Kentikian Was the Real Heavyweight in Germany Saturday Night

A LAND OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY – For her hotly heralded return after an eight month layoff, Susi “Killer Queen” Kentikian weighed in at 111 1/2, a quarter pound more than her rival Ana Arrazola did, at 111 1/2.

Add them up and the girl's total is just a pinch less than Albert Sosnowski, 224 1/2, weighed in, and almost 30 pounds under Alexander Dimitrenko, 252 3/4.

Do the mauling marketing math in heavyweight hungry Germany and the equation comes out as quite a surprise compared to most other professional locales, especially considering the proven popularity of numerous 4-6 round undercard collisions between a variety of large European hopefuls who converge on th e active boxing scene here.

As a main event attraction, Kentikian carries the weight and does the heavy lifting at the ticket office.

As she proved once again last Saturday night in Hamburg, Kentikian seems like one of the real heavyweights in German boxing. Dimitrinko – Sosnowski, an interesting, fairly important bout, was languishing before a wandering public eye after being postponed from December after Dimitrenko fainted in the dressing room.  

After it was announced just a couple weeks before the card that Kentikian had been added to the card, the event became a hot ticket.

Fighters like Dimitrenko can't help it that Kentikian has been cast as a rugged, ultra-healthy sex symbol in many ad campaigns around the Deutschland dukeout scene.

Kentikian has also recently released a well publicized, auto-biographical “lifestyle/fitness” type book.      

During fight week there were three additional video links on the German media “Bild.de” site to Kentikian, two of which were subject matter completely unrelated to the pending contest. Both sidebars featured “the feminine side” of Kentikian, including some rather silly boxing related cheesecake poses.

The most blaring headline touted one steamy statement at the very end of one video interview, in which Kentikian indicates women boxers follow the same no-sex training habits as men.

At least they didn't make the heavyweights wear bikini briefs for the weigh-in.

Dimitrenko and Sosnowski were engaged in an elimination for another chance at the Klitschko sweepstakes. Neither man looked like they should be in with a Klitschko unless it's as a sparring partner. It was a draining exercise between two solid pros, but much of Dimitrenko- Sosnowski was a sloppy slog, including two times the fighters waltzed themselves to the floor.

After a slow start, Dimitrenko got stung until he woke up. Slowly but surely his size advantage just wore down the always advancing Sosnowski. Both men are legitimate top ten European heavyweights. Both men sometimes missed by a mile.

Finally, in the 12th frame, Dimitrenko hoisted the type of uppercut that makes him look like a future threat. The usually sturdy Sosnowski crumpled flat, out cold as if he'd been dropped from the rafters. Ten minutes later, Sosnowski still didn't know what planet he was on, but was hopefully OK as he left under his own steam.

Dimitrenko's fight was the primary warm-up act and television opener for Kentikian's spotlight before the typically huge German broadcast audience.

Dimitrenko, now in position again for a much bigger fight, was more animated and entertaining than usual during the post fight scene, but by then many in the crowd were already waiting for Kentikian's entrance.

23 year old Armenian born Hamburg resident Kentikian has recently been billed as the best professional boxer in Germany (it's still Felix Sturm, though he'll probably lose by the time anyone believes me). Kentikian wasn't anywhere near rust-free last Saturday, but she was still in good shape and almost as busy as always.

Media previews focused on the fact that Arrazola, now 19-5-3, had three children. Indeed, Arrazola turned out to be one tough mother. Kentikian won by a comfortable margin, but she got tagged more than a few times and she failed to deliver a promised knockout.

“It was tougher than I thought to come back after the time off, but I did not underestimate her,” said Kentikian, who wants to stay busier.

Kentikian's fight schedule has decreased in direct correlation with subsequent years since 2007, when she was breaking into the public eye and fought five times. Then it was four fights in '08, three in '09, and two last year. At that rate she's seen her action for this season, but it seems like management and promotional readjustments are behind her, which hopefully translates to more bouts.

Kentikian is likely to resume her sporadic but profitable German tour of medium sized venues. She'd probably be crazy to think about taking a fight in the USA. 

Professional purses are a much more private matter around here, so Kentikian's earnings were not divulged during the promotion. She and Dimitrenko probably pocketed around the same amount, in quite different sized pockets.  

Kentiakian is listed at 5'1. Dimitrenko 6'7.

On a Saturday night in a German boxing ring, Kentikian was the real heavyweight.

It says a lot about the state of women's boxing here that despite a dramatic knockout, the big bruiser still couldn't get out of the small slugger's shadow.

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