Cecilia Braekhus: I’ll show that I’m in a different league than Retzke

Credit:  Photo by Wende

Cecilia Brækhus met with the Norwegian media at a press conference today in Oslo ahead of her Female World Welterweight title defense on Saturday night at the Falconer Hall at the Radisson Blu in Copenhagen.

Notable in her absence was the pound for pound queen’s  opponent, Jennifer Retzke, who refused to attend the scheduled press conference due to a perceived snub by ‘The First Lady’ when the pair came face-to-face at a shared media day in Berlin.

Brækhus laughed off claims from Team Retzke, who had labelled her a ‘diva’ and ‘disrespectful’ for allegedly refusing to pose for a picture in front of the German challenger’s sponsors.

‘’Her team are completely crazy,’’ said Brækhus. ‘’When I politely declined to take a picture after a long day, I had no idea it would cause this kind of a reaction. I find it funny. I’m not a diva, so for them to say that, makes me laugh.

‘’I’m not one for trash talking, I’ll leave that to my opponents, but what I will say is I’m 100% focused. I believe I’m in a different league to Retzke and I plan to show that on Saturday night!’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’It’s a shame Jennifer felt she was unable to attend today’s press event. However, I’m pleased to announce that Team Retzke will be attending Thursday’s press conference in Copenhagen. I look forward to seeing them there, almost as much as I look forward to seeing Cecilia beat Jennifer on Saturday night!’’

Also presents at today’s press conference were Norwegian prospects Tim Robin Lihaug, Alexander Hagen and Kai Robin Havnaa, who all feature on an action-packed bill in Copenhagen. Lihaug challenges George Beroshvili for the vacant WBO Youth Super Middleweight title, Hagen faces Karel Horejsek and Havnaa makes his professional debut against Tomislav Rudan.

http://www.proboxing-fans.com/cecilia-braekhus-ill-show-that-im-in-a-different-league-than-retzke_112514/

By Sauerland Promotions

Boxing history was made in Copenhagen, Denmark last night. Norwegian star Cecilia Brækhus (26-0, 7 KOs) became the first female boxer to unify a division by holding all four major titles simultaneously. The WBC, WBA & WBO Champion scored a unanimous decision victory over IBF Champion Ivana Habazin (13-2, 5 KOs) to become the undisputed welterweight queen.

Cheered on by her loyal army of travelling Norwegian fans, Brækhus once again proved why she is the pound-for-pound female number one with a classy performance against the tenacious Habazin. All three judges scored the fight 100-90 in favour of ‘The First Lady’.

‘’I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long time,’’ said Brækhus. ‘’To become the first female boxer to unify a division is a huge achievement and something that I am extremely proud of. I would like to thank all the fans that travelled to Copenhagen to support me and Ivana for the part she played in this historic fight.’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’Cecilia is a phenomenal athlete. Not only will she go down in history as the first female unified champion but it is our belief that she will be remembered as the greatest female boxer of all time.’’

Brækhus’ success was shared by Swedish stablemates Klara Svensson and Erik Skoglund, both of whom claimed titles at Team Sauerland’s Nordic Fight Night show.

‘The Swedish Princess’ Klara Svensson (14-0, 5 KOs) got her first taste of world glory. The 26 year-old from Malmo defeated Marie Riederer (15-2-1, 10 KOs) for the interim WBC Female World Light Welterweight title. The judges scored the fight 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91 for Svensson.

‘’This was the best performance of my career so far,’’ said Svensson. ‘’Riederer was very tough, I hit her with some big shots and she kept coming. Tonight I have shown that I belong at the top with the world’s elite and I’m ready to challenge for the regular title.’’

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2014/cecilia-braekhus-unifies-division/

Read more at http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2014/cecilia-braekhus-unifies-division/#4YeQmAlyFlVlP1jc.99

Pound-for-pound number one Cecilia Brækhus (24-0, 7 KOs) will defend her WBC, WBA & WBO Female Welterweight titles against Jessica Balogun (24-3, 12 KOs) on June 7th at the Sport and Congress Centre in Scherwin, Germany.

The First Lady returns to action following a unanimous points victory over Myriam Lamare at the Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn, Denmark in February.

Says Cecilia Brækhus: “I can not wait to get back in the ring again. I’ve been training hard the last five-six weeks, hoping to get a fight before the summer. Now I am very happy, and very pleased that Team Sauerland and Team Brækhus have left our winter and spring disagreements behind us, and found a common path that is good for both parties. My great desire to fight on German TV is an added bonus.”

Braekhus faces Jessica ‘’The Hammer’’ Balogun in a return of their 2012 contest.

