Abraham trainer says King Arthur still hungry

Trainer Ulli Wegner has hit back at claims questioning former world champion Arthur Abraham’s (44-5, 29 KOs) motivation prior to his WBO International super middleweight title fight with little-known Tim-Robin Lihaug (15-1, 8 KOs) on July 16 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin.

Lihaug’s trainer Thomas Hansvoll had called into question Abraham’s desire, stating that he believed the former two-weight World Champion ‘had lost his hunger’ and after years at the top of the sport was ‘not so interested anymore.’ Wegner has disputed these remarks, and says Abraham is hungrier than ever as he looks to regain the world title he lost to Gilberto Ramirez, starting with a victory over Lihaug.

“The loss to Gilberto Ramirez has only made Arthur more determined,” said the 74 year-old coach. “Now he is without a world title, the hunted has become the hunter. He feels a new kind of motivation, and we will see that in the ring on July 16.

“Obviously it was a big blow to lose the title in Las Vegas, but now we must work together to reach the top again. I believe he has what it takes to become World Champion again, if I did not, I would be the first person to tell him to retire. Anyone who knows me knows I am always honest in my assessments, and I can tell you this is not the end of the road for Arthur.”

While optimistic for the future, Wegner realises another defeat could signal the end of Abraham’s career. “Anything but a win would be disastrous for Arthur,” he says. ”But we’ve trained well and I’m confident his hand will be raised.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/abraham-trainer-says-king-arthur-still-hungry-344993

 (Credit: Photo by Sebastian Heger –

Training is underway for Arthur Abraham (43-4, 29 KOs) as he prepares for his WBO World Super Middleweight Championship contest with Britain’s Martin Murray (32-2-1, 15 KOs) on November 21 at the TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany.

Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer –

Cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck has longed to fight in the United States for many years. His opportunity is finally here and he plans on making the most of it, and a bit of history in the process.

“I have been wanting to fight in the U.S. for over 10 years,” said the 30-year-old Huck, who is from Germany. “The problem was that I didn’t really have anyone by my side who could help me to achieve this dream. But now I found (promoter) Lou DiBella, whose experience is great and who can help me over here and help me with something that my former promoters (Sauerland Event) weren’t able to do.

“I said already that I achieved everything in my career so far and now I get to achieve my debut in the U.S., and I’m looking forward to this fight and for a long run over here in the United States.”

Huck’s American debut will come in a mandatory defense against Poland’s Krzyzstof Glowacki on a Premier Boxing Champions card Friday night (Spike TV, 9 ET) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

A victory, draw or no contest for Huck, an aggressive puncher with an ultra-crowd pleasing style, would be particularly meaningful as it would mark his 14th successful title defense. That would beak the record he shares with England’s Johnny Nelson for most defenses in the history of the 200-pound cruiserweight division, which has existed since 1979.

“When I do something, I want to do it right and with this win I can actually go down in boxing history, which was always my mission,” Huck said. “The record is a very big deal for me. The division is not that known over here in the States, but it is in Germany. It got well-known because of me. That’s what I want to do over here in America.”

In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver (31-6, 22 KOs), 46, of Tampa, and former two-time cruiserweight titleholder Steve Cunningham (28-7, 13 KOs), 39, of Philadelphia — who handed Huck his first defeat by 12th-round knockout in a 2007 cruiserweight world title fight — meet in a scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout.

Huck won his world title in 2009, a unanimous decision against Argentina’s Victor Emilio Ramirez, and has gone on to defeat many of the division’s best fighters, usually in exciting fights. Among his victims are Ola Afolabi (against whom he is 2-0-1 in a memorable trilogy), Denis Lebedev (who went on to win a version of the world title), former titlist Hugo Hernan Garay and former titleholder Firat Arslan, twice.

But Huck did not want to be just a big name in Germany. He wanted to spread his wings, which is why he parted ways with career-long promoter Sauerland Event in 2014, a separation that has kept him out of the ring for a year. It also forced him to find a new trainer, because longtime trainer Ulli Wegner is under contract to work with Sauerland-promoted fighters and because Huck wanted to train in the United States. Huck (38-2-1, 26 KOs) hooked up with respected Las Vegas trainer Don House, who trained Bermane Stiverne to a heavyweight world title. House said he likes what he has seen from Huck.

