Only three days to go until ARENA’s first big show with major TV partner SAT.1. The first TV featured bout of the night will be the WBA featherweight championship between Cuban superstar Yuriorkis Gamboa and his unbeaten challenger Jonathan Victor Barros from Argentina.

For Gamboa it will be a special feeling to defend his title in Germany for the first time. Three years ago “El Ciclon” had given his pro-debut in Hamburg after defecting from the Cuban national team along with Odlanier Solis and Yan Barthelemy.

“I thank everybody in Hamburg for the warm reception”, states Gamboa who moved from Germany to Miami in October 2007 to rise from a promising prospect to a future mega-star. “It feels great to be back here and to be able to present the world championship to my fans in Europe. I want to show a great fight and entertain my German fans who have always supported me.”

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Selcuk Aydin

Arena beats Don King to win purse in Mexico

Selcuk ‘Mini Tyson’ Aydin 19-0-0 (15) has the chance to be the second champion in the Arena Box-Promotion stable along with Cuban WBA featherweight champ Yuriorkis Gamboa. Last Friday Arena C.E.O Ahmet Öner won the purse bid, beating rival Don King by just $9000 for the right to host the interim WBC welterweight title bout between Aydin and Luis Collazo 30-4 (15). King’s’s highest offer was $201,000 whereas Arena bid $210,000. Arena now have the right to make the fight within the next 90 days.

“This is a really big chance for Aydin and a very important day for Turkish boxing.” said Öner. “Selcuk has a big chance now to be a World champ. Our plan is to make the fight at the end of May in Istanbul. The details aren’t finalized, but I’m sure this will be a mega event.”

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