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Shock for Rostock boxers: title fight in Vietnam canceled!
Rostock boxer Ramsan Amkhadov fought for the OPBF title in Vietnam, but the fight was canceled due to a drug scandal.
Shock for Rostock boxers: title fight in Vietnam canceled!
In a dramatic twist, Ramzan Amkhadov and his trainer Thomas Milster learned today in Ho Chi Minh City that their planned title fight on November 1st has been canceled. Reigning world champion and promoter Tran Van Thao informed the two of the cancellation, which was due to a drug scandal in the Vietnamese boxing association. The association's president, Liu Xiu Bao, was arrested in Los Angeles on drug trafficking charges, leading to the immediate cancellation of all events. As the Baltic Sea newspaper reports, Amkhadov was shocked and stunned after his months of preparation.
The undefeated boxer has had five professional fights in his career so far and was ready to fight for the vacant belt Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) to fight. This organization, headquartered in Japan and founded in 1952, oversees title fights in the Asia and Pacific region. The setback not only affects Amkhadov personally, but also his team, which remains stuck with a large part of the costs despite minimal compensation from Tran Van Thao. Milster pointed out that a larger boxing organization might be able to offset the costs, but her team doesn't have the financial resources to do so.
The way back
Although the news was disappointing, Amkhadov doesn't let it get him down. “The title fight has only been postponed, not canceled,” said the boxer optimistically. He is currently using his time in Vietnam to go sightseeing and recover from the setback before flying back to Germany on November 5th.
The situation also hits the OPBF hard, as such scandals can permanently undermine trust in a boxing organization. Boxing in Vietnam appears to be facing an uncertain future until the legal issues surrounding the federation's president are resolved. For Amkhadov, the hope remains that new opportunities in the ring will soon arise. After all, the boxing world often shows that setbacks can develop into new opportunities.