By Edward Chaykovsky
Paul Smith (35-4, 20 KOs), and his trainer Joe Gallagher, are confident of being able to score a knockout victory over WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (41-4, 28 KOs) on February 21st at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany. Last September, Smith lost a twelve round unanimous decision to Abraham, with scores of 117-111, 119-109 and 117-111.
Most experts did score the fight in favor of Abraham but saw the contest as being much, much closer than the actual scorecards. The one scorecard that gave Abraham eleven rounds of the contest was universally criticized.
"I believe I can knock him out. I believe I’ve got the power to hurt anyone," Smith said to Sky Sports Ringside. "I believe I won the fight. If you don’t think I won the fight, you must have had it a draw or you must have it for Abraham round-by-round. "There were no nip-and-tuck rounds where nothing happened - the rounds he won, he stole, and the round I won, I outworked him.
"I believe I did beat him last time, I just didn’t get the decision or the belt. This time I will get the decision and the belt or I’ll get a knockout. But I’ll be leaving Germany with a world title."
Gallagher predicts a knockout ending by his fighter or Abraham. He says "no way" does it go the twelve round distance.
"The fight won’t go the distance, it will be a knock-out either way," Gallagher said. "Either Paul will knock Abraham out or Abraham will knock Paul out."
