Sound bites from today’s press conference at the ibis Styles Hotel Magdeburg:
Roman Fress: “I’ll keep it short and sweet this time: a draw helped no one, we need a final decision now. It’s sure to be another tough, exciting fight. And one thing is clear – I’m going to do everything differently this time!”
Armend Xhoxhaj: “Saturday is the day. It’s not going to be a six-round fight. Enough talk. I’m fit, ready. Let’s make a ring right here and now, we can start immediately!”
The main battle:
“The grand finale” – there must be a clear decision! WBO Inter-Continental Champion Roman Fress and WBO Europe Champion Armend Xhoxhaj finally want to box out the ultimate winner!
Fights with Magdeburg players are also a focus:
Ole Rätzel will now face Ilias Kallouch from Wiesbaden in his first title fight for the German Super Welterweight Championship – Marko Martini, the original opponent, unfortunately got injured!
“Team Germany” boxer Paul Schmidt is back in his “home game”!
And that includes the professional debut in the atomic weight class for Tatjana Genrich from Magdeburg!
Also present were boxers from the Magdeburg boxing academy Moaed “Mido” Azizieh in his fifth professional fight and the professional debut of Alexander Fadejew.
The “comeback” of SES boxer Sami Ahmeti from Plattling in the super welterweight division
Next on the fight card: Gladbeck’s super welterweight Ilias Essaoudi
+++ SES Boxing Gala, Saturday, November 14, 2026, Magdeburg Trade Fair Center +++
+++ TV broadcast: MDR “SPORT im Osten – Boxen live” from 10:45 p.m. / Livestream also available in the ARD media library and at sportschau.de +++
Following the memorable boxing evening in May 2026 at the sold-out Magdeburg exhibition hall ( with over 3,500 spectators), another SES boxing gala will be held on November 14th . In addition to the main event, the third edition of the WBO title fight , the grand finale between WBO Inter-Continental Champion Roman Fress and WBO Europe Champion Armend Xhoxhaj , further professional bouts are planned to recreate the fantastic atmosphere. These include Magdeburg’s own super welterweight Ole Rätzel in his title fight, the two “Team Germany” boxers Paul Schmidt and Sami Ahmeti , and Magdeburg’s professional debutante Tatjana Genrich .
SES promoter Ulf Steinforth: “As always during fight week, the tension is rising, and so is my anticipation. For me, that bout in May was one of the most spectacular and emotional fights of my promoting career; it couldn’t have been more dramatic! Again, we all know the Rocky films, the third installment, ‘Eye of the Tiger!’, and other trilogies in top-level boxing – this third fight will hopefully be another exciting continuation of the story for the spectators and boxing fans. Our two cruiserweights, Roman Fress and Armend Xhoxhaj, are ranked #1 and #10 by the WBO, and I’m flying to the WBO Convention in the USA after the fight. I will support the winner in securing a world title fight as soon as possible. I’m now looking forward to this ‘Grand Final’ – the Magdeburg Exhibition Center should be rocking again, and just like in May, the fights will hopefully thrill the spectators.” As a resident of Magdeburg, I look forward with pride and joy to the fights of the five Magdeburg boxers – this good and successful youth development work, especially by the local boxing academy, emphasizes and proves for the future that Magdeburg is and will remain the German boxing capital!
The main event of the Magdeburg SES boxing gala:
“The grand finale” – there must be a clear decision! WBO Inter-Continental Champion Roman Fress and WBO Europe Champion Armend Xhoxhaj finally want to box out the ultimate winner!
Looking back: in May, at the memorable cruiserweight title fight, the “World Championship Showdown – The Decision”, three WBO belts or titles were contested for the first time. With the titles “International,” “Inter-Continental,” and “European,” the winner of this fight would have been on the path to a world championship bout. However, there was no winner in the rematch between the two SES boxers, Roman Fress and Armend Xhoxhaj , and consequently, the draw meant no decision was reached.
But after this thrilling 12-round draw , Roman Fress remained number 1 , while Armend Xhoxhaj is now ranked number 10 by the WBO. Now, in the minds of both boxers, the ultimate winner must be determined in a third fight on November 14th at the Magdeburg Exhibition Center , following their two previous encounters – true to the motto: “There can be only one!”
Sound bites from today’s press conference at the ibis Styles Hotel Magdeburg:
Roman Fress: “I’ll keep it short and sweet this time: a draw helped no one, we need a final decision now. It’s sure to be another tough, exciting fight. And one thing’s for sure – I’m going to do everything differently this time!”
