Florian Winter and his “Ringside Zone” fighters around Emanuel Odiase provide an impressive boxing spectacle at the “Night of the Heavyweights”.
It’s quite possible that Viktor Jurk will soon have an entry in the record books. The German heavyweight knocked the Colombian Edwin Castillo into the ring dust with a lightning knockout in the first round, taking just three to four seconds at the “Night of the Heavyweights” in Mannheim. According to the “Guinness Book of Records”, the record for the fastest knockout in the world is four seconds, set by the American Mike Collins in 1947 – a record that Jurk can shake.
Heavyweights strive for higher things
It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old from Flensburg will get a title fight just as quickly. The undefeated 2.04-meter man from the “Ringside Zone” (RSZ) landed his twelfth knockout in his 14th professional fight in the SAP Arena. Jurk’s camp said in the early hours of Saturday that they were aiming for a European championship fight next year.
In general, RSZ manager Florian Winter’s heavyweights are in the starting blocks to earn higher honors. Peter Kadiru controlled his fight against a committed, but boxing-wise inferior Senad Gashi almost throughout, so that in the end a deserved points victory was recorded for the Hamburg fighter. Nelvie Tiafack from Cologne scored an unagitated points win against Mateus Munhoz Da Penha (Brazil) in front of the fans in the arena, which had been converted into a boxing temple. Tiafack went the distance of six rounds for the first time in his young professional career. And finally, Emanuel Odiase performed as the headliner of the heavyweight night in Mannheim. The Heidelberg native fought against Briton Nick Webb for the IBF European championship belt and did not need a full two rounds to succeed.
Odiase impresses boxing idol Schulz
Odiase was agile on his feet, repeatedly landing his right hand in particular and finally scored a quick knockout against Webb. “I went into the fight day very relaxed this morning,” revealed promoter Florian Winter’s figurehead in the post-fight interview. The pressure to succeed as the main fighter in front of a home crowd was not too great a hurdle for the likeable heavyweight. Boxing idol Axel Schulz also thought so: “It was sensational how Emanuel managed to lift and deliver such a load. He impressed me.”
It was a dream come true for the 27-year-old himself. “I dedicate this fight to all children who have dreams,” said Odiase. “As a little boy, I often drove past the SAP Arena in Mannheim and thought: ‘I’ll box there one day’. Dear children: Believe in your dreams, get someone to support them and pursue them.” The 2.03-metre boxing pro’s next goal: the world champion belt in 2027. Odiase is also counting on a generational change in the premier class when top fighters such as Oleksandr Usyk (39), Tyson Fury (37) and Anthony Joshua (36) finally retire from boxing.
“Other promoters can dress warmly”
Speaking of Joshua: AJ promoter Eddie Hearn was also impressed by the backdrop and the staging in Mannheim. The Matchroom boss praised Florian Winter’s event as a “world-class show”. Hearn said of Odiase: “He’s good, but nobody knows who he is yet.” And explained that it was of no value for a popular boxer “to fight someone nobody really knows, especially if it’s a dangerous fight”. In other words, it could be costly for Winter and his Ringside Zone to find suitable opponents to nurture Odiase’s title hopes and help him progress in the sport.
However, such statements will hardly dissuade Winter from his plans. In Mannheim, the promoter presented a TV partner for the first time in the form of ARD, which streamed his event. Financially, this deal is unlikely to be a worthwhile cooperation, as Winter indicated in the ring of the SAP Arena. But if you can put on an event like this without a lot of money, “the other promoters will be in for a treat once we get more TV money”.
The Schwetzingen-based entrepreneur also presented thoroughly entertaining fights in the other weight classes on this long evening of boxing. Middleweight Oluwole Jan Ciosek defeated US-American Shae Green, a protégé of ring legend Roy Jones Jr, unanimously on points. Boxing influencer Edmon “Ringlife” Avagyan (Cruiser) celebrated a brilliant professional debut in Mannheim with a third-round knockout against Czech Patrik Fiala. Devrim Gökduman and Franklyn Dwomoh fought a spectacular ring battle in the lightweight division, which ended in a draw after ten rounds in the fight for the IBF European Championship belt.
Germany vs. England in the ring
RSZ fighter Alexander Okafor and Elija Ülküseven also ensured a close duel for the German Cruiserweight Championship, which ultimately went to Okafor by split decision. However, most people in the hall had seen Ülküseven as the winner. At the end of the Mannheim boxing night, welterweights Karen Chukhadzhian (Ukraine) and Paddy Donovan (Ireland) shared the ring. Two knockdowns in rounds six and eight possibly cost Chukhadzhian victory in an IBF Final Eliminator, which went to Hearn’s protégé Donovan by Majority Decision.
According to reports, the next Ringside Zone event will take place abroad this year. At the Night of the Heavyweights, Florian Winter spoke about organizing an event with German and English boxers. “Then we’ll show the English that we’re better,” he fired up the plan with a side swipe at Hearn. And: “German boxing is “100 percent” back with the event in Mannheim.
Text: Frank Schwantes