From Sauerland Promotions:
Laurén working with former Wallberg coach Munteanu
Mikaela Laurén (27-4, 12 KOs) is working with Frida Wallberg’s former coach Wally Munteanu ahead of her ring return against Szilvia Szabados (14-7, 5 KOs) on Friday, December 9 at the Rosvalla Arena in Nyköping.
The Stockholm fighter has added Munteanu to her training team as she looks to bounce back from her defeat to Klara Svensson. He will be working alongside Laurén’s long-time collaborators Stefan Fernström and Leif Carlsson.
Munteanu is perhaps best known for his work with former World Champion Frida Wallberg. He began coaching the ‘Golden Girl’ in 2010 having persuaded her to come back to boxing following a five-year hiatus from the ring.
Together they captured the WBC World Super Featherweight Championship, dethroning and then defending the title with successive victories over Olivia Gerula, before a second successful defence against Amanda Serrano. The pair then parted company prior to Wallberg’s final fight with Diana Prazak.
“Wally is a great guy and a really good coach,” said Laurén. “I’ve known him for a long time since he was training Frida, and I would say he made her what she was. He knows a lot about the business, and he really helped Frida to develop and improve her boxing. If there is one person I look up to in Sweden in boxing it’s Frida so it will be awesome to work with her old coach.”
Munteanu has been impressed with what he has seen from Laurén and is confident he can help ‘The Nordic Queen’ regain her throne.
“I’m sure Mikaela has the ability to get back to the top where she belongs,” he says. “It will take a little work but I believe the loss to Klara will have made her stronger. I’ve not seen the fight, but I knew that if she didn’t have the right game plan, it would be difficult for her to win, and that’s what I think happened.”
“It’s been different from fight to fight but I think Mikaela has developed a lot during the past year, and together we will continue to work on her strengths, and of course, executing the right the game plan. If there is a rematch with Klara, I’m know it will not end the same way.”
Laurén faces Szabados in a six-round super welterweight contest on the undercard of Erik Skoglund’s WBA Intercontinental Light Heavyweight title fight with Timy Shala, which also features the Swedish Light Heavyweight title clash between Naim Terbunja and Sven Fornling.
Tickets are available online via http://www.biljettforum.se or by calling 0771-130 150. All the action will be shown live and exclusive in Scandinavia on Viaplay Fighting. For more information please visit http://www.viaplay.se.
(Photo Credit: KGZ Fougstedt)