Alesia Schumann vs. Katia Nagel announced!

DE Box-Promotion are pleased to announce that Alesia Schumann and Katia Nagel will fight for the German championship in women’s Super Lightweight division on July 28.

Mandated by the German Boxing Federation, this fight is scheduled for 10 rounds of two minutes each under unified rules at Arena Leipzig. It will be broadcast live across Europe by Box TV.

Katia Nagel is the number one contender for the title that is vacant since Laura Ritter’s retirement. At 24 years of age, she has 11 wins (6 KOs) on record, only 2 losses and 1 draw. After fighting for WBC Silver against Stephanie Ward, this is the second title shot of her career.

“This is the fight I have been waiting for, declared Nagel. I’m glad to face the best challenger for the German title. When the referee will raise my arm up at the end of the fight, everyone will see me as the legitimate champion.”

Aged 26, Alesia Schumann is the number two contender. Her record stands at 7 wins (6 KOs), 2 losses, no draw. The former WBC Silver champion wants a new belt in her wardrobe.

“Did someone say belt? I’m looking forward to this new accessory, said Schumann. It will look better on me than on Katia, so I can’t let her win this. Kidding aside, I’m the best fighter in the division and Katia will be the first to find out in Leipzig.”

Tickets are on sale starting from today. Prices will range from €60 to €100.

Press conference


Heidi Becker: “Hello and welcome to the Book Hotel Leipzig. I am Heidi Becker, CEO of DE Box-Promotion, and your host for this press conference. The most anticipated German women’s boxing fight of the year is looming and we are all excited that the wheels are finally in motion! Alesia Schumann and Katia Nagel, two very strong women, will compete for German championship in the Super Lightweight division on July 28.”

Reporters fidget and power on their recording devices.

Heidi: “We have 10 rounds of boxing ahead at Arena Leipzig. Introducing first, the number one challenger for the title vacated by Laura Ritter, who went on to a well-deserved retirement. Aged 24, Katia has won 11 fights, 6 of them by knockout, lost only 2 and had one draw. Katia, we are all eager to hear what you have to tell us!”

Katia: “First of all let me say that I am glad that it’s Alesia. If the fight against Anna hadn’t been fixed she would had won anyway. So it’s right that Alesia will try to get the belt. I have respect for how she handled the whole situation. However, I will lay down my respect once we get in the ring. Alesia will know that she’s in a fight, she will feel it, and she will see it as soon as she gets a mirror in her hand. This is the chance I have worked for hard, and I’m not planning on blowing it.”


Alesia thinks: “Nice talk, but it won’t get you anywhere when the bell rings.”

Heidi: “Thank you, Katia. For her part, Alesia Schumann is 26 years young. She has earned 7 wins in the ring, 6 of them by way of knockout, lost 2 fights and has no draw on record. The former WBC Silver champion is ranked 8th worldwide according to BOX! Magazineand we all bet that she is looking forward to this fight. Alesia, do you have anything to say?”

Alesia: “Yes. Regina and I have gone through the mother of all training camps, punctuated by sparring sessions with pound for pound queen Cecilia Braekhus.”Katia frowns.

Alesia: “I am stronger than ever, more confident than ever and convinced that the belt which is just a few feet away from us will be elegantly wrapped around my waist once the fight is over. I look forward to becoming the German champion and to proudly represent our country on the world stage. In case you wonder, I have nothing personally against Katia. She’s a classy lady but she stands between me and the belt. I have to take her down and I will do it competently.”

Heidi: “On the coaching side, Lacie Callahan will be in Katia’s corner. A few words for us, Lacie?”

Lacie: “So, Alesia worked with Cecilia? Not really bad news for us. Cecilia is an ageing fighter, so she will probably have taught Alesia how to fight SLOW. We will respond to that by SPEED and POWER. I am sure that Katia has everything to end the fight before the final bell. Six knockouts should speak for themselves.”

Heidi: “Regina Halmich is Alesia’s coach. The floor is yours, Regina.”

Regina: “Thank you. We’re going into this fight with a roadmap. Back when Alesia and I formed our partnership, we made the German championship the first major goal of her career. We are there and we intend to win. Alesia has matured incredibly in barely more than a year, and I have no doubt that she will be up to the task when she steps into the ring at Arena Leipzig. Forget light shows. It will be the Alesia show! Also, we know what it takes to hand Katia the biggest defeat of her career and we will execute our plan meticulously. As Ally said, it’s nothing personal. We have goals and will achieve them, independently of who we face.”

Question period

Heidi: “Dear reporters, we hand it over to you.”

Question 1: “Alesia, you have qualified for this fight due to… a disqualification. Do you deserve being here?”

Alesia: “Katia herself agrees that I am the best opponent for her in this match. The federation wouldn’t have agreed to this just to make me happy anyway. It wants the future champion to be the one who earns being the title holder. You understand this better if you actually watch the fights.”

