19.10.06 - By Per Ake Persson: French veteran Fabrice Tiozzo has today announced his retirement reports l´Equipe. Tiozzo thus relinquished the WBA lightheavyweight title. The 37-year old was to have defended the title November 18 against tough Argentinian Hugo Garai but that is now off. Tiozzo states to l´Equipe that he was tired of waiting for big money fights that didn´t seem to materialize..
Tiozzo also dismissed the chances of again moving up to cruiser to take on fellow Frenchman Jean Marc Mormeck, who´s with Don King Productions. "That fight would surely make a million EUR ... for Don King" said Tiozzo, who during his long career fought for DKP as well. Tiozzo goes out at 48-2 in a career that began all the way back in 88. He´s held the EBU and WBC belts at 175, the WBA crown at cruiser and after being swept aside in one round by Virgil Hill in 2000 he appeared to be heading for heavyweight but dropped down to lightheavy and beat Silvio Branco and then Dariusz Michalczewski. This year he beat Henry Saenz in a non-title fight and there were strong rumors Tiozzo would be unable to make the lightheavy limit.
During Tiozzo´s long layoff after the Michalczewski fight the WBA had Silvio Branco fighting Manny Siaca for the interim title - a fight won by Branco, who´s promoter OPI 2000 have been quick to proclaim their man as official WBA lightheavyweight champion.
