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Mahmoud Charr: "Germany has given my family and me a lot"
Photo:
Roland Weihrauch / picture alliance / dpa
Heavyweight boxer Mahmoud Charr is now a German citizen.
As his management announced, the 36-year-old received his naturalization certificate last Monday.
“I'm just infinitely happy.
I have always felt German at heart; I have never been to Lebanon since I fled.
Germany gave a lot to my family and me, ”said the man from Cologne with Syrian-Lebanese roots, who was born in Beirut in 1984.
In 2017, Charr won the World Boxing Association (WBA) world title against the Russian Alexander Ustinow and was briefly considered the first German heavyweight world champion since Max Schmeling.
In the ring, immediately after the verdict was announced, Charr had shouted to his fans that he had won the World Cup "for Germany".
But what followed was a media farce about a German passport, which Charr later admitted not to have.
Charr is currently listed as a "waiting world champion" because he had not been able to defend his title for a long time.
Lawsuit filed against Don King
Charr blames, among other things, promoter Don King, who is said to have prevented important fights such as the world title fight in Florida against the American Trevor Bryan.
This is one of the reasons why the 36-year-old recently filed a lawsuit.
It is directed specifically against King, who celebrates his 90th birthday on August 20, his promotion company Don King Productions, Epic Sports and five other unnamed parties.
Charr accuses them of "preventing fights for years through non-compliance with agreements and contracts."
The heavyweight is therefore demanding US $ 4,575,000 (around 3.9 million euros) plus interest and reimbursement of legal fees and "what the court also deems appropriate".
"This sum is intended to compensate for the economic damage that Charr suffered through the years of wrong play by Don King, as well as his company and partners," it said.
The boxer is calling for a jury trial.
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