King Arthur Abraham will return to the ring on October 4 when he defends his IBF middleweight title against mandatory challenger Raul Marquez. “It will be a tough fight,” the unbeaten 28-year-old (27-0, 22 KOs) said. “Marquez is a strong fighter and he deserves to fight for the world title. But I will not disappoint the fans in my home city of Bamberg. The belt will remain in Germany.”
It will be King Arthur´s first fight since his spectacular America debut. In June, he impressively stopped Edison Miranda in the fourth round. “Arthur really showed his potential on that night,” coach Ulli Wegner said. “He has got what it takes to be a star in America. But first he needs to get past Marquez. That will not be easy. But we have studied him carefully during our time in America.”
On the undercard of the Abraham-Miranda bout, Marquez (41-3, 29 KOs) clinched a close points victory over previously unbeaten Giovanni Lorenzo. At the post-fight press conference, both fighters shook hands for the first time. “I have a lot of respect for Abraham,” Marquez said back then.
The fight in Bamberg will certainly be a special one for King Arthur, who returns to the city where he first started boxing. Many friends and relatives still live there. “I only have the best memories of Bamberg,” King Arthur added. “It is also the city where I won my first fight after breaking my jaw against Miranda.”
In May 2007, the IBF middleweight champion stopped Sebastien Demers in the third round. “I will make sure the next trip to Bamberg will be equally successful,” he added.