“When I do something I want to do it right and with this win I can actually go down in boxing history, which was always my mission. The record is a very big deal for me.”     – Marco Huck

“Marco is tough as nails. Very tough,” House said. “But you don’t have to crush every punch, every round, so I’m just trying to slow him down a little bit. His toughness, his power is there. I love that. I just need to slow him down a little bit.”

Huck said he will always view Wegner, who trained him from his amateur days, as a father figure, but that he has enjoyed working with House. “Don House and I get along great and we work together really well. He trusts me and gives me space to breathe but at the same time he demands a lot during our training sessions,” said Huck, whose English has improved greatly. “My former coach, Ulli Wegner, was very different. I had less freedom. Sometimes I even hid from him. With Don it’s a different story. The space he allows me to have also means that I have more responsibilities.”

Huck’s goals are clear. He has stated them several times. He wants to defeat Glowacki to break the division defense record, then perhaps make one more title defense — possibly against Roy Jones Jr. — and then move up to the heavyweight division for marquee fights.

“I’ve pretty much fought everyone there is in this division, so my mission has always been to go up to the heavyweight, but when I do eventually go up there I want to fight the big names,” Huck said. “I don’t just want to fight bums. I want to fight the really tough guys.”

In February 2012, Huck did step up to heavyweight for a shot at then-titlist Alexander Povetkin. Huck was impressive but lost a highly controversial majority decision in a fight many believed Huck clearly won. After that fight, Huck returned to cruiserweight and continued to defend his title, but always with the plan that he would return to heavyweight.

“When I eventually go back up to heavyweight I want to fight the top guys right away,” he said. “Maybe I’ll go fight (titleholder) Deontay Wilder. That is definitely an interesting option.

“Everybody knows that I actually won the fight against Povetkin. Povetkin himself actually came to me after the fight and told me that he never wants to see me again. My ambition has always been to fight the best and also to fight the best in the heavyweight division. I want to go back to the heavyweight division in the future and take over there as I did in the cruiserweight division.”

DiBella saw the fight with Povetkin, who still a top contender and Wilder’s mandatory challenger, and is one of the many who believes Huck beat him.

Cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck is making his U.S. debut Friday night in New Jersey.  Credit: Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

“He knows he has to build an audience in the United States and he wants that (defense) record, but he already thinks he’s a top-10 heavyweight. I think he’s right,” DiBella said. “We all thought he beat Povetkin. I think he has the right attitude — set this record and then there’s big money at heavyweight. He really is relishing the opportunity to be on TV over here. He knows this first fight is part of a process and he has to go out there and perform.”

Glowacki (24-0, 15 KOs), 29, stands in his way and although his resume is extremely thin and he is unknown, he is confident of pulling the upset.

“Huck is, of course, the favorite because he’s a world champion. After I beat him, I will be a favorite too,” he said. “People are afraid of Huck’s power but I’m not. What I want is a hard-fought battle and winning by knockout in final round. This is my dream and I will make it happen.

“I read that Marco Huck said he could bet all his money on defeating me, so I will say the same — I’m betting all my money that I will be a new world champion. I already see me as world champion. Huck is a great fighter, great warrior, so what? I’m ready for a war, from first round to the last.”

DiBella said he has a multi-fight agreement to promote Huck, who intends to fight regularly in the United States. DiBella said he has been a fan of his for several years and believes he can help make him into a popular figure in American boxing.

“I love him,” DiBella said. “He’s got a great deal of charisma and he’s a badass. He’s really personable and smart. He has a natural promotional instinct and he really is excited to be here and be on American TV where a lot of people will get a chance to see him.

“His attitude is, ‘I’m going to come here and do my job, which is to beat the sh– out of this guy. Marco Huck can box but he is a brawler at heart and people are going to see it and they are going to love it.”

