Felix Sturm

Infobox Boxer


name = Felix Sturm
realname = Adnan Ćatić
nickname = Felix Sturm
height = 5 ft. 11½ in. (181 cm.)
weight = Middleweight
nationality= flagicon|GER German
birth_date = birth date and age|1979|1|31|df=y
death_date =
birth_place = Leverkusen, West Germany
style = Orthodox
total = 33
wins = 30
KO = 13
losses = 2
draws = 1
no contests = 0

Felix Sturm whose real name is Adnan Ćatić (born on 31 January 1979 in Leverkusen, West Germany) is a German middleweight boxer of Bosnian ancestry, who won the title at the 2000 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Tampere, Finland. He is the current WBA middleweight champion.

Professional career

On 27 January 2001, Sturm made his debut as a professional boxer facing Antonio Ribeiro from Angola. Six months earlier he had qualified for the Olympic Games in Sydney, but lost his fight to future middleweight champ Jermain Taylor.

After 16 successful matches, Sturm won the WBO Inter-Continental middleweight title on 10 May 2003. On 13 September 2003, he replaced the injured Bert Schenk in a WBO title bout against Argentinian Hectór Javier Velazco and won the match.

Sturm defended the title against Rubén Varón Fernández from Spain and was defeated on 5 June 2004 by Oscar de la Hoya under controversial circumstances. De la Hoya already had a super-fight against Bernard Hopkins lined-up and a loss against Sturm would have scuppered these plans. In the fight, De la Hoya appeared to be getting out-boxed and out-fought by the bigger man Sturm for the majority of the fight before being awarded the close verdict.

On 11 March 2006, Sturm defeated Maselino Masoe for the "regular" WBA middleweight title by a unanimous decision. Sturm then lost his title against former champion Javier Castillejo via TKO on 15 July 2006 but won it back on 28 April 2007 by a twelve round unanimous decision in Oberhausen.

He is a devout Muslim and prays five times a day. [youtube.com: [http://youtube.com/watch?v=YsFKGnGoIZA Felix Sturm (Adnan Ćatić) bei Kerner 2] ]

Amateur career

Highlights included:
*1997 2nd place at Light Middleweight in German National Championships, losing to Jurgen Brahmer on points
*1998 German National Light Middleweight champion, defeating Jorg Rosomkiewicz
*1999 competed at the World Championships in Houston, United States; as a Light Middleweight. Results were:
**Defeated Andrei Tsurkan (Ukraine) points
**Lost to Yermakhan Ibraimov (Kazakhstan) points
*1999 German National Light Middleweight champion, defeating Jorg Rosomkiewicz
*2000 1st place at Light Middleweight at European Championships in Tampere, Finland. Results were:
**Defeated Karoly Balzsay (Hungary) points
**Defeated Miroslaw Nowosada (Poland) points
**Defeated Dmitri Usagin (Bulgaria) points
**Defeated Andrei Mishin (Russia) 3-1
*Represented Germany at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Results were:
**Defeated Dilshod Yarbekov (Uzbekistan) points
**Defeated Richard Rowles (Australia) TKO 3
**Lost to Jermain Taylor (United States) points

Boxing record

As of July 2008, Sturm has compiled a professional record of 30 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.

References

External links

* [http://www.felixsturm.de Felix Sturm's Official Website]
* [http://www.boxing.de/en/fighters/fighters/fighter-details/boxer/5/universum.html News and Pictures of Felix Sturm]
*
* [http://www.leverkusen.com/whoiswho/whoiswho.php4?view=Catic_Ad Leverkusen Who's Who] de icon