Ceca Jumps Up as Veljko Raznatovic Knocks Out Brito
Veljko Raznatovic knocked out Rosmen Brito in the first round of Balkan Boxing 11 at Belgrade's Lozionica, and his mother Ceca jumped up from her front row seat to cheer her son's win.
Boxer Veljko Raznatovic knocked out Venezuela’s Rosmen Brito in the first round last night at Belgrade’s Lozionica hall, and the fight was watched ringside, from the front row, by his entire family, led by his mother, Ceca Raznatovic. It was the eleventh edition of the Balkan Boxing event, which kicked off at 8 p.m., with Veljko’s bout as the main fight of the night.
Raznatovic entered the ring unbeaten, with a record of 19 wins in as many fights and 15 knockouts in his career. Brito arrived with a record of 14 wins and three losses, 12 of them by knockout, and had been seen as one of the toughest opponents Veljko has faced so far in the professional ring. Tickets for the event were sold through Tickets.rs for 4,000 dinars, and the fight was broadcast on the Arena Sport Fight channel, in both Serbia and Russia.
Ceca Jumps Up the Moment the Knockout Lands
Ceca Raznatovic sat in the front row, next to her father, Slobodan Velickovic. Beside them were Veljko’s wife, Bogdana, and his eldest son, Zeljko. The moment the referee stopped the fight and announced the knockout, Ceca jumped up from her seat, started clapping, then hugged Bogdana and her eldest grandson.
Veljko himself, as soon as he stepped out of the ring, went straight to his family. He kissed his wife and son, then fell into his mother’s arms. Ceca would not let him go, sources close to the family say, and she was bursting with pride over the son who had spent months preparing for this exact fight.
Bogdana watched the fight in a white ruffled blouse and classic jeans, her long hair falling over her back. Cheerful and smiling, she cheered for her husband from the front row throughout the bout. Rock singer Djordje David, Ceca Raznatovic’s fellow judge on the “Zvezde Granda” singing competition, was also among the crowd, alongside the family.
”My Sons Will Come, Everyone Who Wants to Will Come”
Before the fight, in an interview for Balkan Boxing’s official Instagram channel, Raznatovic revealed a small family secret: this was the first time his younger sons had watched one of his fights live, in person, at the Lozionica.
“My sons will come, everyone who wants to will come. I don’t impose myself on anyone, but everyone’s invited,” Veljko Raznatovic said, previewing the fight and speaking about his family’s attendance.
He added that support from those closest to him means a lot, whether or not they are there in person.
A Congratulations Arrived From Croatia Too
The win did not go unnoticed outside Serbia either. From Croatia, Filip Car posted on his Instagram, sharing a photo of Veljko Raznatovic with a flexed-bicep emoji, congratulating him on the victory.
Balkan Boxing has been drawing bigger crowds to Belgrade’s Lozionica season after season, and Veljko Raznatovic was once again the main attraction of the night, both for his record in the ring and for who was watching from the stands. With the first round knockout over Brito, Raznatovic remains unbeaten in his professional career, at 20 wins in as many fights and 16 knockouts.
The Venezuelan had been considered an opponent worth respecting going in, given that 12 of his 14 career wins came by knockout, but he was stopped at Lozionica after just one round. For Raznatovic, it was also an emotional moment outside the ring: by his own account, his younger sons attended one of his fights live for the first time that day, while his father, Slobodan Velickovic, and his mother, Ceca, were there as always, cheering him on from the front row.