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/13430378/marco-huck-looking-make-history-krzyzstof-glowacki-Friday

Arthur Abraham (42-4, 28 KOs) has vowed to bring an end to his feud with domestic rival Robert Stieglitz (47-4-1, 27 KOs) when the German super middleweights contest the WBO World title for a fourth time on July 18 at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle. The fighters began their now familiar pre-fight routine with a kick-off press conference today, in which the reigning champion promised to provide a conclusive finish to their long-standing rivalry. ”Four fights with Robert is enough for me,” declared Abraham. ”Of course, victory is always the most important thing, but on July 18, I don’t just want to win, I want to win decisively and prove once and for all that I am the better man!”

Abraham holds the advantage, having triumphed in two of their three previous encounters, but while ‘King Arthur’ eyes a conclusive third victory, Stieglitz aims to settle the score with a second win over the Berlin-based boxer. ”I have analysed all three of our fights in detail,” reveals Stieglitz. ”With the right tactical adjustments, I have no doubt that this time I will be victorious!”

Ahead of their anticipated fourth encounter, Abraham’s coach Ulli Wegner has compared July 18’s battle with Germany’s most heated soccer rivalry. ”This is ‘Der Klassiker’,” declared the 73 year-old. ”The Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund of German boxing! Just like Munich vs. Dortmund, this great rivalry always promises excitement! Arthur must enter the ring in top condition or risk losing his position at the top of the super middleweight division.”

Stieglitz’s coach Dirk Dzemski shares Wegner’s excitement, predicting a ”spectacular fight” at the Gerry Weber Stadium. ”This fight will be on a knife’s edge,” said Dzemski. ”Both boxers know how hard it will be to beat the other and fans can look forward to a spectacular fight. Arthur had better be well prepared because we’re ready for it!”

Photos: Sebastian Heger –

On Saturday night ‘King’ Arthur Abraham (40-4, 28 KOs) defends his WBO World Super Middleweight crown against former British Champion Paul Smith (35-3, 20 KOs) in Kiel, Germany.

At today’s final press conference the WBO Champion revealed his future is bound to that of his legendary coach Ulli Wegner and made clear his plan to prove his worth by stopping Smith at the Sparkassen-Arena. ”When Mr Wegner decides to call time on his career, I will follow him,” said Abraham. ”I wouldn’t want to train with anyone else. On Saturday it is my job to show him that there is still much more we can achieve together. I will do this by beating Smith in style.”

”Arthur has the ability to beat anyone in his weight class,” said Abraham’s 72 year-old coach Wegner. ”He just needs to live up to his potential. The most important thing for him to do is follow my instructions. If he listens to what I tell him the fight won’t go the distance, he will knock Paul Smith out!”

Smith will be counting on the support of his 2,000 traveling fans when he attempts to cause an upset by dethroning ‘King Arthur’ on his home turf. ”This is my first and last chance to become World Champion,” said Smith. ”I will not let this opportunity slip through my hands. I have had the best training camp ever and my coach Joe Gallagher has devised the perfect game plan. Now it is up to me. I’m going to grab this opportunity and the title with both hands!”

”Arthur is a tough nut to crack,” said Smith’s coach Gallagher. ”But Paul has reached new levels in training and I believe he has the power to force an early stoppage. There are going to be fireworks from the first bell to the last. This could well be a contender for fight of the year.”

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/abraham-smith-final-press-conference-262241

Photo:  Arthur Abraham official page –

On May 3, Arthur Abraham plans to defend his WBO super middleweight crown against Nikola Sjekloca.

In this interview, the prodigy of coach Ulli Wegner talks about his quick return to the squared circle – having regained the title just this past March – and what he thinks about a possible fourth match up with compatriot Robert Stieglitz.

Only two months ago, you won back the WBO Super Middleweight World Championship from Robert Stieglitz. You will defend that title on May 3. Do you have something to prove?

No. I do not have to prove anything to anyone, except myself. I want to show that I am still hungry for success and also want to conserve my current shape by staying active. I can take a break when I am 40 years old – being retired for good.

