Here are statements from today’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s showdown at brose Arena Bamberg, Germany for the IBF Cruiserweight World Championship between defending champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (27-1, 13 KOs) and mandatory challenger Alexander Alekseev (24-2-1, 20 KOs).
Yoan Pablo Hernandez: “I am in tremendous shape. 14 months away from the ring feels like ages. After my left hand fracture in January I want to show the fans a performance to remember this Saturday in Bamberg!”
Alexander Alekseev: “I have learned from my mistakes. It is an honor to fight for the World Championship and it will be even better to be called a world champion. I will not let this chance slip out of my hands. If I see any weakness in my opponent’s eyes, I will knock him out!”
Ulli Wegner (coach to Hernandez): “Last year, Pablo won a razor-thin decision here in Bamberg. That is the main reason to stage his comeback here. This time we will win in decisive fashion.”
Oktay Urkal (assistant coach to Alekseev): “Alexander won the European Championship on a Sauerland Event promoted show. I have the utmost respect for my former coach Ulli Wegner, but our time is now and Alexander Alekseev will win the IBF Cruiserweight Belt on Saturday.”
Tickets for the big fight night at the brose Arena in Bamberg can be purchased at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
