By Marco Bratusch

Finnish promoter Pekka Maki has won today’s EBU purse bid for the vacant European Union cruiserweight title between Italian of Argentinian descendants Leonardo Damian Bruzzese (16-2, 5 KOs) and 36-year-old Juho Haapoja (27-7-2, 16 KOs), who already held this title from Sept. 2011 until Sept. 2012. Maki offered 40,123 Euros, topping the other two offers arrived at EBU’s office in Rome: Salvatore Cherchi’s OPI 31,317 Euros and Paimander Sports Consulting’s 34,345 Euros. According to Maki Boxing, a suitable date to stage the fight will be likely released inside the current week.

Ukrainian-born puncher Serhi Demchenko (17-11-1, 12KOs), who got Italian citizenship, has officially agreed to become co-challenger for the vacant European Union super middleweight belt. The other co-challenger is French fighter Hadillah Mohoumadi (21-4-1, 16 KOs), for a clash of heavy-handed boxers. Demchenko won the EBU-EU title in the light heavyweight division one year ago stopping Mirko Ricci in round 10, while Mohoumadi held the title at 168 lbs division in 2015 when he kayoed Canarian southpaw Mariano “El Tiburòn” Hilario in 8 rounds. The fighters’ handlers are already in talks over the bout, which will be probably staged in France.