MIHALY KOTAI: HOME ADVANTAGE FOR FIRST PRO TEST

12.10 - Hungarian superwelterweight prospect Mihaly Kotai has up until today lived up to what the media called him after just 11 fights in the professional ranks, but when he tries to make it a dozen wins on October 13 in his hometown of Budapest, he needs more than just nicknames like "KO"tai or "The Superwelter-Belter".

Starting out under the guidance of his confidant Laszlo Veres, Kotai signed managerial forms with Fight Production, the German company of manager Olaf Schroeder, and a promotional agreement with Polish Boxing Promotion to get his pro career started. The international set-up benefited Kotai, who has received training stints with lots of top European fighters as well as in American gyms and fought mostly abroad. His career took off like a rocket and opponents were brushed aside rather easily by the explosive punching upstart. Eight knockouts in 11 fights speak volumes, but his boxing skills still need some polish. In comes his most experienced opponent to date, Austrian Gotthard Hinteregger, who has lost only four times in a career spanning 22 bouts. For the first time, a Kotai fight will be scheduled for eight rounds to headline the Budapest promotion staged by Polish Boxing Promotion. In association with Matchroom Sport. The conclusion drawn from that is relatively easy: Kotai must show his true colours, piling up points instead of allowing his KO instinct to get the better of him. Yes, there is a always a chance that the Budapest favourite can take an opponent out, but to just bank on raw power could prove fatal against a very good boxer like Hinteregger. The dark-skinned and tattooed Austrian, who is coached by Ludwig Kammerhofer, has prepared diligently and is very confident: "My team knows Kotai well, they have seen him box a lot of times. So we know he hits hard, but I am for sure the better boxer. Come October 13, I only have to prove it in the ring." Strong words indeed, however, there can be no doubting that - one way or the other - we will know a lot more about the future prospects of Mihaly Kotai in the hardest sport of all after that crucial date.

Main international interest will focus on Poland's fallen heavyweight star Albert Sosnowski, who continues his comeback after getting knocked out in that same Budapest ring last March. That was his first defeat as a pro and he has since rebounded with an unspectacular decision over Belgium's Dirk Wallyn last July. Female world champion Agnieszka Rylik of Poland is scheduled for a warm-up for her next title defence. Hungarian interest will be satisfied with the inclusion of supermiddleweight Szabolcs Rimovszky, who celebrated a successful pro debut recently in Poland, female bantamweight Bettina Csabi and a cruiserweight 8-rounder between Zoltan Beres and in-form Czech veteran Milan Konecny. Polish Boxing Promotions