Hungary’s former WBO light heavyweight champ and WBC cruiserweight champion Zsolt Erdei, now 51 years old, returned on December 20 in Budapest and fought a draw with compatriot Attila Vegh, who was making his pro debut after a successful career in MMA.
Erdei, 34-1 (18 KOs), was a big star in the amateurs and turned pro with Universum in Germany in 2000, winning the WBO title in 2004 by beating Julio Cesar Gonzalez. His two defences against Hugo Hernan Garay are modern day classics, with Erdei winning both, but it was very close both times and many felt the Argentinian had done enough to win.
In 2009, Erdei moved up to cruiserweight and won the WBC title by beating Giacobbe Fragomeni but it was obvious his best days were behind him. After an upset loss to Denis Grachev, Erdei had a farewell fight in 2014 and has been retired up until now.
