***Swedish hope Wallin headlines hometown arena***

Swedish heavyweight hope Otto Wallin (17-0, 11 KOs) will headline his hometown arena on April 22 when Scandinavia’s premier boxing event, the Nordic Fight Night, hits the Sporthallen in .

Wallin, who is undefeated in seventeen professional contests, will face tough international opposition in front of his home crowd, as he looks to continue his rise up the heavyweight ranks and establish himself on the World scene.

‘’I’m excited to be fighting at home,’’ said Wallin at a press conference today at Sundsvall's famous Hotel Knaust. ’’I would like to thank my promoter Nisse Sauerland for making this possible. He took me out of the amateurs and built me up, and now, I’m coming home, which makes me very happy. I would also like to thank the Sundsvall kommun and everyone else who has been working hard to make this a reality.’’

With a shortlist already in place, an opponent for the 26 year-old’s homecoming fight will be announced shortly. ‘’I’ve asked Nisse to provide me with a tough test. I want to fight a good opponent who will take me to the next level in my career. Whoever is standing in my way, I’ll be ready for them,’’ says Wallin, who is anticipating a sell-out crowd at the Sporthallen.

‘’I can already sense a lot of excitement in Sundsvall. There is great support for me here and I hope we get a big crowd. I remember fighting here as an amateur and the atmosphere was incredible. On April 22, I'm sure it will be even better!''

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ‘’We’re delighted to be staging a show in Sundsvall. Otto is now on the fringe of the World scene and I think the time is right for him to come home and have a big fight in front of his home fans.

‘’We’re down to a final shortlist of opponents and we will make an announcement very soon. The fans won’t be disappointed. As always, we will also have a full undercard featuring big names and great match ups for the people of Sundsvall to look forward to.’’

***Laurén challenges Piatkowska for WBC World title in Sundsvall***

Mikaela Laurén (28-4, 13 KOs) will challenge Ewa Piatkowska (10-1, 4 KOs) for the WBC Female World Super Championship on April 22 at the Sporthallen in Sundsvall, .

Laurén was forced to relinquish the WBC belt last year when moving down in weight to face domestic rival Klara Svensson. Piatkowska was then able to fight for the vacant title, beating Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes to be crowned champion.

The 41 year-old from is now relishing the opportunity to reclaim her WBC title from the 32 year-old Pole. ‘’I’m very excited to be fighting for my old belt,’’ said Laurén.

‘’This is what I’ve been dreaming of since my fight with Klara. I never lost the title, I’m still undefeated in my weight class, and I believe the belt still belongs to me. If Ewa wants to prove she is a real champion she needs to beat me on my home turf!’’

Laurén will be balancing a busy schedule as she not only prepares for a World title fight, but also competes in TV4’s celebrity dancing show ‘Let’s Dance’.

‘’It’s going to be tough and I’m going to have to manage my time carefully,’’ she says. ‘’At the moment, I’m doing my boxing training in the morning and dancing in the afternoon, but I think the extra training will help me. Footwork has never been my best attribute, and that will definitely improve. I think it will also help me relax and open me up to try different combinations and variations in the ring.’’

With that in mind, ‘The Nordic Queen’ says she is confident of regaining her old title, but refuses to take anything for granted against Piatkowska.

‘’I feel pretty confident, but in boxing, you can never be certain of anything,’’ she says. ‘’Ewa is a good fighter. She’s only lost one fight, and that was by split decision. She also knocked her opponent down in that fight, so she can punch. I don’t see this as an easy fight, and I know I will need to be at my best to win!’’

Laurén says she is looking forward to fighting in the city of Sundsvall, where she has previously enjoyed sporting success as a swimmer.

‘’I love Sundsvall. It’s a great city and I have a lot of friends there,’’ she said. ‘’I competed at the swimming national championships there many times, and I won a lot of titles, so I look forward to going back and hopefully winning the WBC World title there on April 22.’’

‘’We’re delighted to be bringing this World title fight to Sweden,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’It will be a great addition to our Nordic Fight Night show in Sundsvall. Mikaela is back at her natural weight and hell bent on retrieving her title.’’

Laurén challenges Piatkowska for the WBC Female World Super Welterweight title in a co- featured main event with hometown heavyweight hero Otto Wallin.

***Wallin meets Mandras for WBA Continental title***

Otto Wallin (17-0, 11 KOs) will get the chance to claim his first title when he makes his homecoming fight on April 22 against Italian Champion Gianluca Mandras (12-4, 5 KOs) for the WBA Continental Heavyweight Championship.

The 26 year-old from Sundsvall headlines the city’s first event, which also features former two-time Olympian Kennedy Katende and female boxing star Mikaela Laurén, with more names to be announced shortly.

‘’I’m really looking forward to this fight,’’ says Wallin. ‘’Winning my first title would be a big step forward for me, and where better to do it than at home.

‘’Mandras is the current Italian Champion, and I’m sure he will provide me with a tough test, but I’m confident that my coach will provide me with the right game plan to win.

‘’Fighting at home also gives me more motivation. No one is going to come into my backyard and beat me! I will have all my family and friends coming to support me, and I want put on a great show for the whole city to be proud of.

‘’I’ve always dreamed of fighting at home and I’ve always dreamed of winning titles. On April 22, I’m going to have the chance to achieve both of these things.

‘’This is a very important fight for me. Winning the Continental title will improve my rankings with the WBA and bring me closer to challenging for the World title. I’m still young and there is no need to rush, but it’s good to know I’m moving in the right direction.’’

‘’We’re happy to have secured this title opportunity for Otto,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’And now, it’s up to him to deliver. Mandras is a solid opponent who will be coming to Sundsvall to win, but we believe Otto has what it takes to go all the way, and he can prove that my winning his first title on April 22.’’

***Katende ready for Cechvala: ‘’He’ll do well to hear the final bell!’’***

Former two-time Olympian Kennedy Katende (1-0) faces a tough test in his second professional bout as he takes on Milan Cechvala (1-1, 1 KO) in a six-round cruiserweight contest on April 22 at the Sporthallen in Sundsvall, Sweden.

The 31 year-old, who is currently based in New York, returns to his hometown of Sundsvall after making an impressive start to his professional career, scoring a unanimous points victory over Tracey Johnson on November 26 in Connecticut.

Ahead of his ring return, Katende says he has been training hard in order to build on this early success, and is eager to impress against his Slovakian opponent.

“My fans know when they come to see me. It's always going to be a great show,’’ he says. ‘’I’ve never disappointed them in the past and this is going to be no exception.

“My opponent seems like a very tough guy. I consider anyone who enters that ring a tough opponent, but a fighter like him is always difficult to predict and prepare for.

“What I can say is that I’m training very hard to put on a great show for all the Swedish fans, and even more importantly to show Team Sauerland that they made the right decision to have me on the show.

“A never usually comes when you go out there looking for it. But I have fast and strong hands, so he will do very well to hear the final bell!’’

Katende meets Cechvala on the undercard of Otto Wallin’s WBA Continental Heavyweight title clash with Gianluca Mandras, which also features Mikaela Laurén’s WBC Female World Super Welterweight title challenge versus Ewa Piatkowska, plus fights for Oscar Ahlin, Hampus Henriksson and Rocco Wadell.