Senad Gashi vs. Tom Schwarz II: After provocations, scandals and a show fight without merit, there will finally be a clear fight on May 3.
Next Saturday, May 3, the Millennium Event Hall in Braunschweig will be the scene of one of the most heated duels in German heavyweight boxing: Senad Gashi (33-4, 32 knockouts) and Tom Schwarz (29-1, 20 knockouts) will meet again after years of rivalry in an official professional fight over ten rounds – and this time there will be no more excuses.
The origin of the enmity lies in the first clash between the two in April 2018, when Schwarz won after a controversial disqualification against Gashi – a decision that is still the subject of debate today. This was followed by years of mutual provocation, failed negotiations and a second, albeit unsanctioned, duel in December 2024, which was dismissed as “better sparring”. Black won on points, but the sporting value was low – now the eagerly awaited official rematch is on the cards.
Controversial past, new opportunity
Tom Schwarz has had a turbulent time: after a scandal surrounding an assault, he not only lost his promoter (SES), but also any presence on major TV platforms. It was only with No Limit Boxing and promoter Bekim Hoxhaj that he made a cautious new start. The upcoming fight against Gashi will therefore be Schwarz’s first real sporting test in over a year.
The situation is different for Senad “GachineGun” Gashi: The 33-year-old is much more active, has had seven professional fights since the end of 2023 alone and is now preparing specifically in Germany – under the guidance of Dominik Junge at Mach1 Gym. After the frustrating defeat in the show fight, Gashi now wants to leave nothing to chance: “I won’t need a referee this time. I’ll finish it in the ring – for everyone to see,” he said.
Gashi also makes no secret of his personal dislike of Schwarz: “He is not humanly acceptable. No TV station wanted to let him box. Now he has to prove himself in the ring – and there will be no excuses.” The international bookmakers give Tom Schwarz the slight edge with odds of 1.63. Gashi is quoted as the underdog at 2.18 – which may come as a surprise given his activity and physical condition.
Top-class undercard with Adam Deines
But it’s not just the main fight that’s tough: Adam Deines (23-3-1, 14 knockouts), who fought for the 2021 World Championships against Artur Beterbiev, will face the tough Pole Michal Ludwiczak (18-15-2, 10 knockouts) – a must-win for the experienced light heavyweight, but anything but a walk in the park. Also in focus: Jevgenijs Aleksejevs (17-0, 10 knockouts) from Latvia, who takes on the powerful Frenchman Ismael Seck (13-8-2, 5 knockouts) in the middleweight division. In the light heavyweight division, local hero Patrick Rokohl (28-5, 20 knockouts) will take on the experienced Gregory Trenel (22-15-2, 8 knockouts) – a fight that Rokohl is determined to win in front of his home crowd.
Text by Robin Josten