Boxing News: IBF Welterweight Champion Jan Zaveck Returns to the Ring September 3rd

IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck (31-1, 18 KOs) is going full throttle for his first American boxing campaign on September 3 in Biloxi, Mississippi. The reigning welterweight champion of the Magdeburg-based SES Team wants to take the best preparation for his career. In the states, the Slovenian-born Zaveck will defend his IBF belt against the WBC former world champion Andre Berto (27-1, 21 KOs). “Jan is currently in the sparring phase and he has invited the strongest training partners. The preparation is the hardest he has ever had,” said his trainer Dirk Dzemski.

Currently the 35-year-old former European champion Rafal Jackiewicz (36-9-1, 19 KOs) is his opponent in the ring. Jackiewicz and Zaveck had already met twice in competitive missions. In the battle for the European welterweight title in 2008 Zaveck was beaten by controversial decision but as a world champion he defeated the Polish fighter about a year ago in convincing fashion. Jackiewicz is also preparing in recent weeks for an international title fight in Britain.

In the coming week the undefeated Selcuk Aydin (22-0, 17 KOs) will come to sparring sessions to Magdeburg. Aydin, who lives in Hamburg, has won the WBC International welterweight title in 2009 and is one of the hopefuls in this weight division.

For the final sessions in the states the Colombian Joel Julio (37-4, 31 KOs) will finalize the preparation for this fight. SES teammate Sergio Vartanov (9-0, 4 KOs) has also been training with the champion in order to provide him a competitive level.

“I think this hard preparation is absolutely necessary. But this is also a risk. The risk of injury is great when those opponents are in sparring. But if Jan is absolutely not on the top of his skills, he would lose a fight in the U.S. So he needs an impressive victory in front of the American audience, the judges and HBO to remain as a world champion,” said Ulf Steinforth upon the hard training of Zaveck for his first fight in America.