Micki Nielsen (20-0, 14 KOs) faces his toughest test on March 19 when he faces Mirko Larghetti (24-1, 16 KOs) at the Albertslund MusikTeatret in Copenhagen.
Nielsen was originally scheduled to meet Giacobbe Fragomeni, but an elbow injury forced the Italian veteran to withdraw, paving the way for a mouth-watering clash between the unbeaten Dane and the World-ranked Larghetti.
Larghetti has suffered just one defeat in his twenty-five-fight career, inflicted by former WBO World Champion Marco Huck in a closely-contested World title challenge in August 2014, and will pose a serious threat to Nielsen’s undefeated record and World title aspirations.
‘’I’m very excited and focused on this fight,’’ said the 33 year-old from Frontino, who has recorded three stoppage victories since losing a points decision to Huck.
‘’This is a big opportunity for me. Micki Nielsen is one of the best cruiserweight prospects around, and by beating him, I will prove I’m ready for another World title challenge.
‘’I will be preparing for this fight like it’s a World title fight, training hard with my coach Mario Massai in Civitavecchia, who I’m sure will deliver me the right instructions on the night.
‘’Nielsen is a good boxer, but he has yet to fight anyone on my level. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m very confident I will win.’’
Nielsen says he is unaffected by the change of opponent and will be ready to retain his WBC International title no matter who stands in front of him.
‘’I’ve been in the gym training non-stop, and I’m ready to defend my title against whoever is put in front of me,’’ said the 22 year-old from Albertslund. ‘’I consider Larghetti to be a tougher fight than Fragomeni, but I’m confident in my own ability and the work I’ve been doing with my coach Joey Gamache.
‘’I know this is a step up for me, but I need to be involved in fights like this to prove I’m ready to face the best in the division. My goal is to become a World Champion, and to do this I need to beat the best, starting with Larghetti.’’
Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’This is without a doubt the toughest test of Micki’s career to date. It’s a real 50-50 fight, and a signal of intent that we believe Micki is ready to move up the rankings and challenge for major titles.’’
Nielsen’s manager Simon Lundt said: ‘’Securing Larghetti, who is ranked number three in the world by the WBA, after Fragomeni dropped out is a great achievement and shows how important it is to have the right team around you. Joey Gamache is doing a great job in the gym, and under his guidance, we are sure Micki will become World Champion.
