Challenger Marco Huck pulled a surprise on Wednesday by announcing he has split from his coach — just 10 days before his world title bout against IBO cruiserweight champion Ola Afolabi.
Huck, who lost his WBO cruiserweight belt to Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki in August last year, will face Britain’s Afolabi in Halle, Germany, on Saturday next week.
This will be the fourth time the pair have met after Huck won on points in 2009, then again in 2013 after the pair drew in 2012, when the German was the WBO champion. The 31-year-old Huck has opted to have former boxer Varol Vekiloglu, 32, in his corner rather than coach Conni Mittermeier, from whom he has now split.
Photo: AFP
Huck and Mittermeier only joined forces in December last year after the Serbian-born boxer’s split from veteran, long-time handler Ulli Wegner.
Huck held the WBO cruiserweight belt from 2009 until his shock defeat to Glowacki in New York by an 11th round knock-out.
However, he has now changed trainers twice in a short space of time and his management said Mittermeier left Huck’s training camp on Monday after being told he would not be in Huck’s corner on fight night.
“I value people and Conni Mittermeier as a coach, he got me in great form and I’m grateful to him for that,” said Huck in a statement. “But during sparring sessions, I had the growing feeling that Varol has a better approach in stress situations.”
Wegner says the sudden switch of coach suggests all is not well in the Huck camp.
“That’s not good form. My assistant would never take over my job,” the 73-year-old said. “Something must have happened or you don’t separate so close to a fight.”
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