IBO Cruiserweight champion Marco “Captain“ Huck presented a new trainer six weeks before the WBC title fight with Mairis Briedis in Dortmund, Germany. Former European welterweight champion Oktay Urkal is now responsible for training and fight preparation.
“I´m very glad that I´ve get a young ambitious trainer who has also a lot of experience in the ring”, says the champion. “We know us for years because we were in the same training group with Ulli Wegner. I trust him and look forward to work with him.”
“To fight with such hard-hitting opponent for the WBC title is a big challenge”, Urkal knows about the hard job he has.” But I know Marcos qualities very well and I trust in this. We will be good prepared and come back from Dortmund with the belt!”
Oktay Urkal was in the deacdes of the 90s and the noughties one of the enigmatic personalities of German boxing. Born in Berlin as a son of Turkish emigrants he became European Champion, German Champion and World Cup Champion as an amateur in Light welterweight. His biggest success was winning the Olympic silver medal 1996 in Atlanta.
With his trainer Ulli Wegner he became three times European champion at the professionals, at last 2005 in welterweight.
In 2004 Marco Huck came to the training group of Ulli Wegner in Berlin. “Oktay and me know us as active boxers – I think that is an advantage”, says Captain Huck. “We grown up with the same boxing philosophy and so I accord with him.”
Urkal trains Huck currently in the training camp in Braunlage, Niedersachsen, Germany, for the title fight in Dortmund.