Question 2: “Speaking of that disqualification, you have publicly said that Anna Schwartz has become your friend. How can you associate yourself with someone who has had her last three wins overturned in a match-fixing scandal?”

The Bavarian’s eyes light up.

Alesia: “Anna is the most honest person you will ever meet! She is the victim of criminal activity! We now have a very positive relationship and she will be on the guest list on July 28. I couldn’t be happier that we are going into this battle together. I look forward to seeing her rebooting her career under Maxim Weiß’s watch. She will be a very successful pro boxer soon.”

Question 3: “Katia… Alesia Schumann is known as a tactician who has skills, a good chin and endurance. How do you think you can beat her?”

Katia: “I know that Alesia has a good chin, but even a good chin can’t take it forever as we all have seen in some of her fights. All I need to do is put her in a corner, and knock her out. Easy as that.”

Question 4: Lacie, what do you expect from the opposing camp on fight night?

Lacie: “I think they will do their best to make Alesia win. But it won’t be enough. Physically, Katia is stronger. They will have to deal with it. So what do I expect them to do? I expect them to pick Alesia up from the canvas after the fight!”

Question 5: Katia, your opponent qualified for this championship with a disqualification win after a KO in a fixed match. Does that give you the advantage?

Katia: “I don’t see any advantage here. Every fight must be fought. A fixed fight doesn’t count, so I don’t include it in my calculations. As I said before, this disqualification doesn’t matter. Alesia would have stomped Anna into the ground anyway. Like everybody would.”

Question 6: Regina, what do you expect Alesia to do in that ring?

Regina: “We know that Katia likes to go forward, attack and look to land power shots. Alesia’s game is tailor-made to deal with that, and we have prepared accordingly. We also know that we can take our time to dismantle her. Whether we knock her out in the middle rounds or box on our way to a decision doesn’t matter. We know we will win.”

Heidi: “Time’s up. Thanks for coming and see you at ringside!”

Pre-match analysis

intro

Esther: “Welcome back to Box TV Championship Boxing live at Arena Leipzig! I am Esther Schouten to bring you the main event of the evening, Germany’s women’s Super Lightweight championship featuring Katia Nagel against Alesia Schumann.”

Esther: “The two fighters, respectively number one and two in the division, have scintillating records and they will come out to walk on this red carpet within minutes. Katia Nagel, aged 24, will step in the ring as the favourite with 11 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. Alesia Schumann is 26 years old with a 7-2 record, without a draw. She comes into this fight as the underdog after benefiting from Anna Schwartz’ disqualification in the elimination bout.”

Esther: “Nagel has told everyone ahead of this fight that she expects a knockout win. In her opinion, Schumann’s chin and tactics don’t stand a chance. By my side is tonight’s guest analyst Cecilia Braekhus, the undisputed Welterweight champion of the world and best pound for pound woman in the sport. Cecilia, what do you expect from Nagel?”

Cecilia: “Katia has both speed and power. If she is faithful to her normal game plan, she will try to bully Alesia with relentless attacks that are difficult to avoid. She hits hard and fast and that’s why she scored six knockouts so far.”

Esther: “Schumann’s attitude before tonight has been supremely confident. During the pre-match press conference, she guaranteed that she would come out with the belt on her waist. Her coach Regina Halmich said that whether she would score a knockout or box to a decision wouldn’t matter. The pair would adapt to whatever they see. What do you make of it?”

Cecilia: “Alesia is another kind of beast. She steps back, defends and counters to death and she’s not afraid of taking a punch to land two big shots. Her resilience makes her a force in the Super Lightweight division and her coach has a knack for making the right adjustments during a fight.”

Esther: “You have sparred with Schumann and given her your support in the run-up to this bout. She has been inconsistent in the past. The million-euro question is: is she the real deal?”

Cecilia: “I tested her greatly for 10 rounds in a private session and was impressed by her grit although she was overmatched.”

Esther: “Let’s take a look at some of the specifics. Nagel is two years younger, she weighed in at half a pound more than Schumann and she has a slightly longer reach. Can those factors have a direct influence on the action?”

Cecilia: “It will all depend on how the two fighters use their strengths and on their chemistry in the ring. If Nagel finds her range without walking into a counter, longer arms could become a major advantage. However, a tactician normally knows how to negate physical assets by staying out of the way and moving in at the right time with the right punch. That is Schumann’s speciality.”

Esther: “Each of them has an uppercut as their best punch. Is one more decisive?”

Cecilia: “In my opinion, Katia’s uppercut to the body is one that she can use multiple times to wear an opponent down. Alesia’s uppercut to the head is one that can turn a fight around in one shot. Both are dangerous in their own way!”