Before you beat Stieglitz for the WBO Title, a lot of fans and experts said that you have had enough. Was your answer inside the ring also an answer to your critics?

I also had good tactics at hand in the rematch with Stieglitz, but his “lucky punch” rendered them void. I had the same kind of preparation for our rubber match and you saw what happened there. If I would have a lack of motivation I would have hang the gloves up rather today than tomorrow. I do not give a damn about what the critics say about it.

What about a fourth meeting with Stieglitz in the future?

We have given the fans an action-packed fight recently and I can envision that we can still give them another good fight. However, if it will come this far – I do not now. First, Stieglitz has to earn the chance to make it happen. Maybe he has to go up against someone like Tyron Zeuge, who might be too much for Stieglitz to overcome.

Next up for you is a title defense against Nikola Sjekloca. What are your thoughts on him?

He is physical strong and has only lost once to current world champion Sakio Bika. His technique is also respectable but it still will not be enough to beat me.

When you first met Sjekloca at the kick-off press conference earlier this month, he talked more about a possible unification with Bika than about fighting you. Does he lack the proper respect for you?

I do not care for his future plans. And by the way: who is the world champion – him or me? Before it gets tough inside the ring, a lot of fighters can talk a good game but cannot follow up their words with action. Watch my fight on May 3 to see this happen again.

Moreover, how do you want to earn Sjekloca’s respect?

With my punching power. When my first hard punch lands precisely, Sjekloca will know what he is up against. Then it will show what he is made of.

Your coach Ulli Wegner said that you are still progressing as a boxer. How long do you want to go on with your career?

I hope for at least another 2-3 years. I am feeling that I still have the potential to fight against the world’s best. I am still aiming to take revenge for some of my losses, like against Andre Ward. But now, it is all about beating Sjekloca on May 3.

http://www.boxingscene.com/arthur-abraham-set-quick-return-first-title-defense–77171

Photos: Team SES / P. Gercke –

WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz (46-3, 26 KOs) and former champion Arthur Abraham (38-4, 28 KOs) will complete their trilogy on Saturday night at the GETEC Arena in Magdeburg, Germany. The series is 1:1 so far, with Abraham winning by decision in Berlin in August 2012 and Stieglitz winning by fourth round TKO in March 2013 in Magdeburg. SES outbid Sauerland Event to bring the rubber match back to Stieglitz’ backyard.

Today’s press conference took place in Magdeburg’s Cultural History Museum.

Robert Stieglitz: I am delighted that the press conference is again here in the Cultural History Museum. That gave me luck the last time and that’s exactly how it should be again. Saturday will be a real collision in the ring. Outside the ring I’m relaxed, because I’m here at home and Arthur is coming into the lion’s den. I will defend my title successfully and not give in.

Arthur Abraham: The previous fights are in the past, we are very well prepared and promise an exciting fight the fans will like. I have many fans here backing me. I don’t feel like I’m in a lion’s den. but rather in the cave of the cat. No matter where I’m boxing, I feel at home. It’s all or nothing! There’s nothing more important!

SES trainer Dirk Dzemski: We have a good plan. The question is, who can implement their tactics best. And I’m sure that’s Robert. The difference is our great team.

Abraham trainer Ulli Wegner: I think we all can do something great on Saturday. If it’s named as “Fight of the Year”, that’s fine. I feel terrific in Magdeburg, since the public is so knowledgable. Both camps are very well prepared. This fight is what makes boxing so interesting.

SES promoter Ulf Steinforth: Robert and Dirk Dzemski were a team for the first two sensational fights. The third fight had to take place here, because we have been successful here. It’s important to me because I’m superstitious and it has always worked so far. This third fight is super exciting. We have all the support we have always wanted, which is virtually an unbeatable advantage. This is also about the rivalry of the trainers, experience against youth, and it’s a battle of the promoters. But, here in Magdeburg we’re good hosts!

Sauerland Event promoter Kalle Sauerland: We look forward to a great fight. You only have to look at the first two fights. Trilogies are better than rematches. It’s “Champions League” boxing. We know what to do and look forward to being his guest.

