Abraham in Confident Mood
Posted by David M. Lee on 03.13.2009
Big night of boxing in Kiel this Saturday night
This Saturday night the city of Kiel plays host to a terrific night of boxing and heading the card will be undefeated middleweight Arthur Abraham's ninth defence of his IBF title against American Lajuan Simon who, like Abraham, carries an unblemished record. Although Abraham (28-0, 23 KOs) starts a big favourite, coach Ulli Wenger has told his man not to underestimate the American. "Everybody considers Arthur the favourite, but it will not be easy", warned Wenger. "Everything can be over really quick. I will make sure Arthur will be mentally and physically prepared." Despite his coach's reservations, Abraham is in no doubt about the outcome on Saturday night. "Lajuan Simon has no chance to win," predicts the IBF champion. Of course, Simon (21-0, 12 KOs) sees thing differently. "I have worked and trained very hard for this fight," said the American challenger. Naturally boxing fans want to see Abraham in high-profile fights but, as his manager Wilfred Sauerland explains, it's been difficult finding willing challengers. "It was not easy to find an opponent for Arthur," stated Sauerland. "A lot of people are avoiding him. We were left with four opponents and we picked the strongest one." Asked about a potential unification against Kelly Pavlik, Sauerland added: "First Arthur needs to get past Simon. Everybody wants to see him fighting Pavlik – the fans, the TV stations and of course everybody at Sauerland Event. Now it´s time for Pavlik´s promoter Top Rank to move."
The co-main event sees the first ever female world title fight on a Sauerland card as Norway's Cecilia Braekhus (10-0, 2 KOs) takes on Vinni Skovgaard (7-0, 3 KOs) from Denmark for the WBA and WBC welterweight titles and Braekhus is clearly excited about Saturday's contest. "I really look forward to the fight," she said. "I cannot wait for Saturday. I would like to thank my management for giving me a title shot so quickly. I know Vinni from the amateurs where I have beaten her three times in five meetings. I look forward to beating her again on Saturday." Skovgaard is equally confident ahead of their bout. "This is the fight of the year in Scandinavia and many fans from Denmark will support me in Kiel. I look forward to Saturday."
On the undercard, former WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster (34-4, 30 KOs) has his first fight on a Sauerland promoted card after the American signed a deal with Berlin-based outfit earlier this month. Standing in the opposite corner will be experienced British heavyweight Michael Sprott (31-12, 16 KOs), who himself will be looking to get back into title contention. Brewster, however, sees this as a stepping stone to bigger and better fights. "This is a new start for me," he said. "It is an honour to fight for a renowned team such as Sauerland Event. Together we have big plans and look forward to returning to the top."
Also on the card will be Dominik Britsch (12-0, 5 KOs) who will be having the first title fight of his career as he takes on Daniel Urbanski (10-4, 3 KOs) for the IBF Youth Middleweight Title. "I am in great shape," Britsch said. "I am even more focused than I am prior to normal fights. Many friends and my family will support me. I am confident of success."