“I have great respect for Jessica Balogun. She gave me a tough match when I beat her almost two years ago. But since then I have improved myself on all levels of my boxing, so she will not get any snuggle time in the ring in Scherwin”, Brækhus adds.

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’We are pleased to have reached an understanding with Cecilia. As we have always said the most important thing is that Cecilia remains active and I am delighted that the parties have found a solution and that she will be boxing for Team Sauerland. We hope that Cecilia can still box three times this year. She is a fantastic athlete and we look forward to seeing her back in the ring.

‘’Balogun is a strong opponent and must not be overlooked. She gave Cecilia a tough test the first time round and will be out for revenge in Schwerin.’’

Brækhus joins an action packed show on June 7th, which also features WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Juergen Braehmer and British Heavyweight star David Price. Norwegian boxing fans can watch Brækhus’ in action on Viasat 4.

Said Stian Kleppo, Head of Sport at Viasat Norway: “We are very pleased that Cecilia Brækhus’ next fight will be broadcast on Viasat 4. Cecilia is one of Norway’s biggest sports stars, and we are looking forward to showing the Norwegian people another fantastic fight when “The First Lady” returns on June 7th.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/cecilia-baekhus-back-action-on-6-7-scherwin–78288

UPDATED: Norway’s champion boxer Cecilia Brækhus successfully defended her titles over the weekend, after  winning her latest match against Myriam Lamare of France. It marked Brækhus’ 24th professional victory, boosted her plans for a new match in the US and set off more jubilation.

Norwegian boxer Cecilia Brækhus waves the flag after winning her latest match and defending her titles once again in Denmark, not in Norway, where boxing remains illegal. PHOTO: Vegard Grøtt / NTB Scanpix

“The only reason she (the 39-year-old Lamare) was still standing was her 20 years of experience,” Brækhus, age 32, told state broadcaster NRK’s website with a laugh late Saturday night.

Lamare literally put up quite a fight at the beginning of Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn, Denmark, but Brækhus held out and knocked her down during the seventh round. Lamare got up again, but NRK’s commentators claimed she was noticeably weaker and the match ended after 10 rounds.

(Photo by:  Photo Wende)

Lamare smiled bravely afterwards and claimed she’d been through tougher matches, but she graciously praised her opponent’s performance. “Cecilia was very strong, and an incredibly good boxer,” Lamare told reporters. “For me, the time has come to step down. I wish Cecilia all the best in her career.”

Brækhus has a new coach, Otto Ramin, and she said the match reflected that they’d only worked together for six weeks, “but we have trained explosively, and that came through in the match,” Brækhus told NRK.

Ramin himself seemed satisfied with his new pupil, who retained her unofficial international title as the world’s “First Lady” of boxing. “She fought a very good match,” Ramin said. “She was smart and boxed wisely.”

Haven’t given up on a match against Holm
Now Brækhus seems more keen than ever to box at a title match in the US, and her promoter Nisse Sauerland told newspaper Aftenposten that they’re working once again to lure former champion Holly Holm back into the ring. Sauerland said Brækhus “deserves” to show what she can do in the US.

“We’re working to set up a match in Las Vegas or New York,” Sauerland said. “We have said, though, that we won’t send Cecilia to Holm’s hometown of Albuquerque.”

Saturday’s match played out once again in Denmark, since boxing is banned in Norway and Brækhus isn’t legally allowed to conduct her sport in her own homeland. There have been moves to change that and regardless, Brækhus, who grew up in Bergen,  said she thinks her future “looks very bright.” She was thrilled by the reaction of fans who traveled to Frederikshavn to see her in action.

“I have had many tough matches, but the support here is great,” said Brækhus, adding that she already was looking forward to new training sessions. “To stand up in the ring with that kind of support behind me is just unreal.”

http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/02/02/braekhus-prevails-once-again/

By:  Sauerland Promotions –

Photos: Wende – Patrick Nielsen (20-0, 9 KOs) defended his WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Title and added the WBO Intercontinental belt to his collection by defeating Patrick Majewski (21-2, 13 KOs) in Frederikshavn, Denmark on Saturday night. The 22-year-old knocked down the “Machine” in the fifth with a left to the chin. The judges scored the fight 119-108, 119-108 and 118-109. “This was the best performance of Patrick´s young career,” promoter Nisse Sauerland said. “He dominated Majewski and showed his superior boxing skills. The future certainly is bright for Patrick.” Said Nielsen: “I am very happy with my performance. Majewski was a tough opponent, but my coach Joey Gamache had prepared a very good plan. I am very happy about the result.”