WBO/WBF female middleweight champion Christina Hammer defends against Jessica Balogun in the co-feature.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/stieglitz-abraham-iii-presser-237700

WBO cruiserweight Marco Huck has said he wants to step up to the heavyweight division to face Wladimir Klitschko, who holds four of the five world title belts. Huck, 29, defended his WBO crown with a sixth round knock-out of 43-year-old challenger Firat Arslan in Stuttgart on Saturday.

Huck wants another shot at a heavyweight title and his coach Ulli Wegner has said his fighter will be a champion in the division by the end of the year.

“My desire is to fight against the best in the world. And I hope the chance to fight Klitschko will now finally come,” Huck told SID.

Huck has already had a shot at a world title – when he lost on points to Russia’s Alexander Povetkin for the WBA heavyweight belt in February 2012.

“When I’m in top shape, no one in the world can beat me,” insisted Huck.

“Neither at cruiserweight nor at heavyweight. I can only beat myelf.”

Huck tried to convince the doubters that he was capable of taking on the 37-year-old Klitschko.

“Why not?,” he asked.

“The last 30 no-names he has already fought all lost against him, but I have already fought battles that people want to see.

“They want to see a Huck show because they know that at any minute, anything can happen.”

Huck’s performance in Stuttgart backed up his words as he took control of the fight from the fourth round, then unleashed a devastating volley of punches in the sixth.

He put Arslan on the canvas twice before the referee stepped in to stop the bout with more than a minute of the round left.

Beating Arslan, who suffered the eighth defeat of his career, and dethroning Klitschko are two entirely different propositions and Huck will need the performance of his career.

Huck will be giving away four inches in height (10 cms) and having weighed in at 199.5 pounds (90 kgs) for Saturday’s fight, he would need to bulk up.

Klitschko weighed in at 241 pounds (109kgs) for his unanimous points win over Povetkin in Moscow last Octber.

But the Huck camp are certainly talking themselves up.

“Marco will be a heavyweight champion by January 1 2015,” said Huck’s trainer Wegner.

“But we are not a one-man operation and have it all cleared with our management.”

With Vitali Klitschko’s WBC heavyweight title now vacant after his move into Ukrainian politics, Huck could well challenge for the title.

And Wladimir Klitschko, who holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts, has vowed to keep the WBC title in the family.

http://www.boxingscene.com/huck-focuses-attention-on-moving-up-facing-klitschko–74047

By Sauerland Promotion –

Marco Huck is still the WBO Cruiserweight World Champion. Before a massive crowd of 5,000 spectators at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany, he beat the previous interim titleholder Ola Afolabi. It was not the win itself that was so surprising but the way the 28-year-old achieved it. Throughout the whole twelve rounds he showed a disciplined performance and won on points by scores of 117:111, 115:113 and a confusing 114:114. After a short-lived feeling-out it was the defending champion who took control with eye-catching combinations, which rattled his challenger. Afolabi tried to tire out Huck, by aiming for the German´s body most of the time but without much effect. Instead it was the Briton, who tired late in the championship rounds. Besides putting his well-known warrior’s mentality on display, Huck was counter-punching Afolabi for most of the fight.

“Today, I proved that I am first and foremost a boxer  and not just a warrior inside the ring,” said Huck after the fight, his eleventh defense of the WBO Title. “This time, I was in tip-top shape – unlike to last year’s clash with Afolabi, where I was nowhere to my current level of fitness. I was focused on the task ahead of me and it showed.”

Huck’s coach Ulli Wegner agreed with his prodigy: “I can only praise Marco for this win. The way he fought from the beginning to the end was close to a perfect performance of him. Afolabi might be the more refined boxer of the two but tonight he lost against the better man and the better strategy.”

“I gave my best but it wasn´t enough. Huck is the rightful winner as I have no excuses at all,” Afolabi confirmed afterwards, his third loss in 25 fights. His coach Fritz Sdunek was also disappointed: “I thought that Ola might pull the fight around in round ten but Marco upset our plan.”

