Abraham's new sparring partner: SVEN OTTKE!

Btw, something I couldn't cover with my interview: Arthur told the German media that his next fight (vs. Froch) is going to take place this summer - in England, possibly London...I'll be there ;) Cheers for some green K :D Make a thread Tom. This news deserves it.

Btw, something I couldn't cover with my interview: Arthur told the German media that his next fight (vs. Froch) is going to take place this summer - in England, possibly London...I'll be there ;) Cheers for some green K :D

Look forward to see it Tom. I hope Arthur nailed Sven with some good shots.... BTW I thought Arthur was heading for the states. Do you know when he'll leave and where he'll set up camp? Next weekend...

Ottke looked good in sparring vs. Abraham and he told me that this was the first time he entered a boxing ring since his last fight...in his words "When coach Wegner called me for that idea, I reported for duty"...videos to follow in the next 2-3 days... Look forward to see it Tom. I hope Arthur nailed Sven with some good shots.... BTW I thought Arthur was heading for the states. Do you know when he'll leave and where he'll set up camp?

Ottke looked good in sparring vs. Abraham and he told me that this was the first time he entered a boxing ring since his last fight...in his words "When coach Wegner called me for that idea, I reported for duty"...videos to follow in the next 2-3 days...

Very possible. I guess I'm trying to give Direll some credit. He's a like-able guy. And he put on a pretty good show until Froch ko'd him so late in their fight. Lol..i always spell his name different. 'Tek" his pooonches....lol. All it's going to tek is 1.

I don't see Direll going into this fight with much confidence. He knows who he's fighting. I predict AA's going to catch him good in the later rounds, when Direll tires of running around. I don't mean running away, I don't think Direll runs away from oppnents. He's a good boxer with good ring smarts. I just think after all the bobbing, weaving, and lateral movement he's going to have to do to avoid getting "hammered"...he's going to slow down and caught...hard. I predict a late rd ko for AA. It won't be a short fight, imo. I have a feeling that Abe is going to catch him even in da middle rounds and Dirrell wont tek his pounches like JT did. :D

I don't see Direll going into this fight with much confidence. He knows who he's fighting. I predict AA's going to catch him good in the later rounds, when Direll tires of running around. I don't mean running away, I don't think Direll runs away from oppnents. He's a good boxer with good ring smarts. I just think after all the bobbing, weaving, and lateral movement he's going to have to do to avoid getting "hammered"...he's going to slow down and caught...hard. I predict a late rd ko for AA. It won't be a short fight, imo.

I never said that I like Ottke more or I think Ottke was better then Maske... Maske is simply the only guy who could make me root for Ottke *loooooooooooooool* I can't really tell to much about his boxing knowledge because the sound is always turned off when I see him *looooooooooooooooooooool* I listened once or twice to it at the beginning at it was hard... probably he became better with more appearances on TV... I once saw him at a feast from the Bundespräsidenten Köhler... it was a month or so after his win over Hill... and he was walking up and down the floor in front of the big room basically looking for reporters to interview him and try to find someone who he could give an autograph too... true story *looooooooooooooooooool* Poor Henry, but I guess he now has found his place in boxing/society and his down to earth again...not like other B/C celebs...

War AA. WAR!!!

Yeah, Maske put one to sleep but he knows a thing or two about boxing and strategic games in the ring...he's a cool guy to talk to and not that snob-like - plus he's from FF/O. which is close to my hometown... :D Ottke is not that likeable, trust me... ...and btw, AA will fight out of distance and will make Direll chase, then time him... I never said that I like Ottke more or I think Ottke was better then Maske... Maske is simply the only guy who could make me root for Ottke *loooooooooooooool* I can't really tell to much about his boxing knowledge because the sound is always turned off when I see him *looooooooooooooooooooool* I listened once or twice to it at the beginning at it was hard... probably he became better with more appearances on TV... I once saw him at a feast from the Bundespräsidenten Köhler... it was a month or so after his win over Hill... and he was walking up and down the floor in front of the big room basically looking for reporters to interview him and try to find someone who he could give an autograph too... true story *looooooooooooooooooool*

Not a terrible choice in for sparring.

I don't know... somehow boxing boomed in Germany at that time... with Schulz at the heavies... Ottke, Maske, Rocchigiani... I don't if you ever watched wrestling... but if you did you will remember guys like Hulk Hogan... Andre the Giant, Ultimate Warrior... they ain't good wrestlers at all but the wrestling boom was there so ppl watched it and liked it... I guess to a degree it's the same here... Maske and Ottke was never really spectacular but they ''won'' their fights... Maske somehow was appealing to many because he was an class act ''Gentleman'' you know I guess... I don't know if it was the east germany love *loooooooooooooooooooool* Really Tom... oh God I hate Maske so bad... I don't know why... I could never stand him... and as an analyst I can't stand him... I can't stand his voice his whole agenda... I simply dislike him... I turn the tv down everytime I see him... even at the Abraham fight as he was introduced I booed him... but many else did too... someone behind me even screamed for Rocchigiani *looooooooooooooooooooo* Berlin fans are tough... a little like Philly fans *loooooooooooooooooool* He ain't the guy with the most stamina but I would take his last fights at MW as an fact for that... he really was badly drained... even in fight week he still had so many pounds to shred that he was absolutely dead... but he def. has to make an impact early... to the body... to the head... he has too... but I think they know that... his trainer is an clever old man... I'm confident that Wegner has him ready I like Maske. As a commentator.... He talks quietly, smoothly and is easy to understand for me as a dane. He also makes some excellent points.

