Change of opponent at SES: Roman Fress now faces Armend Xhoxhaj – and the chance of a title fight.
For Roman Fress, things will suddenly become much more explosive than originally planned on May 30 in Magdeburg. Instead of Tommy Punch, the WBO number 1 cruiserweight will now face an emotionally charged rematch with Armend Xhoxhaj. His original opponent had to withdraw due to injury, but the WBO European champion is now an opponent who is well known to Fress. The two boxers faced each other back in 2022, when the SES fighter suffered his only defeat as a professional.
The importance of the rematch is correspondingly high. Fress not only wants to take revenge, but also defend his top position with the WBO. This could pave the way for him to a world championship fight against the new WBO world champion David Benavidez. However, Xhoxhaj is an unpleasant opponent. The Kosovar is considered to be extremely strong, powerful and mentally tough. He repeatedly pushed Fress to his limits in their first duel. The conditions are therefore set for an intense and high-class cruiserweight fight. The SES Gala will be broadcast live on MDR and in the ARD media library on May 30.
Text by Robin Josten