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Originally scheduled to fight
for the title in his native
Gabon next month, Taylor Mabika
will now take on Germany’s Lars
Buchholz for the vacant World
Boxing Federation (WBF)
International Cruiserweight
crown on Friday, June 17, at the
Centre Sportif Obercorn in
Differdange, Luxembourg.
Former African and Luxembourg
national champion Mabika turned
professional almost exactly
eight years ago, on June 20
2008, and has since compiled a
fine 14-2-1 (8) record, fighting
in places such as France,
Germany, Poland, and of course
Gabon and Luxembourg.
One of his two losses came by
decision to current WBO World
Champion Krzysztof Glowacki,
then 18-0, after a hard fight in
2013. He has since rebounded
well, and last year he scored an
emphatic fourth round stoppage
over former European champion,
and WBO world title-challenger,
Yuriy Barashian.
In Lars Buchholz, 27-8 (2), he
will be facing a tricky and
dangerous foe, who has showed in
his previous fights that he
carries significant power in
both hands. The former German
champion has yet to beat any big
names, but he has mixed with
top-class operators before and
been part of major championship
fights.
Only this past March he
challenged for the WBF World
Cruiserweight title, when he
stepped in on a few days notice
to fight defending champion Zine
Eddine Benmakhlouf in Algeria,
when the original opponent fell
out. Buchholz retired after six
rounds, but put on a commendable
performance.
Now the 34-year-old from Berlin
gets another chance to win a
significant title, and this time
he has had more than a few days
to prepare. Both men has
experience from big fights, and
both men can certainly punch, so
an entertaining and potentially
explosive encounter is expected.
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