Huck, who now has 36 victories to his name, feels ready for a rematch against mandatory challenger Firat Arslan, who was watching from ringside. “I want to give the fans some even more spectacular fights and prove that I am able to beat everyone in convincing fashion.”

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/huck-outclasses-afolabi-in-decisive-victory/

Photos by Photo Wende –

Champion and challenger are ready for war on June 8! Saturday night will see Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25 KOs) take on Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs) for the third time. After winning their first matchup and drawing the second, the current WBO Cruiserweight Champion is hoping to close the chapter Afolabi once and for all, when they square off at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany. During today´s public workout both fighters made it clear, that their confidence is sky high ahead of the big fight.

The first one to show off his set of skills was Afolabi. After some rope skipping and hitting the pads with his coach Fritz Sdunek he addressed the media in attendance. “Fritz Sdunek got me into the best shape of my life. So far ahead of every fight, I was either physical or mentally fit. However, this time round, I have hit top form in both aspects. Now, I am the total package!” Sdunek agreed with his prodigy. “Under my guidance, Ola learned the meaning of discipline. That will make the difference come Saturday.”

Next to step into the ring was the champion himself. And although this was just a workout session, Huck made it obvious that he was not messing around. The punches connecting with the pads held by his coach Ulli Wegner seemed to be meant as a message to the watching Afolabi. “I hope he understood what I was doing there. Afolabi will get to feel the best combinations inside the ring on Saturday,” said the 28-year-old. Ulli Wegner got straight to the point. “We will keep the belt in Berlin!”

Also showing off some of their abilities where light heavyweights Robert Woge (11-0, 10 KOs) and Eduard Gutknecht (24-2, 9 KOs) who will also be competing for international honors in the main support on June 8.

Tickets for the big fight night at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany, are available at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.

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WBO World Champion Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25 KOs) and his challenger Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs) have already entered fight mode. During Wednesday´s press conference, three days before the top-notch cruiserweights square off inside the ring, they got involved into a verbal altercation.

28-year-old Huck accused his opponent of provoking him on purpose. “He is just trying to rattle my cage and is hoping that it will cause me to make mistakes,” said the prodigy of coach Ulli Wegner. “But he is fighting a losing battle. I am the champion and I will still be the champion after the fight. I will give him my answers inside the ring.” And the German was not done yet. “I proved before that I can beat him. But he cannot beat me. I know that I am better than he is. I also have a better fan base behind me, who will be celebrating another victory with me after I am done with that guy.”

However, Afolabi who resides in Los Angeles seems to have taken on some of the Hollywood-attitude surrounding him. After being asked if he really is as confident as he makes himself out to be or if he is just an actor, he replied: “I am an actor! Marco wants to give his fans a great show and so do I. All these theatrics ahead of the fight only increase the attention. We definitely enjoyed ourselves. It got a bit heated, but that is the way it’s supposed to be.”

However, Afolabi could not resist another attempt to unnerve the champion. “If you are a Huck fan you might say that he won our last fight. If you are an Afolabi fan, you might give it to me. However, after Marco Huck’s last fight against Firat Arslan, Stevie Wonder looked at me and said: Arslan definitely won no doubt about it.”

Huck immediately replied to the laughing Brit: “You are smiling now. But you won’t be after Saturday.”

Tickets for the big fight night at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany are available at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.

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War of words during first presser ahead of WBO World Championship –

There is definitely no love lost. Britain´s Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs) did say he would hug and shake hands with his opponent Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25 KOs) after their WBO Title Fight on June 8 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany – but the attending members of the press were not really convinced after the pair´s previous war of words during Monday’s press conference.

Before Afolabi started his attempt to calm things down, current WBO Cruiserweight Champion Marco “Captain” Huck and the Interims Titlist were involved in a heated exchange of words. The first one to trade verbal blows was the 28-year-old German. “Afolabi is starting to get on my nerves. I beat him in December 2009. After I fought Alexander Povetkin for the WBA Heavyweight Crown, it was difficult for me to find the right motivation for my rematch with Afolabi in May last year. However, I believe that I actually won that bout, even though it was scored as a majority draw. That won’t happen again. I will win in my own backyard. We won’t be playing cat and mouse anymore. This will be a war – I won’t be holding back.”

