Kolle vs. Vanda: Capital Punishment

By Cory Rapacz

15/11/2007

Kolle vs. Vanda:  Capital Punishment

Minnesota Update

This Saturday night Tony Grygelko’s Seconds Out Promotions presents “Capital Punishment” from the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota.   In a real crossroads main event, Matt “The Predator” Vanda will be looking to stay relevant on the Minnesota boxing scene as he takes on the young and powerful Andy “Kaos” Kolle in an eight-round middleweight fight.

The year 2007 probably hasn’t turned out the way Vanda envisioned it.  The year started off with him squaring off against Anthony Bonsante in one of the biggest cards in the history of the state.  But that night it was Anthony Bonsante who solidified himself atop the Minnesota middleweight rankings, and it was Vanda left looking to pick up the pieces.  After a tune-up fight in the spring, Vanda returned to St. Paul to face off against local rival Kenny Kost.  Most around the state made Vanda a clear favorite, but it was the size of Kost that eventually carried him to a majority decision victory.

Vanda, who holds a career record of 37-4, is in a do-or-die situation.  If he fails to defeat Kolle, he will have lost to three consecutive middleweights from his own state in the same year.  Many in Minnesota believe Vanda is fighting out of his weight class.  His proper weight is probably 154, but the warrior in Matt Vanda is interested in making the biggest fights possible for this state.  After Saturday night’s fight, Vanda will have fought in Minnesota six times in one year.  It’s this quality that keeps his “East Side St. Paul” fans coming back for more and more. 

The last time Andy Kolle was interviewed on Boxingtalk it was right before he stepped up on HBO to take on Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward.  Kolle would lose in the ring that night, but the experience he gained could prove to be invaluable.  Saturday night will undoubtedly be Kolle’s biggest fight in Minnesota to date, but after being under the bright lights of HBO there should be no jitters for him.

The Andy Kolle that steps into the ring against Vanda on Saturday night will bear little resemblance to the Andy Kolle that was defeated by Ward.  Those who have followed Kolle’s career from the start are well aware of his vast improvements and much credit has to go to the team around him.  Chuck Horton out of Duluth, MN serves as Kolle’s head trainer, former Olympic coach and former world champion trainer Bob Lynch along with Jack O’Brien give Kolle one of the best corners in the Midwest. 
November 17th, 2006 is a date that Chuck Horton will not soon forget.  That night Horton took his light heavyweight prospect Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters and his 15-1 record against rugged veteran Hugo Pineda, who held a record of 37-3-1.  Walters was knocked out in the fifth round that night and had his career's momentum halted.  Since then, Walters has been dominant in five consecutive fights, but it has taken a year for his career to get back to where it was before the Pineda fight.  


Now Hortin has Kolle, another boxer with a record of 15-1 taking on a much more experienced prospect in the Twin Cities- and the fight is exactly one year to the date since Walters fought Pineda.  Will lightning twice this Saturday, or will Andy Kolle continue his assent to the top of the Minnesota middleweight rankings?  Luckily for the fans of Minnesota boxing, we don’t have much longer to wait.

Writers Prediction:  Kolle by Unanimous Decision

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