Ringside Zone sets the next exclamation mark: Face-off at the Mannheim water tower, public training and press conference.
The countdown is on: With an impressive boxing event yesterday, the Ringside Zone heralded the hot phase ahead of the “Night of the Heavyweights” on May 15 in the SAP Arena Mannheim. In front of Mannheim’s landmark, the historic water tower, the evening’s protagonists came face to face for the first time. Several hundred fans then watched the public training session at engelhorn Sports before the official press conference rounded off the day.
With the Mannheim water tower as an imposing stage, the fight pairings at the “Night of the Heavyweights” provided a picture full of intensity. Alex Okafor and Elija Ülküseven, who are fighting for the German cruiserweight championship, made it unmistakably clear what was at stake. Peter Kadiru and Senad Gashi face each other in the biggest German heavyweight duel of recent years.
Edmon “Ringlife” Avagyan, Germany’s biggest martial arts influencer, met Patrik Fiala for the first time and will make his professional debut for the Ringside Zone on May 15. The spectacle was rounded off by the face-off between Emanuel Odiase and Nick Webb, who are boxing for the title of IBF European Champion in the SAP Arena. This was a very special milestone for Odiase, who is still unbeaten in Heidelberg.
Unique insight into the preparation
Following the face-offs, all twelve athletes presented themselves in top form during public training at engelhorn Sports: Oluwole Ciosek, Franklyn Dwomoh, Viktor Jurk, Nelvie Tiafack, Elija Ülküseven, Alex Okafor, Patrik Fiala, Edmon Avagyan, Senad Gashi, Peter Kadiru, Nick Webb and Emanuel Odiase gave fans and media representatives a unique insight into their preparations for the competition. The physical presence and technical brilliance of the boxers left no doubt that the spectators in the SAP Arena were in for a top-class boxing spectacle.
The official press conference was hosted by DAZN commentators Uli and Jogi Hebel. The two presenters expertly guided the audience through the program and created a lively atmosphere. The protagonists then answered questions from the journalists. It became particularly emotional when Emanuel Odiase spoke about the significance of the upcoming fight in his adopted country. “When I started boxing, I always drove past the SAP Arena and had the vision: one day I’ll box for a world championship there and fill the arena. Now I’m fighting for the European Championship on May 15, so we’re already one step closer. I’m looking forward to making German boxing great again together,” beamed Odiase.
“We bring world-class boxing”
Florian Winter, Managing Director of Ringside Zone Promotion, was highly satisfied with the kick-off and underlined his personal ambitions for the “Night of the Heavyweights” and beyond. “What we experienced today in Mannheim – at the water tower, at engelhorn Sports and here at the press conference – is exactly the energy that we want to convey with the Ringside Zone. We are bringing absolute world-class boxing back to Germany and offering fans fights that have real sporting relevance. The SAP Arena will shake on May 15 – we are ready to make history.” – Florian Winter, Managing Director Ringside Zone.
Heidelberg entrepreneur Winter was also able to announce an important media partnership: “We, the Ringside Zone, are delighted that our event on May 15 will be streamed live for the first time via the ARD media library and Sportschau.de and will therefore be free to watch. ARD will be coming to Mannheim with its own editorial team to report from the event. We are very much looking forward to the partnership with ARD.” – Florian Winter, Managing Director Ringside Zone.
The Night of the Heavyweights will take place on May 15, 2026 in the SAP Arena Mannheim. The Ringside Zone event combines national title fights, international title duels and a top-class entertainment program. Tickets are available at www.ringside-zone.com
Text: Press release / Ringside Zone