WESTGEEST READY TO RUMBLE WITH
ATTILA - DUTCH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP INVADES NEW YORK
By Olaf Schroeder
27.11.01
- Arriving in New York City on Monday with trainer
Mourad Louati and undefeated stablemate Richel Hersisia,
Dutch heavyweight champion Fred Westgeest today starts
final preparations for his 8-rounder on Saturday at
the Jarvits Center against Sweden's US-based Attila
Levin.
For the towering Westgeest it shapes
up as the defining fight of his seven-year career
which started way back in 1995. The 31-year-old former
IBO Intercontinental champion thought he achieved
the breakthrough with his upset knockout of Przemyslaw
Saleta, well known to US fight fans through his early-career
relationship with trainer Angelo Dundee, two years
ago, but instead his career stalled thanks to some
irresponsible management. The turnaround came only
after Westgeest joined the growing gym of former European
champion Mourad Louati in Den Haag and subsequently
signed with German manager Olaf Schroeder's company
Fight Production. Since then Westgeest has scored
five wins on the trot, three via the short route and
regained his European Boxing Union ranking.
Going into the fight with Attila Levin,
Westgeest brings a overall record of 21-3 (13) with
all three of his losses coming via split decision.
He will finish his training at the renowned Gleason's
Gym of Bruce Silverglade. In a strange twist of fate,
legendary Hall-of-Famer Angelo Dundee again plays
a role, this time as the trainer of Levin. However,
the Dutch champion's coach is optimistic. "Fred
has trained very well and we have had enough time
to study Levin's style, because we were already scheduled
to box him in Copenhagen on the Tyson vs Nielsen card
until Levin choose to fight some journeyman instead,"
explains Louati, "and we are ready to surprise
all the experts!".
The Westgeest vs Levin fight is part
of a show that is promoted by Cedric Kushner Promotions
and shown live in the US on HBO's "Boxing After
Dark" programm.
