Huck returns to cruiserweight, defends WBO Title against Afolabi:
Marco Huck (34-2, 25 KOs) will return to the cruiserweight division following last month’s exciting clash with WBA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Povetkin. After long talks with Hall of Fame Promoter Wilfried Sauerland, coach Ulli Wegner, Team Sauerland General Manager Chris Meyer and sports director Hagen Doering, Huck made the decision to continue at cruiserweight, where he holds the WBO title.
For what it’s worth, we always assumed Huck would return to cruiserweight after the Povetkin clash. Even if he had gotten the win there, it seemed as if the logical move would be to cash out with a mega-fight in Germany against one of the Klitschko brothers, and then return to cruiserweight anyway.
His next opponent will be mandatory challenger and interim champion Ola Afolabi (19-2-3, 9 KOs). Next up for Povetkin is the mandatory defensee against Hasim Rahman. The earliest date for a potential rematch between Huck and Povetkin would be fall 2012.
“We believe that defending his WBO Cruiserweight Title is the best thing for Marco to do,” Wilfried Sauerland said. “At the age of 27 he is still very young for a boxer. He can always move up to heavyweight later.”
Huck accepted Sauerland’s advice. “I would have loved to remain at heavyweight but my team convinced me to stay at cruiserweight for the time being,” he said. “That’s fine for me. I am happy to continue my domination and keep destroying opponents. I will start with Afolabi. He is a dangerous fighter but he has no chance against me.”
First talks regarding the date and the venue have already been held between Team Sauerland and Tom Loeffler, Afolabi’s representative. It will be second time they meet in the ring.
After winning the WBO Cruiserweight Title in August 2009, Huck made a spectacular first defense against Afolabi in December 2009. The 31-year-old has won five straight since, while Huck clinched seven more victories until his dramatic battle against Povetkin.
