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Abraham: America will love me; it's Oscar after Miranda!
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While that is a matter of opinion, invariably, you must respect King Arthur’s. A rightful champion with no defeats, a high KO percentage, and a fan friendly, heart filled style, Arthur represents everything that boxing should strive to become, because that is what it once was. His knockout of fellow countryman Khoren Gevor is as violent as they come, and should have in my mind been considered a contender for knockout of the year due to sheer, homicidal brutality (A clip can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGQfadN_10Y )
He next faces Edison Miranda in a rematch of a fight where boxing with a completely broken jaw from round four onward, and swallowing and spilling pint after pint of blood, Abraham came away with a deserved unanimous decision. Miranda, who was in great position to win from round five onward, almost disqualified himself with an unprecedented amount of low blows, rabbit punches, and even a head butt to lose an obscene amount of points from the judges. Abraham for his part was responsible for a ton of holding but wasn’t getting any favors from the ref because a fighter with an injury like that should have never been allowed to fight on for even a single second.
It was controversial, bloody, and dramatic, and the perfect catalyst for a rematch of gigantic proportions, only on American TV, or more precisely on SHOWTIME, this upcoming June 21st. I spoke to Arthur as he began another day of intense sparring in preparation for his American debut.
BC: Why did you decide to fight with Miranda again?
Because only then can I sleep well at night. I couldn’t show everything that I am capable of showing in the first fight but now I have the opportunity to do so. Also in America people know him and that is important. I want to become well known in America too. In the first fight I just couldn’t show everything possible you know?
Course. Tell me are you afraid the judges may treat you unfairly because America is considered his country? You know, he trains, and fights here.
In the ring everybody is the same. In the ring there is no difference regarding who is from what country, and who fights where. His country is Columbia, not America, and I would have loved for this fight to happen in Germany, but I also want for people in America to know me, and love me, the way they know and love him. I want for the fans here to get acquainted with a new champion. I also want to have my own fan-club, because my main goal is to fight Oscar De La Hoya, and Miranda is the very man I have to overcome to reach that goal. So that the bigger fight is more interesting. So my goal is to finish my business with Miranda and than meet De La Hoya.
So De La Hoya is more important then Kelly Pavlik of whom you spoke before?
De La Hoya is more important than Pavlik, because later there will be no time to fight with Oscar.
Well supposedly De La Hoya had said his last two fights are to be a rematch with Mayweather, and than maybe a fight with Cotto before he leaves. I take it you don’t believe him?
He always says that (laughing). If there is good money on the table he will definitely go for it, because that is the business of the sport today.
I agree and I have said as much for a long time. Ok well how are things with sparring?
Funny, because I am about to start in twenty minutes or so. Just getting ready.
Who are you going to spar?
Some guys from Russia. I don’t want to say whom now but they are good fighters.
Got ya. Tell me are you still upset with Miranda because he fought dirty in the first fight?
Absolutely not. Of course I’m not upset. This is boxing, and every fighter wishes to win by any means necessary. It’s just that I want to show a different way of boxing, so that everyone knows who is the strongest. I won with a broken jaw the first time, but now I want to win in a different way. Beautifully. Even better than before.
Are you gunning for the knockout?
If the opportunity arises, of course.
What will you say to him at the press conferences here?
It all depends on what will be asked but it is hard to imagine now what I will say that day. It all depends on the situation too, understand? If he will behave himself, there will be no reason to say much, but if not, than I’ll have to act accordingly.
Sounds good. This fight will take place outside the limit of the middleweight division. Do you have plans to fight at Super afterwards or move back down?
No I will be fighting at Middle. I want to become a super-champion at middleweight. A few fights after that I will move up in weight.
So in the near future you are looking at Pavlik and not Calzaghe?
Yes, it’s too early to look at Calzaghe.
Well, anything to say about Pavlik?
Tell him, “you have a serious opponent in the face of Arthur Abraham, and you should get really well prepared to face him.”
Do you know anything about Gary Lockett, his next opponent?
I only heard about him. How many fights does he have?
About 20. They haven’t shown much of him here, maybe one fight which I saw where he lost to a guy from Belarus (btw, that fighter was Yuri Tsarenko, who exhibited a ton of heart and guts in beating Lockett that night. It was one of those Buster Douglas worthy efforts from a very limited opponent, which is why Lockett shouldn’t be criticized too much for the loss.-Author’s note). It was shown on Showtime by the way. They also showed the rematch where Lockett won, but that fight I didn’t see in its entirety.
Well when the time comes, if need be, I’ll find out about him, but now it is not important.
How’s your brother, parents?
My brother is training right now, second fight in France, I think they might show it on TV there. My parents are with me, I bought a new house, we live together. My dad, and my brother will come to watch the fight in America, and what else? Oh that’s it (laughing).
When are you flying here?
On June 10.
Oh ok. Well any words to all the fans that will read this?
Come, watch, the fight will be very interesting for everybody, and I promise my fans that I will do everything in my power to continue winning so that they won’t get upset. It won’t be sad.
