(MAR 30) European TV viewers tuning in to Prosieben Fight Night tonight will have the opportunity to watch two reigning Women's Flyweight Champions in the ring. Regina Halmich holding the WIBF belt and Susianna Kentikian newly crowned WBA champion.

Kentikian (15-0-0 - 12 KO) will make her first title defence against Marie Jose Nunez Anchorena (6-1-0 - 5 KO) of Uruguay, while Halmich, will take part in a gimmick rematch against TV talk show host Stefan Raab, who will be approximately 70 lbs heavier than his opponent.

Halmich and Raab met in the ring back in 2001. The first encounter ended in a loss and a broken nose to Stefan Raab, who announced after the fight, that he would never box again---Apparently he has changed his mind about that, challenging Halmich to a rematch late last year.

He has since used every opportunity to repeat his challenge, and Halmich finally gave in shortly after the first "ProSieben Fight Night" in February, where the two hosted the show together.

Both Halmich and Raab are household names in Germany. The former for her astonishing accomplishments, in and out of the ring.  Raab is known for his huge ego, big mouth and his controversial TV-Total talk show.

The hype for the fight has been quite intense over the last few days. It started quite cordial with Halmich declaring, that she finally accepted the rematch both out of pity, as well as also gratitude to Raab, for giving her the breakthrough to fame back in 2001. Since then tone has become somewhat sharper.

Raab promises to beat the cellulite out of her[Halmich] body knock her lights out, adding that he started her career and reckons that he has the right to put and end to it too.

Halmich promises to break Raab down and let him suffer as long as possible. She took offence to Raab describing former German boxing idol Henry Maske and Virgil Hill, who will meet in a comeback fight Saturday in Munich, as old "wash ladies", and has promised to punish him for his disrespect to two real boxers. Well, I did say it is a gimmick fight, and trash talk helps in the sale of tickets. According to the latest reports, 18,500 seats has already been sold and no doubt millions of viewers will follow the act on live TV.

Fortunately the show also offer some real boxing, featuring young talents from the Spotlight stable. Susianna Kentikian will make her first defence of her WBA title against Marie Jose Nunez Anchorena of Uruguay.

Kentikian's career has really taken off within the last few months. She won the WIBF Intercontinental Flyweight title against Maribel Zurita back in September last year, and the WBA World Title against Carolina Alvarez last month in Cologne.

Her aggressive style and excellent skills in the ring and her charming manners outside, has really won over the hearts of the German boxing fans. Halmich has already announced, that she will retire later this year, and my prediction is, that Kentikian will be the future show case for women's boxing in Germany.

She is due to appear on the TV-Total talk show Thursday 29/3, but she already had an encounter with Raab last week, when she did 4 rounds of sparring with him. Afterwards she told the press: "I have softened him up, now it is up to Regina to finish the job."

Another fight that will be shown live is between heavyweight Sebastian Köber (7-0-0 / 7 KO) and Luis Oscar Ricail (20-18-2 / 14 KO) in a six rounder.

Two further Spotlight fighters will climb through the ropes in Cologne. The huge talent Vitali Tajbert (10-0-0 / 4 KO) is up against Jairo Moura dos Santos (21-8-0 / 14 KO) of Brazil in an 8 round Super Featherweight bout, while Super Middleweight Eduard Gutknecht (6-0-0 / 5 KO) will be facing Magid Ben Driss of France (7-17-2 / 4 KO). Whether these 2 fights will be aired, probably depends on whether the other fights goes the distance.

 

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