The 7th.October, super-middleweight Avni Yildirim climbs in the Muhammad Ali Trophy in Stuttgart against Chris Eubank Jr.into the ring.Now the surprise: Yildirim and his coach and manager Ahmet Öner have managed to get coach legend Ulli Wegner on board.
“Ulli Wegner is one of the biggest boxing trainers in the world, there is no doubt about it,”said Öner, who himself once boxed under the guidance of the 75 year-old.
Wegner agreed directly, as he and Eubank have something like a personal bill open.Finally, the Englishman Wegner’s protégé Arthur Abraham missed a painful defeat in London in July.
“After Arthur’s defeat in Las Vegas, this was the most disgraceful trainer I’ve ever had to suffer,”said Wegner:”Ahmet’s request immediately aroused the fire in me and when I saw what potential lies dormant in Avni, I immediately agreed.”
At first glance, Wegner and Öner do not seem to fit together at all.After all, the 45-year-old was regarded for many years as one of the most dubious people in boxing.
In 2008, for example, Öner ran to the timekeeper’s table in the sixth round, pressed the round bell and thus ended the round.The background: His protégé Konstantin Airich had run into difficulties against Danny Williams.
In 2009, Öner was charged with extortion, coercion, threats, insults, resistance to law enforcement officers and assault.In 2010 he was sentenced to a hefty fine and a 22-month prison sentence on probation.
One year later, Otner’s boxer Odlanier Solis was beaten by Vitali Klitschko.At the press conference that followed, Öner threatened Klitschko’s agent Bernd Bönte with the words:”Bernd, I swear to you, I’ll kill you.”
Now Öner seems to have changed – at least Wegner believes – “I am amazed at how positive he has developed in recent years – both in terms of people and sports.As a trainer, he has complete control of his youngster,”said the native Szczecin.
By the way, Wegner can even imagine looking after Yildirim himself in the corner on the day of the fight:”Should Ahmet approach me, I wouldn’t have a problem with that.Even though Arthur clearly lost to Eubank, I could see great weaknesses in the Englishman.Yildirim can definitely take advantage of this.”