HOBOKEN, N.J.– International Boxing Federation top contender and mandatory challenger, former U.S. Olympian and IBF light middleweight title-holder Raul “El Diamente” Marquez, says he will shock the boxing world November 8 when he fights unbeaten IBF middleweight champion “King” Arthur Abraham at Jako Arena in Bamberg, Germany.
Abraham-Marquez is promoted by Wilfried Sauerland, presented by Sauerland Event and its Managing Director, Christian Meyer, in association with Seminole Warriors Boxing. The broadcast is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports for live viewing in English and Spanish at 3 PM/ET – 12 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN, DISH Network, Viewer’s Choice Canada, and Bell ExpressVue, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. iN Demand will show a replay the following day (Sunday, Nov. 9) at 2 PM/ET. Al Bernstein and Nick Charles will call the action.
Abraham-Marquez, originally scheduled October 4, was postponed due to Abraham’s sudden illness on the day of the fight, which Marquez still questions yet firmly believes will work to his advantage. Raul explained that both fighters made weight the night before and day of the fight, selected gloves, and passed examinations by the commission doctors.
“Everything was good after the weigh in,” southpaw Marquez explained. “After the morning weigh in (the day of the fight) I ate breakfast and went back to my room to rest. Around 11 there was banging on my door – everybody knows not to bother a fighter resting for his fight – and it was my promoter, Leon (Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing), who told me the fight was postponed. I was shocked; I couldn’t believe it. Something wasn’t right all along. I knew he (Abraham) was having trouble making weight. Before the first weigh in, we both checked out our weight – I was on but he was over a half-pound. I was called for the official weigh in and made it; he was called but was 10 minutes late. He came in wearing a robe because he had to go in the sauna. Maybe he was sick but, if he really was, it was because of what he had to do to make weight.
“It’s all positive for me. I’m looking at it as they stopped it for a reason. If he really was sick it would have taken him two weeks to get back to where he was. Four weeks isn’t going to help him if he’s having trouble making 160 pounds. I’ve heard that he’s had trouble making weight for his last few fights and his last was fought at a catch weight of 166. He’s very muscular and and it’s not easy staying in the same weight class. After my fight with (Giovanni) Lorenzo, we wanted this fight (against Abraham) to be in November so I’d have more time for my cut (over eye) to heal. Now it’s in November. I’ve already been to Germany and know what to expect. Germany’s going to be like my second home for the past month-and-a-half. It’s a beautiful country with great people and I made some fans over there. I’ll leave here next Wednesday and have the same 10 days to acclimate myself to the time and weather. The second time around I’m even more confident of winning. I’m not going over there just for a payday. When I beat him the big paydays will come. I’m going to Germany to shock the boxing world.”
Marquez still believes that Abraham is looking past him to a unification fight against Kelly Pavlik, despite Abraham’s claims that he isn’t looking ahead to bigger fights. “I’m an old pro, a crafty veteran who is even more motivated after seeing (Bernard) Hopkins beat Pavlik, old beating young, and I have a lot of experience over Abraham,” Raul continued. “I don’t know why Abraham just doesn’t say he’s focused on me like I would, but he keeps mentioning Pavlik or (Felix) Sturm and you can’t tell me he isn’t looking ahead, no matter what he says. I read a lot about boxing and he still has to beat me in a very tough fight to get Pavlik, unless, of course, he plans to pull out of our fight again. And I know he has had trouble fighting southpaws, like (Khoren) Gevor and (Ian) Gardiner, and I’m a top world-rated fighter.
“I got a lot of respect over there from him and his trainer. They said I’m better than Miranda or anybody else he’s fought. Abraham is powerful and strong with obvious power, but he leaves himself open and fights in spurts. He has flaws. Miranda won the first three rounds (in their last fight) but you saw what happens to a fighter who needed to lose too much weight. I won’t know how hard he hits until we get into the ring, but I’ve been hit by guys like (Jermain) Taylor and (Fernando) Vargas, and those two can really crack. If I didn’t think I could beat him, I wouldn’t be going to Germany. I’m in the best shape of my life, ready to go 12, 15 if they still had that many rounds. All of the pressure is on him. I expect to win and that will open the doors to bigger and better things for me.”
Abraham (27-0, 22 KOs), rated No. 2 by The Ring and ESPN, captured the IBF middleweight title nearly three years ago by way of a fifth-round knockout of Kingsley Ikeke (23-1). Seven successful title defenses have followed against Miranda, Shannon Taylor, Kofi Jantuah, Sebastian Demers, Khoren Gevor, Wayne Elcock and Elvin Ayala.
The 37-year-old Marquez (41-3-1, 29 KOs), rated No. 2 (No. 1 unrated) by the IBF as well as No. 8 by The Ring and No. 9 by ESPN, earned his title shot against Abraham by defeating previously unbeaten No. 1 contender Giovanni Lorenzo (26-0) in their June 21st IBF title eliminator. Marquez, fighting out of Houston, was a 1992 U.S. Olympian who was the IBF junior middleweight title-holder in 1997.
The 10-round co-feature on the PPV show from Germany finds former NABO champion and “The Next Great Champ” reality television winner, Otis “Triple OG” Griffin (19-3-2, 7 KOs), of Sacramento, fighting Yugoslavian-born Enad Licina (14-1, 8 KOs), now living in Germany, for the vacant IBF Intercontinental cruiserweight belt.
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