Armend Xhoxhaj: “Saturday is the day. It won’t go the distance. Enough talk has gone on. I’m fit, ready. Let’s get in a ring right here and now, we can start immediately. However, in the event of a draw, I’d like a rule change: both boxers must continue until a decision is reached.”
Mete Alijaj, coach of Xhoxhaj: “Of course, the unsatisfactory outcome of the last fight frustrated us, but it also motivated us even more. This time we don’t need any judges. Armend goes in and wins – that’s it!”
Georg Bramowski, the new Fress trainer : “Roman will box more, make more decisive moves, land more effective blows. I want him to clearly dominate, to clearly control the fight.”
A second title fight:
Super welterweight Ole Rätzel will fight his first title bout – the German Championship against Ilias Kallouch from Wiesbaden!
The “Magdeburg lad” Ole Rätzel made short work of his opponents in May, both in his “home” fight at the Magdeburg trade fair and in his last bout in Aschersleben, winning each by knockout. The “full-throttle boxer” Ole Rätzel (5-0-0 (3)), a product of the excellent youth development program at the Magdeburg boxing academy run by trainer Max Ristig , is now being rewarded for his spectacular boxing style. The 23-year-old Ole Rätzel will enter the ring at the Magdeburg trade fair hall for his first title fight against the considerably more experienced 25-year-old Ilias Kallouch (13-5-0 (7)) from Wiesbaden for the German Super Welterweight Championship.
The other battles:
Professional debut in the atomweight division for Tatjana Genrich from Magdeburg against Andrea Hajnal from Hungary!
Tatjana Genrich, from Magdeburg, is well known as an international model . She has already walked the catwalks of Milan and Paris and won numerous beauty titles, including Miss Germany twice (2015 and 2022) and Queen of Europe (2016). and Miss Intercontinental Europe (2022). For seven years she has successfully run her own modeling agency and modeling school “Genrich Model Studios” .
She will now make her professional debut in the ring on November 14th . As a multiple Saxony-Anhalt youth state champion in the flyweight division (2007 to 2009), Tatjana Genrich demonstrated her athletic and boxing talent early on. Now, the 33-year-old is fulfilling a long-held dream: On November 14th, she will enter the ring for the first time as a professional boxer against Hungarian Andrea Hajnal at the Magdeburg exhibition hall .
Tjana Genrich, speaking at the press conference: “Despite my boxing experience from my youth, I had to learn a lot in the last six months. My coach, Dirk Dzemski, was very patient with me. We had tough sparring weeks, and I was in a lot of pain. But I would never want to give up this experience. And, also important to me: I want to encourage all young people, especially girls, to go to a boxing club for training, to train hard, and to prove themselves in boxing!”
“Team Germany” boxer Paul Schmidt is back in his “home game”!
Paul Schmidt (2-0-0 (2)) will once again have the opportunity to contest his third professional cruiserweight fight in a “home game.” The “Magdeburg native,” who is a trained childcare worker and a product of the Magdeburg boxing academy’s youth program, is being carefully developed by his trainer, Max Ristig . Back in May at the same venue, he and fellow boxer Ole Rätzel secured a victory by TKO in the second round. We’ll see if they can replicate this success in front of their fans at the Magdeburg Exhibition Center against Czech fighter Bernard Plavec .
“Comeback” for SES super welterweight Sami Ahmeti from Plattling
SES boxer Sami Ahmeti (Team Germany) He will be back in action in a super welterweight bout against Dominic Prchal from Prague. The 23-year-old from Plattling, Bavaria, is highly motivated after his loss in the Junior World Championship fight against Julian Vogel and wants to get back on the winning track in his 13th professional fight!
Ilias Essaoudi from Gladbeck also fights in the super welterweight division.
Ilias Essaoudi from Gladbeck will also compete in the super welterweight division. With 25 wins in 28 professional fights, he will face the undefeated Bulgarian Stavi Haralambov in Magdeburg.
The talents of Magdeburg’s boxing academy:
The boxers from the Magdeburg boxing academy of coach Max Ristig , the undefeated Moaed “Mido” Azizieh , who will face Czech Patrik Velkey in his fifth professional fight, and now also the professional debut of junior European champion Alexander Fadejew in the middleweight division, will be followed with great emotion by many Magdeburg boxing fans!
MDR will broadcast this SES boxing gala live from the Magdeburg Exhibition Center as part of its “SPORT im Osten – Boxen live” program, starting at 10:45 p.m. A live stream of the fight night will also be available via the ARD media library and at sportschau.de .
Only a few tickets remain for this SES boxing gala on November 14, 2026 at the Magdeburg Trade Fair. Tickets are available from “eventim”, all advance ticket sales outlets and the SES ticket hotline 0391/7273720.
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