STUTTGART – South African boxer Ryno Liebenberg will be hoping to turn up the heat against his "ice cold" German opponent Vincent Feigenbutz when they battle it out for the IBF Inter-Continental super middleweight title at the Ludwigsburg Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, on Saturday.
Both boxers believe the bout will end inside the distance.
Liebenberg has fought many tough guys before, but the German hotshot Feigenbutz is in another realm altogether. Part of the German’s preparations includes sleeping in an “ice cave” in the mountains of Slovenia.
“We do not want to endanger the fight, nor are we totally crazy,” explained manager Rainer Gottwald. “The whole thing takes place under careful medical supervision.”
The Feigenbutz camp has also set up a training ring in the snow, taking preparations to the very extreme for what he expects to be a hard fight.
Conditions are tough and it’s harder to get punches off, but Feigenbutz expects to reap the benefits in Ludwigsburg, a short way from Stuttgart, on Saturday night.
“He loves the variety and the fun we have up here,” said Gottwald. “We hired a nutritionist who does a great job. The camp is in top form.”
Feigenbutz is on a run of six wins and this will be the third defence of his IBF Inter-Continental super-middleweight title.
Liebenberg is the underdog given the German’s youth and superior record, which includes 25 knockouts in 27 wins, with two defeats.
But Liebenberg will be hoping his opponent is the boxer that can really be left out in the cold if he can secure a victory on Saturday night.
A post shared by Rainer Gottwald(@rainergottwald) on Feb 6, 2018 at 10:33am PST