Big Fight Production Update!

Fighting just three weeks after his tough comeback struggle against Yaroslav Zavorotny, ‘The Dutch Sonny Liston’ Richel Hersisia topped a small show in Den Haag last November 14, promoted by his trainer Chris Van Veen, and this time had it much easier.

Outweighed and hopelessly outclassed, Germany’s Frank Kary Roth succumbed predictably in the second round.

The 35-year-old Curacao-born Hersisia improved his record to 32-3 (25 KO’s) and hopes to build on that in 2010.

International Austrian super welterweight champion Gojko ‘Lionheart’ Knezevic did likewise in Vienna, Austria on Saturday, January 30, scoring his fourth win in a row against German underdog Alexander Riegel.

In contrast to his previous three KO wins, ‘Gogi’ this time had to go the full six-round route, but nevertheless won clearly on points.

Riegel was badly knocked down in the fifth round, but doggedly came back for more and showed courage to survive until the final bell.

Knezevic brought his overall record to 18-2-1 (8 KO’s).

It can’t get any worse for German heavyweight Willi ‘De Ox’ Fischer than it was in 2009. First, the former WBO title challenger had to return from his Polish training camp and call off a challenge to German (Interim) champion Sebastian Koeber and then the same shoulder injuries forced him to withdraw from a challenge to WBFed champion Francois Botha.

Now the 37-year-old from Frankfurt has finished extensive physio therapy and returning from a short holiday with his girl friend, sounded at peace.

“Next week, I will be in the gym with (trainer) Tom (Leidenheimer) to see how it works. But I have to admit, there is still some pain and it might well be possible that I have no choice but to retire from boxing. I put so much in this comeback with Fight Production the last two and a half years, didn’t lose a fight, so it would be a shame, but if that’s what my body tells me, then I’d be a fool not to obey,” Fischer, 37-6-1 (24 KO’s), said over the phone.

Questioned about his seemingly ageless former IBF and WBO Intercontinental champion Gotthard ‘The Cougar’ Hinteregger and the reasons behind Hinteregger’s now 15-months ring absence, Fight Production manager Olaf Schroeder revealed that the 42-year-old is attempting to build up the Austrian branch of Fight Production.

“’Gotti’ knows everything about boxing there is to know and I’ve seen him work corners and he does very well. It’s always nice if fighters remain in boxing after their careers and I’m happy I will continue to work with him,” the German manager said.

But has Hinteregger finally retired, given that no specific announcement was ever made?

“More or less,” Schroeder answers, “more if you ask me, less if you ask him! Jokes aside, ‘Gotti’ asked me a few times about ‘one more fight’, but I wasn’t interested – and he wasn’t interested to box with another management, as I offered him to do. When we spoke recently, I called him an ‘ex-fighter’ in the flow of words and he didn’t protest. I’m not sure whether that means he finally accepted he’s had his last bow or if he didn’t listen attentively, but I get a feeling he finally comes to peace with retirement.”

If Hinteregger really ends his 11-year, 31-14-1 (15 KO’s) career, a tribute will appear on this website.

Once-beaten German welterweight Ali Ahraoui, jointly managed by Turhan Altunkaya and Olaf Schroeder, will be back in the ring no later than March 6, when Altunkaya’s company PunchUp Promotion stages a show in Siershahn, Germany, which will be headlined by cruiserweight Ben Nsafoah.

The 30-year-old Ahraoui, currently with a 10-1-1 (7 KO’s) record, came back last year with his new management and wants to make up for lost time.

“There is an interesting offer for Ali to fight for the IBO Intercontinental in the summer, thus we need him to box as often as possible now,” said co-manager Altunkaya.