoya. There will be a gigantic fight in which I must give hundred percent again."
"Castillejo has boxed a total of ten times for the WBC world championship. This shows his class clearly," stated promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl.
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In a mouth-watering collision of unbeaten bantamweights, Ukrainian "Minikraftwerk" WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko (18-0, 6 KOs) takes interim titlist Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (24-0, 15 KOs) of Thailand.
"The Thai is a top man. Like all Thais, he always fights like his life is on the line," said Universum executive Jean-Marcel Nartz. "This man is durable and hungry. The spectators will stand on their chairs."
"There was a lucrative offer for Sidorenko to box against the Thai in Thailand," revealed Kohl. "Nevertheless, we rejected the offer because we would like to give the home advantage to Wladimir in Hamburg."
"Wladimir is the lightest world champion Universum has ever produced," said Sidorenko's trainer Michael Timm. "He wants to defend this honor for a long time. With his strong Thai opponent, he knows exactly what he has in front of him."
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Spotlight Boxing today outbid German rival Sauerland Event for the right to stage the EBU heavyweight championship fight between Paolo Vidoz (21-2, 12 KOs) and Vladimir Virchis (20-1, 17 KOs).
The clash will also take place on the big July 15 world title twinbill in Hamburg. "With this matchup, Vidoz against Virchis, we offer to the Hamburg audience quite a special tidbit. The European championship of the really big boys," stated Spotlight Boxing chief Dietmar Poszwa.
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