Roman Fress and Tahir Kahrovic will meet in Magdeburg on March 7 – with nothing less than the interim WBO world title at stake.
The cruiserweight division has a new focal point in Germany: on March 7, the WBO interim title will be awarded at the Magdeburg Messehalel. Roman Fress and Tahir Kahrovic are two German boxers facing each other – both with ambitions, both still without a twelve-round test.
Rankings leader Roman Fress (23-1, 13 KOs), trained by former world champion Robert Stieglitz, goes into the fight as the formal favorite. The 31-year-old holds the WBO Intercontinental title and is currently ranked number one in the WBO world rankings. He brings international experience with him, but a real signature victory is still missing – as is a world championship fight over the full distance.
Opposite him is the unbeaten Tahir Kahrovic (23-0, 15 KOs), better known as “Tommy Punch”. The 29-year-old has worked his way to the top of the world rankings via national and European title fights and has held the WBO European title since 2023. Despite his unblemished record, the interim title fight is his biggest step to date – both athletically and mentally.
With the WBO interim belt, the winner can look forward to a direct pole position in the world championship race. For both boxers it is clear: it is not just about gold, but about the door to the absolute top of the world.
Text by Robin Josten