Undefeated super middleweight Leon Bauer had to pull out of his IBF/IBO Youth world title fight against unbeaten Columbian Hacel Gonzalez due to complications from a Covid infection. The fight was scheduled to take place on the undercard of the huge IBO World light heavyweight championship between Leon Bunn and Padraig McCrory on October 22 at the Fabriksporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany. The Bunn-McCrory showdown is presented by Wasserman Boxing in association with Probellum.

The battle between Bauer and Gonzalez was supposed to take place on September 24 in Ludwigshafen but was postponed to October 22 after Bauer first tested positive for the Corona virus. The 24-years old super middleweight experienced mild symptoms at first and was expected to return to training camp in a matter of days. However, Bauer’s condition worsened over the weekend and he was thus advised by his doctor to take a lengthier break from boxing in order to make a full recovery.

“It’s unfortunate that Leon Bauer won’t be able to step into the ring, but health always comes first and Covid is no joke,“ said promoter Kalle Sauerland. “We wish him a speedy and full recovery!“

“Unfortunately, Leon Bauer’s symptoms worsened over the last couple of days,“ added Bauer’s promoter Rainer Gottwald. “There’s no reason to worry, but he is having slight problems with his lungs and experiences angina-like symptoms. It will take a while until Leon will be able to step back into the ring. We are sorry for the fans, for Hacel Gonzalez and, of course, for Leon, too, but health is the most important thing, which is why we had no choice but to cancel the fight.“ 

Tickets for the IBO World light heavyweight championship between Leon Bunn and Padraig McCrory on October 22 at the Fabriksporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany, are on sale now and can be bought via Eventim.

wo exciting Youth world title fights have been added to the undercard for the huge IBO World light heavyweight championship showdown between unbeaten local hero Leon Bunn and hard-hitting Irishman Padraig McCrory, brought to you by Wasserman Boxing in association with Probellum. The unbeaten Luca Cinqueoncie from Offenbach, Germany, will put his WBC and IBF Youth World light heavyweight titles on the line against Leon Maric, while Leon Bauer and Hancel Gonzalez are set to collide in battle of the undefeated for the vacant IBF and IBO Youth World super middleweight titles. Both Youth title fights are presented in collaboration with Rainer Gottwald’s KAIF 5STAR Boxing Promotion. 

The unbeaten Luca Cinqueoncie will have home advantage in Frankfurt, as his birth town of Offenbach is only a few kilometers away from the site of the fight on October 22. It will be a rematch between Cinqueoncie and Maric, as they previously fought in May. The German “Rocky“ won the fight on points, but Maric activated a rematch clause to secure another shot at Cinqueoncie. While the fans can certainly expect an explosive rematch between the two light heavyweights, Cinqueoncie does not lack confidence ahead of the fight: “I want to thank Rainer Gottwald and Kalle Sauerland for this opportunity. It’s a huge honor to be fighting on such a big stage, that’s what you dream of as a kid“, he said. “Frankfurt is close to Offenbach and I can’t wait to put on a show for my fans. It’ll be a great fight, but I’ll bring that victory back home!“

In a battle of undefeated super middleweights, 24-years old Leon Bauer from Kandel, Germany, will square off with 21-years old Hancel Gonzalez from Columbia. The vacant IBF and IBO Youth World titles will be on the line. The fight was originally scheduled for September 24 in Ludwigshafen, but Bauer tested positive for Covid ahead of the bout. While he is still isolated at home, Bauer is already feeling better and is ready to resume training in the next couple of days – with the clear goal in mind to be at his very best on October 22 in Frankfurt!

Promoter Kalle Sauerland is excited by the addition of the two Youth world championships to the Frankfurt Fight Night: “It was a pleasure to work with Rainer Gottwald on securing those two exciting title fights! Luca Cinqueoncie and Leon Bauer are highly talented fighters, ready to make their way to the top. Offenbach is not far from Frankfurt, so Luca will have home advantage as well and I’m sure that many of his fans will make the drive to the arena. Everyone is in for a great event on October 22 at the Fabriksporthalle!“

Rainer Gottwald, promoter of both Cinqueoncie and Bauer, cannot wait for the first bell at the Fabriksporthalle either: “Luca and Leon are two tough, strong fighters and they will prove their talent on October 22. It was a great pleasure to work with Kalle and Wasserman Boxing to make this happen. It’s important for German boxing that we all work together and stage big events like this. All the fans from Frankfurt and Offenbach can look forward to an amazing atmosphere on fight night!“

Tickets for the IBO World light heavyweight championship between Leon Bunn and Padraig McCrory and the two Youth World championships featuring Luca Cinqueoncie and Leon Bauer on October 22 at the Fabriksporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany, are on sale now and can be bought via Eventim.