Esther: “What about the last three fights? Nagel has suffered a knockout against Stephanie Ward in a WBC Silver title shot, a year ago, without a tune-up before this championship.”

Cecilia: “That’s the question mark for Katia, but a tune-up remains a risky proposition. If you struggle in that fight, it dents your confidence and perhaps your ranking. She may have played it safe to keep her number one contender spot while working hard on the weaknesses that made her lose against Ward. Quality sparring doesn’t equal fight experience, but it fine tunes your skills.”

Esther: “Schumann’s last three fights give her momentum, correct?”

Cecilia: “Yes. Her knockouts against Masae and Akane Watanabe showed her growing maturity. Then, she went down against Anna Schwartz but everyone knows that the match was fixed and therefore not representative of her ability. Katia herself said that in fair conditions, it would have been a rout.”

Esther: “Schumann is a slow starter. Nagel has promised to go at her with speed and power. Do you expect the favourite to try and catch her challenger off-guard for an early knockout?”

Cecilia: “If I were Katia, I would remain cautious at the beginning. Pay attention to the two boxers’ overall records. Alesia has a higher knockout rate. Despite what Katia said ahead of this match, she will have to respect her power and avoid getting smashed by an uppercut.”

Esther: “The fighters are about to be introduced. What’s your prediction?”

Cecilia: “These two women are evenly matched and I believe they will go the distance. I stand by my previous comment: that belt is going to Munich. Alesia’s style is one made to deal with Katia’s way of going forward.”

Esther: “No bias here?”

Cecilia: “I’ve been in the ring with her and I know a thing or two about boxing, dear!”

Dressing rooms

Before Alesia starts her final warm-up ahead of the German championship fight with Katia, Regina has a surprise in store.

Regina: “I have one request. I took the liberty of bringing you an alternate outfit that I’d like you to wear tonight. Just for one time.”

She opens a red locker and brings a box out of it. A custom-made kit is inside. She shows it to Ally, who can’t believe her eyes.

Alesia: “Wait. You want me to wear yourcolours?”

Regina: “That’s right. I want you to become a champion by wearing a former champion’s colours. Black top, red trunks and your usual black boots.”

Alesia: “Vintage Regina. Why yes! I’ll be happy to! I always wanted to be like you.”

The boxer puts the clothing on and Regina secures the red gloves on her hands.

Regina: “So?”

The fighter looks down at herself.

Alesia: “Wow. I wouldn’t have dared to think of this myself!”

Regina: “Call me superstitious, but I think that you’ll make even more of a statement with this outfit on. Everybody in the room knows what I wore for battle.”

Alesia: “Yes! This is great. It’s also black, red and gold like the German flag. You really leave nothing to chance!”

Regina: “Good. Let’s get ready.”

What’s going on in Katia Nagel’s dressing room? Let’s drop in and see how the fighter is doing.

Katia and her coach Lacie Callahan sit on the bench for a final talk a couple of minutes before walking out.

Lacie: “Feeling good?”

Katia: “Yes. I know I can win this.”

Lacie: “You will. When you get in there, keep your eyes on the prize! You’ve worked hard to get this title shot. You’ve been sweating, grunting and fighting on your way to the number one spot and tonight is the night to take the next step.”

Katia: “And become the German champion.”

Lacie: “Exactly! Remember that she will play mind games in there to take you out of your comfort zone. Other fighters have gone for it, but you won’t. Stay calm, fight well and put her under pressure until it’s too much for her to handle. She’s been knocked out before, and she had some lucky wins. Totally beatable.”

Katia: “I won’t let her make it to the final bell!”

Lacie: “That’s my girl. Let’s go.”

Esther: “I’ve just been informed that the fighters are about to come out. Here is the number two contender!”

Introductions

Ring announcer: “Please welcome Alesia Schumann as she makes her way to the ring!”

The Bavarian steps out, salutes a crowd that lights up. The speakers blast the song Alesia, from an obscure band called Eluveitie. Ally thinks: “Hehehe… this is mysong!”

Alesia song on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6kDWb…

Outside Alesia
We offered a living sacrifice
Outside the doors of Alesia
Where our tears run dry

As she walks in, Ally looks to her right and spots a friend from abroad.

Esther: “That’s Alesia Schumann! She sees her Canadian friend Virani MacVicar and immediately steps over the barrier to bump fists with her. A heartwarming friendship in a sport in which you have more enemies than mates.”

Cecilia: “We also see that Alesia is all smiles. She breathes confidence and I expect Katia to do the same when she comes out.”

Esther: “Next is the number one contender in the division in Germany!”

Ring announcer: “Now, please welcome Katia Nagel!”

Divided between the two fighters, the crowd cheers for Katia as she starts walking past the drapes.

Esther: “See how Nagel keeps staring at Schumann as she gets closer to the ring. Trying to intimidate her opponent, perhaps?”

