THANDERZ HAS STAR SUPPORT FROM BOXING LEGEND MARTINEZ

Katharina Thanderz (12-0, 2 KOs) will have star support from Argentinian boxing legend Sergio Martinez when she meets Danila Ramos (8-1, 1 KO) for the interim WBC World Super Featherweight title on November 16th in Oslo.

The former two-weight World Champion will be ringside as Thanderz looks to capture her first World title in front of her home fans at the Ekeberghallen.

“It means a lot to me that Sergio will be there,” says Thanderz. “He always promised that he would be there when I fought for my first World title and he hasn’t forgotten. I couldn’t believe it when he texted me a picture of his flights to show he was coming. I was very happy and got very emotional.”

Before signing for Team Sauerland, Thanderz fought under Martinez’s Maravillabox promotional banner, and the 31 year-old admits the former WBC and WBO champion has been a influential figure in her boxing career.

“He is a big inspiration for me. Not only because of his success as a boxer but also because of his whole life story, which is really special and unique,” she says. “He is the perfect example of the fact that you can achieve whatever you want in life with hard work and self-belief, even when starting from the very bottom.

“He started boxing when he was 20 years old and went all the way to the top winning World title fights more than 10 times. He grew up in a very poor family, and overcame a lot of adversity in life. It’s impossible not to get inspired with his story. He’s also an excellent human being, and so humble. I really appreciate and value his friendship.

“He always gives me a lot of advice, and takes an interest in watching my sparring videos to tell me his point of view. He never talks about specific techniques, but helps me a lot with the mental part of boxing, mental strategies, and the tactical part, which he thinks is the most important part of the game. He’s extremely intelligent, and understanding his philosophy helps me a lot.”

“In her most important fight, it’s a pleasure for me to be able to be there with Katharina to witness her World coronation,” says Martinez. “For me it is a tremendous honour to know her and to have been able to work with her. The most beautiful thing about Katharina, apart from being an excellent athlete, is her quality as a person. She’s a fantastic woman. I love and respect her a lot. I will be there supporting her. She really deserves that.”

Katharina Thanderz headlines a huge show at the historic Ekeberghallen as she faces Danila Ramos for the interim WBC Female World Super Featherweight crown, while Kai Robin Havnaa looks to bolster his World title claim in a crunch cruiserweight clash with Mariano Angel Gudino, and top talents Kevin Melhus, Alexander Hagen, Bernard Torres and Kent Erik Baadstad complete an action-packed card in the Norwegian capital.

Tickets are available online via www.ticketmaster.no. All the action will be available to watch live across Viasat 4, Viasport + and Viaplay in Norway.