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Two World Boxing Federation
title fights will take place on
Friday February 24, as Mike
Tiberi faces Toris Brewer for
the vacant North American Super
Middleweight title in Dover,
Delaware, USA, and Thierry Karl
and Sandro Siproshvili clash for
the vacant International
Cruiserweight crown in Saint
Quentin, France.
Going for his first professional
title, “Mighty” Mike Tiberi, a
23-year-old bright prospect from
nearby Wilmington, has racked up
an impressive 18-1 (7) record
since entering the paid ranks in
June 2007. His sole defeat came
in his seventh bout to fellow
undefeated prospect Dwayne
Shelton, dropping a four round
decision. Since then he has
moved up a weight-class, and
hasn’t come close to losing
again.
His opponent, 38-yeal-old Toris
“The Bull” Brewer, 14-4 (6),
could turn out to be the biggest
test so far for Tiberi. While
the South Carolina-resident is
coming off two losses, he has
never been stopped and has mixed
with better opposition than his
younger foe.
A real “Prospect vs. Veteran”
encounter, the Tiberi vs. Brewer
WBF North American Super
Middleweight title fight goes
ahead at the Dover Downs Hotel &
Casino, as is the co-feature
alongside a Super Featherweight
battle between top-contender
Juan Carlos Burgos and former
world champion Cristobal Cruz.
On the same night in France, at
the Palais des Sports in Saint
Quentin, former two-time French
national champion Thierry Karl
will take a crack at his first
Cruiserweight belt, the WBF
International, when he steps in
the ring with Georgian tough-guy
Sandro Siproshvili.
Karl, 29-5 (19), holds some
excellent wins in lower weight
classes, such as stoppages over
undefeated opponents Dejan Ribac
(16-0) and WBO world
title-challenger Nadjib
Mohammedi (19-0), but it remains
to be seen if he can carry his
punching power up to
cruiserweight.
In his last fight, this past
November, Karl (27) stopped
Serbian journeyman Mile Nikolic
in the first round, but a
seasoned campaigner such as
Siproshvili will be
a
whole 'nother
kettle of fish.
Based in Prague, Czech Republic,
Siproshvili, 25-10 (12), has
fought some of the best
Cruiserweights in Europe. Only
stopped in his professional
debut, the 29-year old Georgian
has gone the distance with
former World Champions Herbie
Hide and Ola Afolabi, as well as
several top-class contenders.
While Karl must be considered
the favorite, Siproshvili will
definitely be a true test for
him at Cruiserweight, and if the
Frenchman is not on top of his
game he will surely have a hard
time winning the fight. On the
other hand, if he manages to win
inside the distance, and do what
Hide and Afolabi couldn’t do, it
will be a great measure of what
kind of success he may achieve
at the new weight.
The Thierry Karl vs. Sandro
Siprosvili WBF International
Cruiserweight title fight is
scheduled for ten rounds, and is
presented by Sport Evenements
Promotion. Also on the card will
be a European Union Super
Featherweight title fight
between Guillaume Frenois and
Hovhannes Zhamkochyan. |
