by Nino Celic | Wed. July 7, 2010

Firat Arslan, who challenged Frenchman Steve Herelius for the interim WBA Cruiserweight Championship of the World Saturday, has been released from the hospital.

The former champion was off to a good start and looked on his way to a points victory, in his first fight back since taking nearly two-years off. Arslan rocked Herelius in round 7 and picked up a 10-8 round when his opponent was deducted a point for a head-butt in round 10. It looked like nothing could go wrong for the German. The grueling heat inside the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart however had began to take it's toll; Arslan looked out on his feet in round 11, and was only able to throw one punch the entire round. After the bell he stumbled back to his corner where he collapsed on his stool. The fight was over. The ringside doctors were quick to give a diagnosis: circulatory collapse due to massive dehydration. Following his release from the hospital, Arslan immediately sent out a press release calling for a rematch with Herelius. Arslan feels he was in control of the match and thinks that he would have won under “normal” conditions.

Interim WBC Middleweight Champion of the World Sebastian Zbik (29-0, 10 KOs) has announced his next opponent will be unheralded Argentinean Jorge Sebastian Heiland, they face off July 31. The undefeated (and untested) Heiland (16-0, 8 KOs) has never fought outside of his homeland of Argentina, and is expected to be another warm-up fight. Zbik hopes to fight Sergio Martinez or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the fall. Zbik’s manager Universum’s Dietmar Poszwa, said the first talks with the WBC have been very promising and he feels confident Zbik vs. Martinez will be made. Zbik is willing to travel to the US for that fight, but if something gets in the way - facing the WBC Silver Champion Chavez Jr. would also be a possibility.