04.09.06 – He is under contract to team Sauerland since July 2003: middleweight boxer Arthur Abraham. A few weeks later on 16th August the Armenian-born made his debut as a pro by having a four rounds fight against Frank Kary from Neuwied (Germany) in a boxing tent at the famous Formula 1 race course Nürburgring..
Arthur Abraham and Ulli Wegner
“In February 2003 Arthur applied to me and asked me to admit him to the boxing team”, Sauerland´s chef coach Ulli Wegner tells. “I placed an obligation on him to be Sven Ottke´s sparring partner.” First Abraham has been the world champion´s training partner when he prepared for his world championship fight against Byron Mitchell in March. “This guy has tackled it very well and he enormously made an effort during training time”, Wegner says. “It´s been clear to me that Abraham will fit in the team because of his huge boxing potential.”
The 26 years old Abraham who was born in the Armenian capital Eriwan (Armenia used to belong to the Sovjet Union) on 20th February, 1980 moved to Germany with his parents and his brother Alexander after the Iron Curtain had come down. As a youth he has been an active and successful cyclist. “But I became very bored of riding the bike hundreds of miles a week”, Arthur tells. “Boxing has hold a great fascination for me.” As an amateur he had 90 fights. He won 81 times. Six times he managed a draw and only three times he had to take a beating. His greatest success as an amateur was the title of the International German champion (1997).
When Arthur and his brother introduced themselves to Ulli Wegner at camp Sauerland through intervention of his former amateur coach and when Arthur applied as a sparring partner this should mean his young life´s turning point. The champion´s coach Wegner who had won 122 medals with his amateurs at the Olympic Games, world championships and European championships and made his pros Sven Ottke and Markus Beyer the world champions saw Arthur´s potential and his unbelievable punch at once.
“Arthur is a very sturdy and hard-fitting man“, Wegner said at the beginning of their cooperation. “He´s endowed with great athletic conditions and he has an inborn shrewdness. I just have to unite his aptitudes gradually during the training.”
Arthur Abraham saw the chance of his obligation to team Sauerland. “I´m very glad about Ulli Wegner being my coach“, he used to say in those days. “For me he´s Germany´s best coach.“
Arthur Abraham
After his debut as a pro in 2003 he rapidly climbed up the ladder of success. On 10th December, 2005 Arthur had his 19th professional fight and got the chance he had worked towards for ten years – in Leipzig he fought for the IBF world championship title. Arthur brilliantly won against Kingsley Ikeke by knock out. Two times he has defeated his world championship belt ever since – he overwhelmingly won on points against Shannan Taylor and Kofi Jantuah.
Becoming the world champion of all associations is Abraham´s sporting aim. “I want to become a great legendary champion like Ronald Wright or Jermain Taylor. The young Mike Tyson is my example – his aggressiveness, his will to win. Finishing my career undefeated is my aim. In Armenia there´s a saying: You should not learn from your own defeats but from the other´s defeats. That´s my motto.” Abraham is reputed to be the hardest middleweight puncher by the experts. On 23rd September, 2006 the unbeaten champion is going to stage his next fight against the defender appointed by the IBF Edison Miranda (Colombia) who lives in the USA.
Arthur Abraham
middleweight
Date of birth: 20th February, 1980
Birth place: Eriwan
Place of residence: Berlin
Nationality: Germany
Marital Status: unmarried
Height: 1,78 meter
Records as an amateur: 90 fights; 81 wins, 6 draws, 3 defeats
Greatest success as an amateur: International German champion 1997
Debut as a pro: 16th August, 2003
Greatest success: IBF middleweight world champion since December 2005
Coach: Ulli Wegner
Manager: Wilfried Sauerland