Date: Saturday, November 21, 2015
WBO SUP. MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT
Location: Tui Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany
Promoter: Sauerland Event
Supervisor: Francisco Valarcel, Esq.
Referee: Benjy Esteves Jr.
Judges: Clark Sammartino (116-111); Rose M. Lacend (115-112); Jerry Jacubko (112-115)
Results: The Champion Arthur Abraham retained the WBO super middleweight title on split decision scores of 115-112, 116-111, and 112-115.
TV: Germany SAT.1
Credit: Photo by Martin Rose /Getty Images –
Arthur Abraham got the split decision nod without much controversy, and Martin Murray once again came up just short of a world title.
Martin Murray came up just that little bit short once again, and Arthur Abraham retained the WBO super middleweight title today in Hannover, Germany, on split decision scores of 115-112, 116-111, and 112-115. BLH scored the fight 114-113 for Abraham, with an 11th round point deduction against Murray the difference on our card.
Abraham (44-4, 29 KO) started slow, which is nothing new for the 35-year-old veteran titleholder, but picked up his pace starting in the fourth round, and was able to win the majority of the rounds from there on our card, though many were quite close. Murray (32-3-1, 15 KO) never went away, and was in the fight until the very end, competing on a pretty even level with Abraham.
The point deduction came as a result of excessive holding, with Murray, 33, having been warned a few times prior to that, and given at least one stern talking-to over the course of the bout.
For England’s Murray, this is a third very close call in a world title bout, of the four he’s had in his career. In 2011, he fought Felix Sturm to a draw in Germany, and in 2013 was arguably robbed of the middleweight championship in Argentina against Sergio Martinez. His other world title opportunity came in February of this year, as he went to Monaco and was smashed by Gennady Golovkin, and stopped in the 11th round.
Murray moved up to super middleweight following the loss to Golovkin, and was looking to finally take that world title at his new weight. But it just wasn’t to be once again. He’s now 0-4 in world title fights, while Abraham improves to 19-3 in world title fights over his career.
Credit: Photos by Bongarts / Getty Images /
Article by Jeff Powell –
It is hard to think of any boxer more deserving of winning a world title than Martin Murray.
The hard man from St Helens is prepared to take on anyone, anywhere.
On Saturday night, he turns up in Hannover to challenge home favourite Arthur Abraham for the world super-middleweight title.
Martin Murray (right) will go toe-to-toe with Arthur Abraham (left) in Germany on Saturday night
Murray shows off his muscular physique during Friday’s press conference ahead of the showdown
This is the sportsman who never gets to play a home game when the major prizes are at stake.
The only three blotches on Murray’s record were inflicted abroad.
Earlier this year he bravely confronted the formidable Gennady Golovkin in Monaco and took the Kazakh KO merchant into the 11th round before succumbing to his only career stoppage.
Prior to that he knocked down Argentine great Sergio Martinez in Buenos Aires but still lost a razor-thin decision.
Murray poses on the scales as he made the weight ahead of the world super-middleweight title clash
That followed the robbery of the draw gifted to Felix Sturm in Murray’s first world title bid and since that injustice was perpetrated in Mannheim it is the result most relevant to this Saturday evening’s affair.
It is notoriously difficult for outsiders to secure a decision against German-based fighters in that country.
Murray shrugs, suggests it might be time to nickname himself ‘The Road Warrior’ and says: ‘I’ll fight anyone, anywhere but this time I hope the three judges realise the eyes of the world are upon them.’
He also believes Abraham has miscalculated in regarding this voluntary defence as a stepping stone to bigger championship unification fights next year.
Merseyside-born Murray roars in delight after successfully making the weight over in Germany
Abraham upped the intensity of his training sessions because he expects a tough test against Murray
Abraham has won his last seven fight, his last defeat came against Robert Stieglitz in March 2013
Murray will be encouraged to know that Abraham is beginning to suspect as much himself.
King Arthur is now saying: ‘I realise that Murray is a good boxer who is going to give me a very tough fight. Once we got into camp we cranked up the training to the hardest I’ve ever been through. It was torture and became almost brutal. I knew I had to be in my best possible condition.’
Murray’s three previous world title fights were at middleweight and he says he feels stronger now he has moved up a division.
The question is whether he will still punch his weight.