Leon Bauer (16-0-1, 9 KOs) will face his toughest career test on August 17 as the rising German star takes on experienced English boxer Luke Blackledge (26-7-2, 9 KOs) at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

The 20 year-old IBF Youth Champion returns to the ring following a one-sided points win over Argentina’s Mateo Damian Veron at the CongressPark in Wolfsburg in April, and will look to continue his climb up the super middleweight ranks with a victory in front of his home fans in Ludwigshafen.

“It’s an honour for me to box in front of my fans at home again,” said Bauer. “I always give it my all and I will do my best to win. I’m in good shape already, my training has started and the fight can’t come soon enough.

“Luke Blackledge is a strong opponent and has a lot of experience, but for me this fight is a good opportunity to show where I stand. The fans at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle on August 17 will see how ready I am!”

Blackledge, a former Commonwealth and WBC International Silver Champion, who has faced the likes of former WBA Champion Rocky Fielding and current WBA Super and Ring Magazine Champion Callum Smith, believe his experience will give him the edge as he predicts a ‘battle’ against Bauer.   

“We’re two aggressive boxers who come forward, and on August 17, it will come down to who shows more will. I expect a real battle,” says Blackledge. “I am extremely fit and have the experience of having boxed against the best in the world. I’m the strongest opponent Leon Bauer has ever faced. I cannot wait to show my talent in Germany and I’m sure that I’ll come home with the victory!”

“Luke Blackledge will be a real tough test for Leon,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland. “He has boxed some big names, won titles and is very experienced so the fans can look forward to another exciting battle in Ludwigshafen.” 

This mouth-watering super middleweight clash is scheduled for eight rounds and features as chief support for Vincent Feigenbutz (30-2, 27 KOs) versus Cesar Nunez (16-0-1, 8 KOs). The stacked bill in South Germany also includes 17 year-old sensation Sophie Alisch (3-0, 1KO), Norway’s Katharina Thanderz (11-0, 2 KOs) and Hadi Srour (3-0, 2 KOs), as well as unbeaten super welterweight Ahmad Ali (14-0-1, 10 KOs) defending his GBU World Title.

All the action from the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle is available to watch live on Sport1 in Germany and Viasport+ and Viaplay in Norway. Tickets are available online via www.eventim.de or by calling +49 01806-570440.

Leon Bauer (15-0-1, 9 KOs) has signed a contract extension with promoter Team Sauerland as the 20 year-old super middleweight continues his promising career on April 6 at the CongressPark in Wolfsburg, Germany.

One of the rising stars of Team Sauerland’s German stable, Bauer has been touted as one of the country’s hottest super middleweight prospects. Having made his debut at just 16 years of age, he is now undefeated in sixteen professional contests and is the current IBF Youth World Champion.

“Leon is a great boxer, who has a lot of experience for a fighter of his age,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland. “We look forward to working with him, his father Bernd, who is also his trainer, and his management, to ensure he fulfills his potential. We’re positive Leon has a very exciting future ahead of him.”

“It is important to have a strong promoter behind you for planning and security,” says Bauer. “And I am happy I can now fully concentrate on the future. Of course, I want to win titles as quickly as possible, but everything has to fit, and working in close cooperation with my promoter, we will take those next steps.”

“We are pleased that we can continue our cooperation with Team Sauerland, and we look forward to celebrating many more successes together,” adds Bauer’s coach and father Bernd.

Bauer will return to the ring on April 6 in Wolfsburg, following his unanimous points win over Jorge Silva on December 8 in Zagreb, and joins stablemates Patrick Wojcicki and Denis Radovan in action at the CongressPark.

Patrick Wojcicki defends his IBF Intercontinental Middleweight title against Marcelo Fabian Caceres, while Denis Radovan rematches domestic rival Ronny Mittag for the IBF European Middleweight crown.

Tickets for the Team Sauerland event on April 6 at the CongressPark in Wolfsburg are available online via www.eventim.de.