By Marco Bratusch
At today’s EBU headquarters, Italy’s OPI Since 82 won the rights to stage the vacant European Union (EU) light-heavyweight title between French fighter Hakim Zoulikha (25-10, 11 KOs) and Italian-Ukrainian rugged puncher Serhiy Demchenko (21-14-1, 14 KOs) submitting an offer of Euros 15,717 edging a MK Events’ bid of Euros 11,050. OPI Since 82 is currently collaborating alongside with leading venture Matchroom Sports to promote quality boxing cards in Italy to be streamed live on DAZN Italia. The Zoulikha-Demchenko fight is a rematch of their previous encounter dated May 2017 at Cirque D’Hiver in Paris, France, where Demchenko earned a fifth round technical decision victory after few entertaining rounds of two-sided brawl.
In another EBU purse bid held today in Rome, Italy, Petko’s Boxpromotion og Germany sent in a strong offer, which was the only one to be received by the office, of Euros 41,960 to secure the rights to stage the vacant European Union (EU) heavyweight contest at stake for co-challengers Petar Milas (13-0, 10 KOs), a 23-year-old Croatian fighter, and experienced Frenchman Cyril Leonet (15-10-3, 5 KOs). No date or venue have been announced yet by the winning promoter.
Belgium really appears to be the boxing capital of Europe, at least for the weekend to come, with two anticipated fights both with European titles at stake.
Two-time European lightweight champion Francesco Patera (20-3, 7 KOs) is going to defend his title at Hall Omnisport in Herstal for the first time against mandatory challenger Marvin Petit (24-1-1, 12 KOs), from France. Patera’s promoter GMG Group secured the rights for this bout submitting a solid offer months ago. Both men are volume boxers in their prime who really like to let their hands go, although they lack single-punch knockout power. Patera, the taller one, looks more like a mobile outboxer while for Petit’s style is the midrange that suits better and allows him to work to the body. Everything seems set for a heated, all-action fight between the two.
In the cruiserweight division, European champion Yves Ngabu (19-0, 14 KOs) is defending his belt for the second time against once-beaten, mandatory challenger Micki Nielsen (25-1, 15 KOs), promoted by Sauerland Events. The Dane is coming from a one-year layoff due to some injuries, and last time he fought was in Riga, Latvia, on the undercard of the thrilling Oleksandr Usyk vs. Mairis Briedis WBSS cruiserweight semifinals in January 2019, where he banked a questionable split decision nod against Ricard Bolotniks after eight rounds. Going into this fight, both men seem to have decent power in their hand, but the southpaw Nielsen is definitely more experienced than Ngabu.