Cruiserweight Roman Fress and super middleweight Artur Reis will be the focus of SES Boxing’s anniversary boxing gala on May 17.
SES Boxing is celebrating its 25th anniversary in May 2025. The boxing promotion is organizing a big anniversary boxing gala on Saturday, 17 May, on the lakeside stage in Magdeburg’s Elbauenpark. Boxing fans will get to see two title fights – with cruiserweight Roman Fress and super middleweight Artur Reis from the Magdeburg stable.
German-German cruiser duel
Fress (22-1-0, 13 knockouts), who is ranked in the top 15 by all four world federations, is on a mission to “recapture” the WBO Intercontinental belt, which he already won on the lakeside stage in Magdeburg in 2021. But he lost it a year later at the same venue after his only defeat to date against Armend Xhoxhaj. Now the SES cruiserweight will face Michael Seitz (13-1-0, 11 knockouts) from Kaiserslautern in a German duel for this vacant WBO title.
Artur Reis will be defending his WBA Continental super middleweight belt on May 17 at the Elbauenpark. The SES fighter is currently ranked 14th in the WBA world rankings. His opponent for this first title defense will be announced shortly. Here are the sound bites from the first press conference at the “Tessenow Loft” in Magdeburg:
Back to the roots
SES promoter Ulf Steinforth: “When you approach such a big anniversary, you have so many memories, thoughts and positive emotions in your head – but there is also a lot of gratitude to our entire SES team, to the many and above all long-standing companions and partners. So 2025 will be a memorable and important year for SES Boxing.”
“We are celebrating our 25th anniversary, making us something of a ‘veteran’ in the global boxing scene, and on May 17th we will be able to look back on a good 180 successful events with this SES Anniversary Boxing Gala. Only very few boxing stables in the world’s boxing history or even in Germany have been able to achieve this. The Seebühne in Magdeburg will provide a very worthy setting for this anniversary event, as it was our first event location in Magdeburg in 2000.”
“Then it can only go further upwards”
Roman Fress: “I’m proud to be able to fight the main event at this anniversary event. I have an even record of fights on the lake stage – the victory was followed by my only defeat. Losing that WBO title back then made me into the boxer who now only looks forward and won’t duck away from anything or anyone. That’s how it will be against Michael Seitz – I’ll win back ‘my’ WBO Intercontinental belt and then I can only keep going upwards!”
Fress coach Robert Stieglitz: “Defeats always hurt, but I can say from my own experience that they also make a boxer stronger!”
“Longing for this fight”
Michael Seitz: “I don’t come here to Magdeburg to play table tennis. Roman is strong, I’ve been following him for a long time and have been longing for this fight. I will now give everything to beat him!”
Seitz coach Frank Kiy: “Michael accepted the challenge last year in Riyadh despite poor preparation due to illness. We’ve been focusing on the fight against Roman for a long time, now Michael should seize the opportunity and win!”
“Our goal: to box for a world championship chance!”
Artur Reis: “Now I’m back in the top 15 in the world rankings – now with the WBA. After such a successful fight against Artur Henrik, I have to make my first title defense just as successful – no matter who I get in front of my fists!”
Reis coach Dirk Dzemski: “The duel in Aschersleben was a great fight with a very, very good performance from Artur Reis. We can more than build on that, because our goal remains to fight for a world championship opportunity again soon!”
Young talent from “Team Germany”
Also on the program for this boxing event: In addition to these two top-class title fights, the young ambitious boxers from “Team Germany” (SES Boxing’s junior project) are also scheduled for professional fights in the ring on the lake stage.
The MDR will broadcast this SES Boxing Gala on May 17 in the program “SPORT im Osten – Boxen live” from the Seebühne in Magdeburg.
Text: Frank Schwantes / PM SES Boxing