Amin Asikainen

Boxing Night in September is expected to be a tough event.

Former professional middleweight boxing European champion Amin Asikainen, 34, is in for a hard task at the Töölö Sports Hall on 4 September. Asikainen, now aiming for the top in the super middleweights, takes on Mexico's Jaudiel Zepeda – with no fewer than 35 career knockouts under his belt – in what is planned to be an eight-round match. Asikai-

nen has not defeated a boxer of Moran's calibre since 2007, when he beat former world champion Yori Boy Campas by technical knockout.

Mora, who has been boxing in the super middleweights since 2006, has won 55 of his 72 matches. He has also featured in numerous title matches over his long career and has faced several of the world's top boxers, including Sergio Martinez, Jürgen Brähmer and Kassim Ouma. Mora lost to current super middleweight world champion Martinez on points and to Brähmer and Ouma by knockout in the eighth rounds. Mora's trophies include the championship titles of Argentina and South America.

Boxing Night in September is an exceptionally tough athletic event. In addition to Asikainen, fighters Edis Tatli, Jussi Koivula and Denis Shafikov will all take on merited opponents.

Nor will Eva Wahlström, 29, get off easy. Her professional career got off to a good start with two victories but her abilities will be tested by Argentinian Pamela Benavidez, who has fought ten professional matches and is known for her offensive style. Wahlström is the all-time most successful female Finnish boxer. During her amateur career she won three European Championship medals and ten Finnish national titles.

Translated by Aleksis Toro
HELSINKI TIMES
Lehtikuva - JUSSI NUKARI