That was the cue for Afolabi to start his own rant. “Huck shouldn’t be able to call himself world champion anymore. In my opinion, he lost on three previous occasions. He lost against Lebedev, he lost against me and also against Arslan. He should only be able to call himself German Champion or Champion of Berlin,” said the 33-year-old. The Brit stated that he is planning to humiliate Huck in front of his own fans. “I would be ready to take him on this weekend.” Then Afolabi directed his next words directly towards Huck. “Everybody knows that I have always been a good technician, but now my fitness level is also excellent. I will seriously hurt you come June 8. You will need a wheelchair after the fight,” said the Los Angeles based cruiserweight.

It is obvious that there is a lot of tension in the air, also partially due to the duel between the two most popular and respected coaches of German boxing. Once again Ulli Wegner (Huck´s coach) and Fritz Sdunek (works with Afolabi) will stand in opposite corners.

http://www.boxing-online.com/en/news-archive/news-details/article/huck-vs-afolabi-gets-heated.html

WBO Cruiserweight Champion Captain Huck (33-1, 24 KOs) could not believe his eyes when he met challenger Rogelio Rossi (17-2-1, 11 KOs) at today’s press conference in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Listed at 6’6, the “Argentinian Giant” turned out to be much smaller than that. “Maybe he shrunk of fear,” Captain Huck said. “Doesn’t matter anyway. I don’t care what size he is. I have knocked out taller and smaller opponents. I will clinch a spectacular victory on Saturday night. He will not get my title.” Huck then measured his opponent. The result: 6’3 and a half!

Rossi seemed to enjoy the confusion regarding his height. “It’s true, I’m not two meters tall,” he stated. “But I will still defeat Huck. If you’re scared, your opponent looks much bigger than he actually is. I guess this has happened to Huck. I will take his title on Saturday night. I have trained hard and I will win.”

German coaching legend Ulli Wegner said Rossi’s actual size will make no difference. “We have done sparring with tall guys and with small guys, we are prepared for everything,” he stated. “If Rossi was clever, he would have stood on tiptoes during the face-to-face to look bigger than he is. I don’t think he can cope with Huck’s explosiveness and aggressiveness anyway.”

In the co-featured main event, IBF Intercontinental Middleweight Champion Dominik Britsch (25-0, 9 KOs) defends his title against Billy Lyell (24-9, 5 KOs), while unbeaten heavyweight sensation Kubrat Pulev (13-0, 6 KOs) takes on Travis Walker (38-6-1, 30 KOs) for the IBF International Heavyweight Title.

Photos: Sauerland Event
http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/rossis-size-stuns-huck-99083

WBO Cruiserweight Champion Captain Huck (33-1, 24 KOs) could not believe his eyes when he met challenger Rogelio Rossi (17-2-1, 11 KOs) at today´s press conference in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Listed at two meters by BoxRec, the “Argentinian Giant” turned out to be much smaller than that.

“Maybe he shrunk of fear,” Captain Huck said. “Doesn´t matter anyway. I don´t care what size he is. I have knocked out taller and smaller opponents. I will clinch a spectacular victory on Saturday night. He will not get my title.” Huck then measured his opponent. The result: 192 centimeters!

Rossi seemed to enjoy the confusion regarding his height. “It´s true, I´m not two meters tall,” he stated. “But I will still defeat Huck. If you´re scared, your opponent looks much bigger than he actually is. I guess this has happened to Huck. I will take his title on Saturday night. I have trained hard and I will win.”

German coaching legend Ulli Wegner said Rossi´s actual size will make no difference.

“We have done sparring with tall guys and with small guys, we are prepared for everything,” he stated. “If Rossi was clever, he would have stood on tiptoes during the face-to-face to look bigger than he is. I don´t think he can cope with Huck´s explosiveness and aggressiveness anyway.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/photo-huck-says-rossi-shrunk-final-presser–45114