Yeah, Maske put one to sleep but he knows a thing or two about boxing and strategic games in the ring...he's a cool guy to talk to and not that snob-like - plus he's from FF/O. which is close to my hometown... :D Ottke is not that likeable, trust me... ...and btw, AA will fight out of distance and will make Direll chase, then time him...

imagine if aa hits him with something like that. dirrell would be out for a week. I agree... I think he has a chance... Dirrell is not an fundamentally sound defender... he defends with reflexes at range and with his feet (much like Ali did)... he ain't somebody who blocks punches or rolls with them really like Toney, Mayweather or Hopkins for example... I think if he can get close he will land... the question is if he can get close without getting hit himself or tied up... but when he gets close I'm pretty sure he gets hit

I always wondered howcome Maske and Ottke could attract those massive crowds and maintain a gigantic popularity when they where so painfully boring. Can their popularity be contributed to the joy of the re-union or maybe the german fightfans just didn't know what it was like to watch an entertaining fight? :lol1: I don't know... somehow boxing boomed in Germany at that time... with Schulz at the heavies... Ottke, Maske, Rocchigiani... I don't if you ever watched wrestling... but if you did you will remember guys like Hulk Hogan... Andre the Giant, Ultimate Warrior... they ain't good wrestlers at all but the wrestling boom was there so ppl watched it and liked it... I guess to a degree it's the same here... Maske and Ottke was never really spectacular but they ''won'' their fights... Maske somehow was appealing to many because he was an class act ''Gentleman'' you know I guess... I don't know if it was the east germany love *loooooooooooooooooooool* Really Tom... oh God I hate Maske so bad... I don't know why... I could never stand him... and as an analyst I can't stand him... I can't stand his voice his whole agenda... I simply dislike him... I turn the tv down everytime I see him... even at the Abraham fight as he was introduced I booed him... but many else did too... someone behind me even screamed for Rocchigiani *looooooooooooooooooooo* Berlin fans are tough... a little like Philly fans *loooooooooooooooooool* He ain't the guy with the most stamina but I would take his last fights at MW as an fact for that... he really was badly drained... even in fight week he still had so many pounds to shred that he was absolutely dead... but he def. has to make an impact early... to the body... to the head... he has too... but I think they know that... his trainer is an clever old man... I'm confident that Wegner has him ready

Abraham's biggest struggle will be his stamina. He can win but he likes to take his breaks in there. He cannot do that against Dirrell. He will have to stay on top of him and tire Dirrell out. He needs to rough him up a bit. It can be done but I favor Dirrell in this one. The guy is fast as hell and hard to hit. Dirrell's biggest chance is to just hit and run all night. Don't get trapped on the ropes. He will also have to get some good shots in on Abraham to make Abraham reluctant. Abraham will make his move for the KO later in the fight. Early he should just make Dirrell work hard to try to slow him down later. That's pretty much how I see it as well. AA must go to the body early with those patented vicious hooks. He needs to take away Direll's feet so he can land the haymaker in the championship rounds.

Abraham's biggest struggle will be his stamina. He can win but he likes to take his breaks in there. He cannot do that against Dirrell. He will have to stay on top of him and tire Dirrell out. He needs to rough him up a bit. It can be done but I favor Dirrell in this one. The guy is fast as hell and hard to hit. Dirrell's biggest chance is to just hit and run all night. Don't get trapped on the ropes. He will also have to get some good shots in on Abraham to make Abraham reluctant. Abraham will make his move for the KO later in the fight. Early he should just make Dirrell work hard to try to slow him down later.

Against Dirrell he will look slow as fukk if he throws his winging punches... it will make him look stupid... if he punches straight he has ok handspeed... enogh to land on everyone expect Hopkins probably at the higher weights IMO... I mean even though JT wasn't untouched anymore... it wasn't a very big difference in handspeed I felt between those two IMO... and JT's handspeed ain't that bad or do you mean his footspeed? Footspeed. AA's handspeed is fine and he can really put punches together.

He felt against Henshaw... the Stevens fight was really an embarrassment... if you ever talk about ''running'' this is the match... He was knocked down against an lesser opponent though... but that was a little ago imagine if aa hits him with something like that. dirrell would be out for a week.