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SportsFelix Sturm: Mother died of cancer 10 days after watching him get knocked out; that loss hurts most
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German boxer Felix Sturm (47), ahead of his final professional fight on July 11, 2026, in Stuttgart against Granit Stein, reveals to BILD that his most painful defeat was against Javier Castillejo in July 2006. Sturm was knocked down and stopped in the 10th round. Ten days after that fight, his mother died of cancer. She had watched the bout and saw his battered face, which makes the memory particularly painful. Although Sturm avenged the loss nine months later in a rematch, the emotional trauma linked to his mother's death remains. The article also lists the full undercard for the farewell event, which BILDplus will stream live.
Source report
Felix Sturm (47) has fought 54 bouts during his long professional career. This Saturday, he will step into the ring for the last time in Stuttgart and then hang up his boxing gloves. Before that, he aims to secure his 46th victory against Granit Stein (33). Having left the ring as a loser six times, he now reveals to BILD which defeat still hurts him deeply today.
The Fight That Still Haunts Him
The painful defeat in question is his duel against Javier Castillejo (56) in July 2006 in Hamburg. Sturm was knocked down in the 2nd round after several hard hits and received a standing count. He fought his way back into the bout and even regained the lead on the judges' scorecards. However, shortly before the end of the 10th round, Sturm was caught again by a hard swing and several uppercuts. The referee ultimately stopped the fight.
Sturm's Mother Died Shortly After the Fight
Today, Sturm reflects:
"Ten days later, my mother died. She was seriously ill with cancer, and we hadn't seen each other for almost four weeks because of the preparation. She still saw the fight back then. My face was pretty battered, and she had to watch all of that. That makes this evening particularly painful to this day."
Sportingly, Sturm avenged the defeat just nine months later, winning the rematch against Castillejo in Oberhausen unanimously on points. However, this success could never completely erase the pain of the loss in the first fight, combined with his mother's death.
Sturm's Final Fight
Exactly 20 years later, Sturm is now stepping into the ring for the last time. You can watch the fight against Stein live and exclusively with BILDplus from 5:30 PM on Saturday. The main fight with Sturm is expected around 10:45 PM.
SIGN UP HERE NOW AND WATCH THE FAREWELL FIGHT.
Full Fight Card – Watch Live with BILDplus
| Time | Fight | Weight Class / Rounds | |------|-------|-----------------------| | 5:30 PM | Emi Musayev vs. Enes Hamza | Middleweight, 4 rounds | | 6:00 PM | Mr. Shalja vs. Aleksa Kesic | Heavyweight, 4 rounds | | 6:30 PM | Mike Muller vs. Serhii Ksendzov | Cruiserweight, 6 rounds | | 7:00 PM | Deniel Krotter vs. Opponent still open | Middleweight, 6 rounds | | 7:30 PM | Mert Caliskan vs. Opponent still open | Super Middleweight, 6 rounds | | 8:00 PM | Oluwole Jan Ciosek vs. Panagiotis Matsagkos | Middleweight, 6 rounds | | 8:30 PM | Gianni Dedic vs. Opponent still open | Super Middleweight, 6 rounds | | 9:00 PM | Drilon Rama vs. Opponent still open | Middleweight, 6 rounds | | 9:30 PM | Ilias Benlamlih vs. Opponent still open | Light Heavyweight, 6 rounds | | 10:00 PM | Malek Semmo vs. Opponent still open | Light Heavyweight, 6 rounds | | 10:30 PM | Elvir Sendro vs. Opponent still open | Cruiserweight, 8 rounds | | 11:00 PM | Felix Sturm vs. Granit Stein | Light Heavyweight, 10 rounds |
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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Felix Sturm to Fight Farewell Bout in Stuttgart on July 11