Hamburg, Germany - Former world champion Felix Sturm (41-5-3) outscored Tim Rost over ten rounds in his first fight since early 2016.

Sturm had been out of the ring while dealing with a mountain of legal issues connected to tax evasion and doping charges.

The contest was the headliner of Universum's show on Saturday night.

Sturm put on a controlled, workmanlike performance and was in full control throughout the fight. Rost (10-1-2) didn't have the experience to cause an upset and while never hurt he was stunned several times.

Sturm didn't look rusty but more like an older, slower version of what once was a very slick, capable boxer, who never had real punching power. How far he can make it up the ratings is an open question. He was in very good shape and paced himself well.

In other action, increasingly bigger (as in overweight) Cuban Jose Larduet (5-0) knocked out Argentinian Marcos Antonio Aumada (21-10) at 3.00 of the first round. Larduet loaded up on every punch and Aumada, too brave for his own good, tried to counter him and was caught and knocked out.

Heavyweight contender Lenroy Thomas (24-5-1) stopped Brazilian Fernando Rodrigo Simoes de Almeida in the second. The much smaller and overmatched de Almeida was down twice in the first and twice in the second.