Tension is rising now that the all-German European Championship clash
between Eduard Gutknecht (24-1, 9 KOs) and Juergen Braehmer (38-2, 30 KOs)
is just days away. Before the first bell rings on Saturday night to start
the bout, both combatants met on Tuesday for the obligatory public workout
and proved that they are in great shape.
The first one to show off his set of skills was Juergen Braehmer. The
34-year-old was hitting the pads of coach Karsten Roewer. And the southpaw
proved that despite his age he still has the power and precision required to
make it at world level. Nevertheless, he was keen not to give too much away,
especially as Gutknecht’s trainer Ulli Wegner was following the action just
inches away. “He didn’t show his lovely uppercut”, said Wegner. Braehmer
also kept his prognosis open for the championship bout. Asked who would win
on February 2 the former WBO Champion casually replied: “The better man on
the night!”
Current titlist Eduard Gutknecht on the other hand had a very obvious
prediction of the outcome. “My children (Mark, 3 and Noel, 4) use the EBU
Belt as a toy and carry it around the house telling everybody that I have
won it. I have to defend it or otherwise they won’t have anything to play
with on Sunday.” However, coach Ulli Wegner revealed that Gutknecht’s
motivation has another reason: “I am not surprised at all. Eduard wants to
win on Saturday because he is aiming for a World Championship.”
The road to the top of the light heavyweight division is still a long one
for Robert Woge (10-0, 9 KOs). Still, the German has a real career highlight
ahead of him when he enters the ring at the Max-Schmeling-Halle. For the
first time ever, the 28-year-old will challenge for title honors. The
orthodox boxer takes on Hakim Zoulikha (18-3, 9 KOs) for the vacant
IBF-Intercontinental Title and promises to deliver a real spectacle for the
fans. “The people want to see two grown man beating each other up. That is
exactly what you can expect watching my fights.”
Tickets for the big fight night at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin,
Germany can be purchased at www.boxen.com and www.eventim.de.
