By Per Ake Persson

Turkish super middleweight Avni Yildirim (19-1) outscored Canadian Ryan Ford (14-3) over twelve hard fought rounds last night in Cologne, Germany.

Yildirim won on scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 117-112 and thus retained the WBC Int´l title.

Yildirim kept coming throughout the fight but looked tired in the last and was shaken by a right hand from Ford.

Flyweight Mohammed Obbadi (16-1) won the vacant EU title in Florence (Italy) last night with a unanimous decision over Aramis Torres from Spain. Obbadi won on scores of 119-109, 116-111 and 118-109.

...

In other action in Italy veteran Domenico Spada (43-7) was upset by Mirko Geografo (11-1-1) and lost the national title Friday (May 11) night.

Spada retired himself under confusing circumstances in the sixth round. Spada was cut earlier in the fight and complained to the referee about headbutts and then apparently told the ref he was through for the night.

...

Spanish super middleweight Ronny Landaeta (15-0) knocked out Bruno Tavares (12-2-1) in the seventh to win the vacant IBF Int´l title in Malaga (Spain) Friday evening. Tavares, a Portuguese fighting out of Switzerland, made things difficult for the local man but was knocked out by a single right hand and the referee waved it over without a count.

...

Former WBA "regular" champ at junior middleweight Jack Culcay is now co-challenger for the vacant EBU-EU middleweight title. In the other corner for some time is Elliot Matthews.

The EBU have set May 23 as deadline for purse bids or agreements.

The title has for one reason or another been vacant for quite some time and the last fighter to hold it was Ruben Diaz.

Culcay, 23-3, formerly with Universum and later with Sauerland, is now promoted by Agon Sports and beat Craig Cunningham last in March and looked good.

...

Swedish heavyweight Pezhman Seifkhani, 8-0, and stablemate light heavyweight Marko Calic, 6-0, are both set to fight June 2 in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Opponents for both are to be announced and for Pezhman it is his first eight rounder. Both are promoted by Fight Life in Orebro, Sweden.