Cecilia: “She has every right to try it. As a fighter, you try anything to gain the slightest edge against your opponent, and a look in the eye sometimes does the trick. Does it really work at this level? Not always. What threw me off for real was the Mikaela Lauren kiss during a staredown!”

Alesia snorts and thinks: “Please. The blank stare? I’ve seen that so many times. Not impressed.”

Ring announcer: Ladies and gentlemen…. welcome back to the Arena Leipzig in… well… Leipzig, for the main event of the evening! 10 rounds of boxing with Germany’s women’s Super Lightweight title on the line. Are you ready?

The crowd cheers. To the announcer’s left is Laura Ritter, the retired champion who is set to give her successor the belt at the end of the fight.

Ring announcer: “Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner. She is wearing a black top, red trunks, black boots and red gloves. Her record stands at 7 wins, 6 of them by way of knockout, 2 losses, no draw. She is the number two Super Lightweight in Germany and ranks 8th in the world. She is a former WBC Silver champion and the queen of uppercuts. From Munich, Alesia “The Diva” Schuuuumaaaannnnnn!”

Alesia’s noisy fans erupt to give her emotional support as she poses with her coach in the corner.

Esther: “As you said before, these two breathe confidence. I can’t help but notice that tonight, Schumann wears Regina Halmich’s vintage colours. They ripped a page off the Rocky III script!”

Cecilia: “Every psychological detail counts in sports and wearing a legend’s outfit, with her approval, could give Alesia a boost. She would certainly want to honour her idol’s reputation by winning with the same outfit.”

Ring announcer: “Her opponent across the ring fights out of the blue corner. She is wearing a black top and black trunks with yellow trims, as well as black boots and dark teal gloves. She has 11 wins, 6 of them by way of knockout, 2 losses and 1 draw. Ranked number one contender in the Super Lightweight division in Germany, coming from Berlin, her name is Katia Naaaaggelllllllll!”

Half the crowd cheers as Katia shadow boxes while staring at Alesia.

Esther: “These two sure look mean together.”

Cecilia: “A fearsome pair indeed and their black outfits can only add to the intimidation factor. It has to be unpleasant to know that these two are coming after you.”

Esther: “Does this mean you are reconsidering your prediction?”

Cecilia: “Haha! No. Once the bell rings, you focus on fighting hard, not on how scary your opponent looks. Unless you have already lost the psychological battle, of course. I don’t expect that to happen tonight!”

Ring announcer: “And your referee, in charge of the action once the bell rings: Rebecca Linden. Winner of the Referee of the Year prize for 2017 in Germany.”


Esther: “Rebecca Linden is not only the best referee in the country. Her background as a heavyweight fighter is fascinating as well. She had only one loss in a long amateur career and was undefeated in the professional ranks, with 9 KO wins. Then, nobody wanted to get in the ring with her. She quit in disgust and became a referee. Now, she is one of the toughest refs in the business, never giving more than one warning before taking a point away, and she’s not afraid of disqualifying fighters who disregard the rules.”

Cecilia: “The sport needs refs like her. They keep the action clean without making compromises.”

As is the custom in championship boxing in Europe, the national anthem is played before the action starts.

Ring announcer: “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the German national anthem.”

Everybody goes silent as the Deutschlandlied comes out of the speakers.

The anthem on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P46fpu…

Once that’s over, the crowd makes noise again, knowing that the fighters are about to go to the middle of the ring to hear Rebecca’s instructions.


Alesia and Katia walk to the middle of the ring, greeted by Rebecca. They get very close for a staredown.

Rebecca: “We went over the unified rules in the dressing rooms. This fight is scheduled for 10 two-minute rounds. There is no three-knockdown rule. There is no standing eight-count. You cannot be saved by the bell in any round. In case of an accidental headbutt after Round 4, we go to the scorecards. If you knock your opponent down, you have to go to a neutral corner before I start a count. If you foul intentionally, I will deduct a point. Got questions?”

The two boxers shake their heads. Rebecca puts her hands on their shoulders to keep them from doing anything stupid.

Alesia thinks: “I don’t care about her name and position in the rankings. I’m beating her.”

Katia thinks
: “She’s going down. I won’t let her finish this fight standing on her feet.”

Rebecca: “Protect yourself at all times. Obey my command at all times. I want a good, clean fight. Touch gloves.”

The fighters go back to their corners to see their coaches and get their mouthpieces.

Esther: “There is tension in the air! These two have enough experience not to be afraid, but it doesn’t mean they won’t give each other the blank, icy look of death.”

Cecilia: “It also gives the fans something to look forward to. Enough staring, though. They have to start throwing punches within a minute!”

Alesia Schumann
Alesia Schumann
Super Lightweight champion of the world, German champion and one of the pound for pound best. The Diva is known for her tactical strength and durability.