By Edward Chaykovsky
Promoter Kalle Sauerland has some big plans in store for the future, if Arthur Abraham retains his WBO super middleweight title on April 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Abraham (44-4 29 KOs) will make a mandatory defense of his belt against unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez (33-0, 24KOs) as the co-featured fight to the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley trilogy.
If Abraham wins, Sauerland would love to match him against George Groves (22-3, 17 KOs), who made his return to the ring last month with an easy knockout of Andrea Di Luisa of Italy. Since Sauerland promotes both Abraham and Groves, it would make it an easy fight to make.
Part of the logic for showcasing Abraham on a high profile pay-per-view like Pacquiao-Bradley is to increase the marketability of a potential future bout with Groves, and other top super middleweights.
"Some time soon we will be looking for George to fight for a world title again," Sauerland told scribe Nick Parkinson. "The thinking behind Arthur taking that fight in Las Vegas is it raises the platform."
"People say Arthur is just sat in Germany defending his title but he went to America to fight Edison Miranda, Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward. He has won and lost over there and he's going back now because we want to put him out there in America, raise his profile, and try to get him recognised as the best super-middleweight in the world. Arthur fighting in America will make a fight against George so much bigger or a unification fight so much bigger. It will put Arthur on the world map."
Groves would love the opportunity to get Abraham in the ring.
"Kalle promotes Arthur Abraham and that could be a big fight over here," Groves stated. "I think it's the easiest route for me back to a world title, fighting Abraham.
"Without a shadow of doubt I can fight for a world title this year, maybe in the second half of the year. In an ideal world I would have a minimum of three fights by the summer and in the second half of the year challenge for a world title. By that time my profile will be reasonable."