Said Gamache: “It´s great to work with Patrick, he got all the tools to be successful. He did what he was supposed to do and put our plan into action.”

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/nielsen-dominates-majewski-p4p1-braekhus-stops-castillo/

WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Champion Patrick Nielsen (19-0, 9 KOs) and world-ranked Polish challenger Patrick “The Machine” Majewski (21-1, 13 KOs) came face-to-face for the first time today at the official press conference at the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers Hotel. Promoter Nisse Sauerland confirmed that the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title will also be at stake at Arena Nord on Saturday night. “This fight is another big step up for Patrick Nielsen,” he said. “The winner will have a brilliant position in the rankings and get a lot of good options. Training in Copenhagen with Joey Gamache has given Patrick a big boost. He has got all the tools you need to be a great boxer. And all the tools to break down the “Machine” on Saturday.”

Said Nielsen: “We have trained hard. Working with Joey is great, I can learn so much from him. We have developed a good plan for the “Machine” which I will execute in the ring. I have respect for Majewski, he is a good fighter with a very good record, but I will beat him.”

Said Majewski: “I am the Machine because I keep coming at my opponents. I like to box and I am very good at moving around. I apply a lot of pressure and can go different ways. Nielsen holds the WBA Intercontinental Title, that is a very good belt and I want to take it home with me.”

Said Joey Gamache, Patrick Nielsen´s coach: “Patrick is ready for this fight. The training has been very good. We have a good plan in place to be successful on Saturday night.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-patrick-nielsen-patrick-majewski-face-face–69278

The first meeting between WBA, WBC and WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (22-0, 6 KOs), the pound-for-pound number one, and WBO Light Middleweight Champion Oxandia Castillo (12-0, 9 KOs) came to a dramatic conclusion on Thursday afternoon. While the First Lady was giving interviews after the final press conference, Castillo grabbed the three belts and posed for pictures with them. “They will be mine on Saturday, I will take them home,” she said.

The clash of unbeaten champions at Arena Nord in Frederikshavn, Denmark is just two days away. “She should not have taken my belts, I am not happy about it,” Braekhus said. “I have never seen anyone do that before. Anyway, it´s the closest she will get to them. She will never touch them again. I will defend them on Saturday and take them back home with me.”

When promoter Nisse Sauerland heard about the happenings, he was shocked by the “disrespectful behaviour” of the 18-year-old.

“It is a big insult to take the belts,” Sauerland stated. “You have to earn the belts, you cannot just take them. Oxandia crossed a line and Cecilia will make her pay for it on Saturday night.”

On Saturday, Braekhus can once again be counting on the ferocious support from Norwegian and Danish fans. “The support in Frederikshavn has always been fantastic and we will put on a great fight on Saturday,” she stated. “It´s something special to fight here.”

Castillo is unimpressed by the prospect of entering an arena packed with a hostile crowd. “That´s no problem for me. When I knocked out Hanna Gabriel, I had no support either. I will be at my best on Saturday and win the titles.”

In the Danish main event, WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Champion Patrick (19-0, 9 KOs) Nielsen takes on Patrick Majewski (21-1, 13 KOs). The WBO Intercontinental Title will also be at stake. The Nordic Fight Night will be broadcast live across Scandinavia on the Viasat channels.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/castillo-steals-braekhuss-belts-at-press-conference-sauerland-disrespectful/

The Nordic Fight Night will return to Frederikshavn´s Arena Nord on Saturday, September 7. WBA, WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (22-0, 6 KOs) will headline against an opponent to be confirmed shortly. “It´s great to be fighting in Frederikshavn again,” the First Lady said. “The support has been phenomenal and I look forward to coming back.”
Braekhus has previously clinched two big victories in Frederikshavn. Last September, she defeated Anne-Sophie Mathis in the women´s fight of the year. In April, she stopped Mia St. John. “The victory over Mathis was one of the highlights of my career, and the atmosphere the Norwegian fans created was unforgettable. September 7 will be no different as I plan to celebrate another big win in front of a Norwegian home crowd.”

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: “We are close to finalising a deal with Cecilia´s opponent and we will make an announcement as soon as everything is signed. All I can say at this time is that it will be an exciting fight which will push Cecilia to the limit. On top of that, we will once again present the very best of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish boxing.”

Undefeated Norwegian youngster Simeen Smaadal (6-0, 2 KOs) will also be in action. Tickets are on sale at www.arenanord.dk.

http://www.boxingscene.com/cecilia-braekhus-tops-sept-7th-card-arena-nord–66901