While that is a matter of opinion, invariably, you must respect King Arthur’s. A rightful champion with no defeats, a high KO percentage, and a fan friendly, heart filled style, Arthur represents everything that boxing should strive to become, because that is what it once was. His knockout of fellow countryman Khoren Gevor is as violent as they come, and should have in my mind been considered a contender for knockout of the year due to sheer, homicidal brutality (A clip can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGQfadN_10Y )
He next faces Edison Miranda in a rematch of a fight where boxing with a completely broken jaw from round four onward, and swallowing and spilling pint after pint of blood, Abraham came away with a deserved unanimous decision. Miranda, who was in great position to win from round five onward, almost disqualified himself with an unprecedented amount of low blows, rabbit punches, and even a head butt to lose an obscene amount of points from the judges. Abraham for his part was responsible for a ton of holding but wasn’t getting any favors from the ref because a fighter with an injury like that should have never been allowed to fight on for even a single second.
It was controversial, bloody, and dramatic, and the perfect catalyst for a rematch of gigantic proportions, only on American TV, or more precisely on SHOWTIME, this upcoming June 21st. I spoke to Arthur as he began another day of intense sparring in preparation for his American debut.
BC: Why did you decide to fight with Miranda again?
Because only then can I sleep well at night. I couldn’t show everything that I am capable of showing in the first fight but now I have the opportunity to do so. Also in America people know him and that is important. I want to become well known in America too. In the first fight I just couldn’t show everything possible you know?
Course. Tell me are you afraid the judges may treat you unfairly because America is considered his country? You know, he trains, and fights here.
In the ring everybody is the same. In the ring there is no difference regarding who is from what country, and who fights where. His country is Columbia, not America, and I would have loved for this fight to happen in Germany, but I also want for people in America to know me, and love me, the way they know and love him. I want for the fans here to get acquainted with a new champion. I also want to have my own fan-club, because my main goal is to fight Oscar De La Hoya, and Miranda is the very man I have to overcome to reach that goal. So that the bigger fight is more interesting. So my goal is to finish my business with Miranda and than meet De La Hoya.
So De La Hoya is more important then Kelly Pavlik of whom you spoke before?
De La Hoya is more important than Pavlik, because later there will be no time to fight with Oscar.
Well supposedly De La Hoya had said his last two fights are to be a rematch with Mayweather, and than maybe a fight with Cotto before he leaves. I take it you don’t believe him?
He always says that (laughing). If there is good money on the table he will definitely go for it, because that is the business of the sport today.
I agree and I have said as much for a long time. Ok well how are things with sparring?
Funny, because I am about to start in twenty minutes or so. Just getting ready.
Who are you going to spar?
Some guys from Russia. I don’t want to say whom now but they are good fighters.
Got ya. Tell me are you still upset with Miranda because he fought dirty in the first fight?
Absolutely not. Of course I’m not upset. This is boxing, and every fighter wishes to win by any means necessary. It’s just that I want to show a different way of boxing, so that everyone knows who is the strongest. I won with a broken jaw the first time, but now I want to win in a different way. Beautifully. Even better than before.
Are you gunning for the knockout?
If the opportunity arises, of course.
What will you say to him at the press conferences here?
It all depends on what will be asked but it is hard to imagine now what I will say that day. It all depends on the situation too, understand? If he will behave himself, there will be no reason to say much, but if not, than I’ll have to act accordingly.
Sounds good. This fight will take place outside the limit of the middleweight division. Do you have plans to fight at Super afterwards or move back down?
No I will be fighting at Middle. I want to become a super-champion at middleweight. A few fights after that I will move up in weight.
So in the near future you are looking at Pavlik and not Calzaghe?
Yes, it’s too early to look at Calzaghe.
Well, anything to say about Pavlik?
Tell him, “you have a serious opponent in the face of Arthur Abraham, and you should get really well prepared to face him.”
Do you know anything about Gary Lockett, his next opponent?
I only heard about him. How many fights does he have?
About 20. They haven’t shown much of him here, maybe one fight which I saw where he lost to a guy from Belarus (btw, that fighter was Yuri Tsarenko, who exhibited a ton of heart and guts in beating Lockett that night. It was one of those Buster Douglas worthy efforts from a very limited opponent, which is why Lockett shouldn’t be criticized too much for the loss.-Author’s note). It was shown on Showtime by the way. They also showed the rematch where Lockett won, but that fight I didn’t see in its entirety.
Well when the time comes, if need be, I’ll find out about him, but now it is not important.
How’s your brother, parents?
My brother is training right now, second fight in France, I think they might show it on TV there. My parents are with me, I bought a new house, we live together. My dad, and my brother will come to watch the fight in America, and what else? Oh that’s it (laughing).
When are you flying here?
On June 10.
Oh ok. Well any words to all the fans that will read this?
Come, watch, the fight will be very interesting for everybody, and I promise my fans that I will do everything in my power to continue winning so that they won’t get upset. It won’t be sad.
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