“I’m not sad or anything, I still know what I can do and I’m ready to go back into the ring anytime!”.

Zoltan Petranyi, the Hungarian heavyweight champion who also promotes and manages, accompanied Team Kovacs to Vyborg, Russia as representative for Fight Production and reports of the fight:

“We watched fights of Martirosyan and knew his right hand is very dangerous. So Attila had to keep the distance and move away from his (opponents) right, and he did render Martirosyan’s best weapon ineffective in a very skilful way. In the fifth Attila had him wobbling a bit from his own right, but didn’t follow up well enough. Attila tired a bit towards the end, but in the 10^th gave it another go. I think we won the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and the eighth and possibly the 10^th, which you could also call even. But we don’t complain about the decision, it was just the sort of fight Attila would have won had it been in Hungary. It was a real good fight and I’m sure all the fans enjoyed it very much.”

Kovacs’ new record stands at 24-2 (17 KO’s).

Despite having embarked, with some pushing and help from manager Olaf Schroeder, on a career outside the ropes as an agent and cornerman, Austria’s Gotthard Hinteregger still does not want to bid farewell to his own ring career! The 41-year-old is still in possession of his Austrian superwelterweight title and returns to the ring next Sunday (Oct. 19) in Vienna for a 6-rounder against Hungarian trial horse Gabor Balogh.

Hinteregger, 30-14-1 (15 KO’s), who once held WBO and IBF Intercontinental titles, last fought in December ’07 and scored a clear 8-round decision, but has kept fit ever since. The show in Austria’s capital is headlined by bitter enemy-turned friend Gojko Knezevic, who’s only career loss was more than two years ago against Hinteregger. In the meantime, the two fighters have made peace, now share a trainer with Johann Senfter and help each other out with sparring.

Last weekend, Hinteregger worked with four boxers at the SES Boxing event in Barleben, Germany (a show for which Schroeder was matchmaker), and commented:

“I know Olaf wants me to stop boxing myself, and I’m sure he has turned down some offers for me this year and even wanted to retire as my manager – but I’m not letting him go! Another title fight would be nice, however I’m also happy with my achievements so far. If Olaf would force me, I would quit rather than go on alone, so I can rest easy he watches out I don’t end up as a regular loser.”

Uzbek lightwelterweight Jonny Ibramov, 7-2 (0 KO’s), whom Fight Production handles in association with sister company SSL Sport- & Eventpromotion, had a bad break in his last fight – unfortunately in the truest sense of the word. The Hamburg-based 28-year-old not only lost a 6-rounder on points to WBF Intercontinental champion Dariusz Snarski in Poland, but also suffered a broken jaw in the process!

“It felt like my teeth where somehow broken, but I thought it wasn’t really serious,” said Ibramov on his return, “so I was quite surprised when a hairline fracture was found.” This means Ibramov will only return to the ring in early 2009. He is trained by countryman Artur Grigorjan, the former long-time WBO ‘world’ lightweight champion.

The 34-year-old Hersisia was operated in the meantime and now hopes for a fast recovery. His record after dropping a 6-round decision to 47-year-old former WBO champion Mercer dipped to 30-3 (24 KO´s).