By Per Ake Persson

The long awaited comeback of 38-year old former WBA and WBC super middleweight champ Mikkel Kessler is on hold.

Earlier this fall Kessler was hit by a case borrelia and the ex-champ told TV 2 Sporten in Denmark he is only in light training and is still not fully recovered.

Ricard Olsen has announced his retirement from boxing following some knee problems. Olsen has over the past 25 years or so trained some of the best amateurs and professional fighters in Denmark and that includes the likes of Mads Larsen, Rudy Markussen, Frank Olsen, Steffen Norskov and above all Mikkel Kessler, who began his career as a 13-year old at the CIK gym with Olsen as coach.

The First Lady, WBA, WBC, WBO; IBF and IBO female welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus told media in Norway this weekend that first up is vacation but after that she is open for the idea of facing Layla McCarter in Las Vegas.

McCarter was recently made mandatory challenger by the IBF - mandatory challengers are rare in female boxing but here she is.

...

Italian cruiserweight Fabio Turchi (12-0) will make his US debut December 2 for Real Deal Promotions and will then go for the EU title back home. Turchi is mandatory challenger for newly crowned champ Aleksandru Jur and the EBU have set November 20 as deadline for purse offers or agreements.

IN OTHER NEWS: A superbly conditioned WBC female middleweight champion Christina Hammer KO'd challenger Gifty Amanua Ankrah in four rounds, in front of 1,000 fans at Sportscheck Arena in Munich, Germany.

The much taller Christina, who was in impressive fight shape at the WBC Convention last month had further honed her condition. She was in control throughout, thwarting the attacks of her shorter opponent with some jarring counter punching. So much so that Gifty's nose was bleeding heavily by the end of round two. A long, powerful well timed straight right dropped Gifty hard in round four. Bravely, she somehow got up, but was wobbling. Referee Juergen Langos counted her out at the two minute mark.

“She is a very tough fighter”, said Hammer. “I have never felt a harder head than hers. My hands are hurting. It was a good test and a nice warm-up for my trip to the US. I am looking forward to finally fighting in America. I hope Claressa Shields watches the tape of this fight so she knows what’s coming for her.”