Today in Dresden, Juergen Braehmer (46-2, 34 KOs) was reunited with former training partner and stable-mate Konni Konrad (22-1, 11 KOs), but far from a meeting between two old friends, the fighters were taking part in a kick-off press conference to announce their WBA Light Heavyweight title fight on September 5 at the EnergieVerbund Arena.
Speaking to the media in attendance Braehmer revealed: ‘’I have known Konni for many years. Not only were we in the same boxing-stable, we also spent a lot of time training together early in our careers.’’ From this familiarity, the 36 year-old southpaw knows not to underestimate the challenger from Cologne. ‘’Konni is a true fighter – someone who will never give up. To win this fight, I will need to stay focused from the first bell to the last.’’
For Konrad, the fight represents a chance of a lifetime. ‘’This is a massive opportunity for me,’’ said the 30 year-old. ‘’Of course many people will say I‘m the underdog and I have no chance, but I intend to prove them wrong.’’ In doing so the challenger hopes to repay the support shown to him by his mentor Felix Sturm. ‘’Felix brought me back to boxing. He believed in me when no one else did. Now, I want to repay him with a great performance and a world championship belt!’’