Murray has never been the hardest hitter but has broken down most of his opponents by the cumulative effect of his consistent punching.
On this busy fight night, Murray will be the first into the ring of three Brits bidding for world titles.
(Credit: Photo by Sebastian Heger –
Training is underway for Arthur Abraham (43-4, 29 KOs) as he prepares for his WBO World Super Middleweight Championship contest with Britain’s Martin Murray (32-2-1, 15 KOs) on November 21 at the TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany.
The ever-critical Wegner has already set about changing the 35 year-old’s training regime. Removing any distractions by taking his protégé from the bustling Max-Schmeling-Gym in Berlin to a secluded training camp in Kienbaum’s Olympic Centre.
‘’Arthur must focus all his energy and attention on this fight or risk losing his World title,’’ said the star coach. ‘’And that is why we need to complete isolation. My job is to ensure he is in top championship condition, and currently his fitness is not where I would like it to be. Now, he must step up his efforts or prepare for defeat.’’
Abraham, used to the 73 year-old’s exacting standards, offers a simple reply when faced with his coach’s criticism, admitting: ‘’Mr Wegner is always right!’’
The WBO World Super Middleweight Championship fight between Arthur Abraham and Martin Murray will be broadcast live on Sat.1 in Germany and Sky Sports in the UK. Tickets are available online via tickethall.de and eventim.de.
NEW YORK CITY – Held prisoner because of the boxing network war, undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs) is still searching for his career defining fight.
The 30-year-old Quillin, fighting out of Brooklyn, is the only top-rated 160-pounder aligned with Showtime. The marquee-name middleweights, Sergio Martinez (WBC/Ring Magazine champion) and Gennady Golovkin (WBA), fight exclusively on rival HBO.
Quillin relishes the opportunity to fight any of the top rated middleweights, but he also understands the politics of boxing and the situation it has presently placed him in. “It’s not up to me who I fight,” Quillin said. “If the money is right, I’m up for fighting any of the top names, especially Martinez and Golovkin, but everybody’s aware of what’s going on behind the scenes (Showtime vs. HBO). My job is to work hard and be ready. I have the most powerful team in boxing (Golden Boy Promotions, adviser Al Haymon, co-managers John Seip and Jim McDevitt) and they get me the best available deals. I’m not worried about who I’m fighting. They come to me with my fights.”
Here’s how Quillin breaks down the top middleweights in the world, not listed in any particular order:
Sergio Martinez: “He is the one everybody has as No. 1 in the middleweight division. Martinez has fought some very exciting fights. He’s a showman in the ring.”
Gennady Golovkin: “A power puncher. Golovkin brings power into the ring and gets a lot of knockouts.”
Darren Barker (IBF champion): “He always puts his best foot forward and always tries as hard as possible. Barker and I would bring a lot of fireworks into the ring.”
Daniel Geale: “Another exciting fighter who bangs with the best. It worked for a while against Barker.”
Felix Sturm: “I haven’t seen too much of him. I hope Sturm pursues more fights to make the middleweight division even tougher than it is right now.”
Martin Murray: “He is determined and exciting. I can’t take anything away from Murray.”
Peter Quillin: “A very exciting guy always looking for new ways to win. He has power, showmanship and a lot of smarts in the ring.”
Quillin recently overcame personal heartache in his second title defense victory, by 10th round technical knockout over a game Gabriel Rosado, who suffered a serious cut over his eye that resulted in the fight being halted on the advice of the ring doctor. While he was in the middle of training camp in Los Angeles, Quillin’s wife, Allison, suffered a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy. She was home in New York City.
“I struggled with it,” Quillin admitted. “I was obligated to camp, 3000 miles away, and she had to go through it without me being there to comfort her. We’re praying together and I’m working on being more compassionate.”
Quillin is already back in the gym, going through light workouts and yoga. “I took a week off and bought my dream car (red Corvette Stingray),” he added. “I get depressed when I’m not working out. My wife goes to work and I’m all alone. I need to be active to be productive, so I went right back into the gym. My dad taught me how to clear my head. I’m staying ready and in shape, just in case the opportunity for my career defining fight comes along.”
http://www.boxingscene.com/quillin-on-martinez-golovkin-barker-geale-sturm–71390
