A Scandinavian showdown is set for September 19 when undefeated Swedish fighter Sven Fornling (7-0, 5 KOs) squares off against Norwegian rival Simen Smaadal (10-1, 4 KOs) at the Rosvalla Stora Ishallen at the Nyköpings Arenor in Nyköping, Sweden.
Full of confidence, Smaadal, from Langhus, Norway, issued a social media challenge to Fornling, which the Malmo-boxer happily accepted, paving the way for a fascinating match up between the two 26 year-old fighters.
‘’I respect Smaadal for choosing to challenge me,’’ said Fornling, ‘’I think that the Nordic fighters should put their neck out a bit more and fight each other.
‘’If you look at his ranking you could argue that he will be my toughest opponent so far, but to judge the fighting skills of a boxer you must look at more than just their ranking on Boxrec. I think he will give me a good fight but if it will be my hardest so far is difficult to predict.
‘’What I can predict is that it will be six rounds of war and chaos. Smaadal is a bit taller than me and in the opening rounds he might be able to keep me at a distance, but as the fight goes on I will get to him and fight at the pace and distance I prefer – close and hard.
‘’I know I have the tools to stop him, and if I do my thing he will have massive problems avoiding my devastating shots. I expect a late KO victory for me.’’
‘’Fornling looks like a good athlete and I expect him to come in good shape and full of self-confidence,’’ said Smaadal. ‘’However, he has never fought anyone like me!
‘’He may be undefeated but he has only ever fought journeymen. I’ve been through some hard fights against much better opposition and that will give me a big advantage. This is his first fight against a real professional, and I’m going to be bringing my A-game to Sweden. It was a brave move for him to accept my challenge but not a smart one. This fight is mine!
‘’He may be the home fighter but I’m sure that after the fight I will have 5,000 new Swedish supporters. I know the fans will be loud and I love fighting when the atmosphere is blowing through the roof.
‘’I’m more than ready for this fight. My training has been going well and I feel stronger everyday. For the next two weeks I’ll be in Denmark sparring with WBA Intercontinental Champion Patrick Nielsen, and that will give me the sharpness and focus I need to win.’’
Abdul Khattab Begins Comeback
Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’This could well be the fight of the night! We have two, young hungry fighters facing off and neither will want to budge an inch. They can both box and they can both punch, and the Sweden vs. Norway rivalry will give it an extra spice. This is what the Nordic Fight Night is all about!’’
Abdul Khattab’s (11-1-0, 3 KOs) comeback trail begins on September 12 at the Arena Nord in Frederikshavn when the talented Danish middleweight returns to the ring following his first career defeat to face Hungarian Istvan Kiss (20-19, 10 KOs).
“I can’t wait to get back into ring,” exclaims Khattab. A statement familiar from most boxers as they prepare to go to battle, but in Khattab’s case, there’s clearly more at stake. You can definitely sense some relief in his voice.
In May, Khattab, exhausted and unable to continue, lost to Howard Cospolite via a fifth-round technical knockout. It was an unexpected performance from 22 year-old that needed to be analysed.
“I had some blood samples taken, made a cardiac examination and my diet was examined, but there was nothing to show me any concern. I have no good explanation for why I ran out of steam,” said Khattab, who felt he showed up in excellent shape for the fight against Cospolite.
“Luckily, nothing is wrong and I will do my best to erase the impression I gave in my last fight. I’m too ambitious and too proud to let that happen again. I have had a good long holiday and feeling ready and hungry to return.
“Kiss is a good opponent and I’m expecting a tough fight, but this is a fight I need to win. He is a southpaw, so I’ve been sparring with Patrick Nielsen and Hampus Henriksson to prepare myself.
‘’I know Hampus Henriksson very well from my amateur days, he is a very good technical boxer that will only get better and we all know how good Patrick Nielsen is, so I cannot be better prepared to make a great comeback!”
