09.10.06: As rumoured, Dutch heavyweight king Richel Hersisia, 27-1 (21 KO’s), returns to the ring after nine months out of action due to a shoulder operation on Universum Box-Promotion’s ‘Heavyweight Explosion’ card in Stuttgart, Germany on Saturday, October 28.

Having recently relocated to Berlin, it will also be ‘The Dutch Sonny Liston’s’ first outing with new trainer Torsten Schmitz. The 32-year-old puncher is set to meet Brazilian Adenilson ‘Maguilinha’ Rodrigues of Sao Paulo, son of former world class heavyweight Adilson Rodrigues, in a clash scheduled for 10 rounds. Rodrigues has a statistically impressive record of 19-4 (15 KO’s), but his losses came when he stepped up to Hersisia’s supposed level.

He is four years younger than Fight Production’s Dutchman. Interestingly, Hersisia’s last fight before he took care of his shoulder was also against a Brazilian. He won a 6-round decision over the late Rogerio Lobo in January, but this time vows: “It’s now or never, I want to feature in big fights! So I’m gonna knock this Brasilero out and then move on to whatever name opponent Universum offers me.”

Richel will already arrive in Stuttgart on the Monday before the fight, finishing preparations with Schmitz at the site of his ring return. “Although they are not obliged to do so, Universum have offered Richel ideal training conditions all around and for the first time in his career, he prepares as a thorough professional in all respects. We will soon see Richel at his very best possible,” reports manager Olaf Schroeder.

The new attitude in the Hersisia camp is reflected in his training partners, amongst whom top contenders Tomasz Bonin, 36-1, and Albert Sosnowski, 38-1, are providing first-class sparring. Ironically, Poland’s Sosnowski is himself getting ready to challenge for Hersisia’s old WBF ‘world’ heavyweight crown on November 4 in South Africa.

Photos: Hersisia and Schmitz working out at the Universum Gym in Berlin.