Euro Roundup: Brähmer vs Thysse, more

30.12.05 - By Per Ake Persson: Universum´s unbeaten supermiddle Juergen Braehmer takes on South African veteran Andre Thysse February 4 in Duesseldorf, Germany for the vacant WBC Int´l title. In the chief support welters Michele Orlando and Michel Trabant clash for the EU crown..

Swedish trade paper "Boxning" have a great interview with Bertil Knutsson, who along with Ingemar Johansson and Mogens Palle, was the last active promoter before proboxing was prohibited in 1970. Among the fighters they promoted were Sonny Liston and Knutsson sheds some light on his Swedish visits - a subject many of Liston´s biographers have mentioned but never really looked into.

Liston had in 66 his license pulled in the States and was looking elsewhere to get back in action. Knutsson tells of a quiet man, who arrived in pretty bad shape and worked his way back to top condition. With Sonny was his wife Geraldine and advisor / trainer Joe Paulino. Geraldine and Sonny also on occasion baby sat Knutsson´s son Michael and lived a quiet life. Knutsson describes Liston´s performance against Amos Johnson August 19, 1966, as championsip calibre. Topping the bill with Sonny was another fearsome character in Bo Hogberg and they did well at the gate. As it was Liston returned home to the States after getting injured after the win against Elmer Rush in the spring of 67 and was looking to get back into the title picture. He never returned.

Hungarian promoter Felix Racz is now calling out for purse bids to finally get a date for WBO 130 lb champ Jorge Barrios´ mandatory defence against Janos Nagy after negotiations have failed.

Supermiddle Kimfuta Makussu, a tough journeyman, born in Kongo but formerly fighting out of France, is now residing in Brussels and have signed with Emmanuel Demanet.