IBF middleweight champion King Arthur Abraham (27-0, 22 KOs) is looking for his 28th win in as many fights when he takes on mandatory challenger Raul Marquez in Bamberg on October 4. Speaking at today´s official press conference in his home city, the 28-year-old said: “Marquez is a very experienced and tough boxer. I expect a hard-fought battle that will go the full distance but if there is a chance to win by knock-out I`ll go for it.”
Back in June, Abraham and Marquez shook hands following their successful fights in Hollywood, Florida. While King Arthur knocked out Edison Miranda in the fourth round, Marquez (41-3, 29 KOs) defeated highly-rated Giovanni Lorenzo in a title eliminator. “I could not watch the fight live as I was warming up for my own bout but of course I have watched the tape and analysed it with my coach,” Abraham stated. “I know about his strengths. I will be prepared..”
Coach Ulli Wegner is full of respect for Marquez and warned everyone not to take the 37-year-old challenger lightly. “He is a very strong opponent,” he said. “Arthur needs to be on alert. But the preparation has been going very well. The victories in the ring have helped Arthur to mature. His attitude in practice is perfect.”
It will be a special fight for Abraham as it was in Bamberg where he started his boxing career and also gave his comeback after breaking his jaw, knocking out Sebastien Demers in the third round in May 2007. “It is great to come back here,” he said. “I am really looking forward to it.”
ANGULO, GAMBOA and MARTINEZ READY TO SHINE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, on HBO BOXING AFTER DARK LIVE FROM PECHANGA RESORT & CASINO
TEMECULA, CALIF. (September 4, 2008) – ALFREDO ANGULO, YURIORKIS GAMBOA, and SERGIO MARTINEZ, the trio of thrilling knockout artists, with a combined record of 67-1-1, (42 KOs), headline, in separate bouts, “Night of the Rising Stars II,” Saturday, October 4, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.. HBO Boxing After Dark will broadcast all three bouts live, beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast.)
Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Ringside Ticket, in association with Arena Box-Promotion, DiBella Entertainment, and Star Boxing, remaining tickets for “Night of the Rising Stars II,” priced at $150, $100 and $50, can be purchased at Pechanga’s box office, by calling, toll-free, (877) 711-2WIN, or online at www.pechanga.com/tickets/Online.
Additional service fees may be incurred. Doors open at 5 p.m. PT, with the first bout beginning at 6 p.m. PT.
“This is one of the most exciting and gratifying series I have ever worked on as a boxing promoter,” said Gary Shaw. “The inaugural ‘Night of the Rising Stars’ I promoted in May was a huge success. It captured the essence of what ‘Boxing After Dark’ was designed to do, showcase young and exciting contenders to the boxing fan where they can watch them develop regularly on HBO. Angulo and Gamboa proved they were the goods, earning an encore performance on boxing’s premium network. I am proud of the fighters for stepping up to meet bigger and better challenges and I applaud HBO for its commitment to boxing’s future.”
Angulo (13-0, 10 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, recently cracked the Top-15 junior middleweight world rankings thanks to his 2008 knockout victories of Top-10 contender Richard Gutierrez (24-1, 14 KOs), in May, in his HBO debut, to capture the WBO Inter-Continental title, and Ricardo Cortes (22-1-1, 15 KOs), in February, ending Cortes’ five-year, 12-bout winning streak with an exclamation point. Angulo has won his last nine bouts by knockout, with only Gutierrez making it as far as the fifth round. Currently world-rated No. 6 by the WBO, No. 13 by the IBF and No. 15 by the WBC, Angulo makes his encore performance on “Boxing After Dark” facing another Top-10 contender, ANDREY TSURKAN, in a 10-round junior middleweight bout. Tsurkan (26-3, 17 KOs), a native of Ukraine, now hailing from the Bronx, has won seven of his last eight bouts, including an eighth-round TKO victory over Hector Camacho, Jr. for the vacant NABF super welterweight title. Making his California debut in October, Tsurkan is currently world-rated No. 9 by the WBC and No. 12 by the WBA.
Gamboa (11-0, 9 KOs), a 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist, has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the professional ranks since making his pro debut 17 months ago. He is well on his way toward fulfilling his lofty potential., devastating an ambitious roster of opponents. Gamboa began 2008 by capturing the vacant NABF super featherweight title in February — Gamboa’s ninth professional fight –knocking out Johnnie Edwards (13-1-1, 7 KOs), in the first round. Gamboa, in his HBO debut, added the vacant WBC International super featherweight title to his trophy case, winning a unanimous 10-round decision over Darling Jimenez on the May 17 “Boxing After Dark” show. In his last fight, on July 18, Gamboa completed his title trifecta, knocking out Al Seeger (27-3, 21 KOs), to capture the vacant NABO featherweight title. The Miami, Florida resident is a bonafide Top-Five contender, rated No. 3 by the WBA, No. 4 by the WBC, and No. 5 by the WBO. In a battle of undefeated featherweight contenders, Gamboa will be facing MARCOS RAMIREZ (25-0, 16 KOs), from Kansas City, Kansas in a 10-round bout. Ramirez, a former NABO featherweight champion, returns to the ring on the heels of his biggest victory to date, a decisive 12-round unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Adilton DeJesus (19-0, 17 KOs), for the vacant IBF Latino featherweight title.
Martinez and ALEX BUNEMA will be battling 12 rounds for the interim WBC super welterweight title. Martinez (43-1-1, 23 KOs), a native of Argentina now living in Madrid, Spain, enters this fight riding an incredible eight-year, 27-bout winning streak. Currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBC, Martinez earned his title shot by knocking out Saul Roman (23-2, 20 KOs), in the fourth-round of their WBC-sanctioned world title elimination bout last year, ending Roman’s four-year, 15-bout winning streak. Bunema (30-5-2, 16 KOs), a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now residing in Memphis, Tennessee, enters his first world title fight having won six of his last seven bouts, including consecutive 2008 WBA Intercontinental super welterweight title knockout victories over former world champion Roman Karmazin and Walter Matthysse, elevating Bunema to the top of the WBA’s ratings as its No. 1 contender. Currently world-rated No. 6 by the WBC, Bunema has elected to fight for the interim WBC title now rather than wait for his mandatory challenge for the WBA title.