Felix Sturm vs. Robert Stieglitz: Preview and Prediction for Upcoming Bout
Felix Sturm and Robert Stieglitz are two of Germany’s most popular and successful fighters, and the pair will meet in a huge crossroads super middleweight catchweight bout on Saturday night in Stuttgart.
Sturm is a four-time middleweight champion, but he hasn’t looked impressive of late, dropping three of his last five contests. One of those losses was later changed to a no-contest, but it appears as though his best days are in the rearview mirror.
Stieglitz, a two-time, and until earlier this year reigning super middleweight champion, dropped a narrow decision and his belt to Arthur Abraham in the rubber match of their series in March. He won his last fight, impressively, over a low-level foe in July.
This fight might not be getting much attention in the United States, but it’s a huge event in Germany, where both fighters are household names.
Read on for your complete preview and prediction for Sturm vs. Stieglitz.
Tale of the Tape
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| Felix Sturm | Robert Stieglitz | |
| Record | 39-4-2, 18 KO | 47-4, 27 KO |
| Age | 35 | 33 |
| Height | 5'11.5" | 5'11" |
| Weight | 159 (last fight) | 167.75 (last fight) |
| Reach | 73" | Unlisted |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Hometown | Leverkusen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | Yeysk, Russia |
| Rounds | 351 | 362 |
| Last Fight | L UD 12 Sam Soliman (5/31/14) | TKO 10 Sergey Khomitsky (7/26/14) |
All stats and information per BoxRec.com.
Main Storylines
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Sturm has been one of the middleweight division’s most consistent fighters over the past decade, holding a world title on four occasions, but the last three years of his career have been very up-and-down.
He dropped a clear decision to Soliman in May—the awkward Aussie also beat him in 2013, but the result was changed to a no-contest—after regaining a world title in December when a knockdown re-injured Darren Barker’s hip, forcing him to retire.
Sturm, 35, seems to be either on or approaching the downside of what has been a very solid career, and he’s fighting at super middleweight for the first time since a one-off appearance against Hacine Cherifi in 2004. That's a big risk at his age.
Stieglitz, like Sturm, is one of Germany’s most popular fighters, and he’s had the better recent track record of the two. He dropped his super middleweight title to Abraham by close split decision in March but rebounded with a bounce-back win in July.
Fighting in his natural weight class, we’d have to expect that Stieglitz should be the bigger, stronger man on fight night. The catchweight of 166.45 pounds—super middleweight has a 168-pound limit—shouldn’t have a huge effect on him.
Stieglitz, 33, seems to be, based on recent history, the fresher of the fighters, but both men are badly in need of this win to revitalize their careers.
Strengths
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Sturm is something of a mystery in the United States—he only made one venture, losing a contentious decision to Oscar De La Hoya in 2004—but he’s been one of the best 160-pound fighters in the world for some time.
He’s a smart, calculating—sometimes too much—fighter with an excellent piston-like jab that he uses to control the distance of the fight.
Sturm is a tremendous ring general with good defense, solid fighting instincts and a good sense of distance and timing with his punches.
Stieglitz is an excellent offensive fighter who likes to apply huge amounts of physical and mental pressure on his opponents.
He comes forward, lets his hands go and places his foe into many uncomfortable positions with his aggressive attacking style.
Stieglitz throws powerful combinations, mixing his attack between the head and body and making him hard to figure out. As the naturally bigger man, his pressure could be a big advantage in this fight.
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Weaknesses
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Sturm does have a couple of flaws in his game.
He has a bad tendency to be anemic with his offensive output. When he settles into a lull, which he is apt to do, it’s not terribly difficult to outwork him. He also has a tendency to fall in love with his jab, throwing little else.
Sturm isn’t much of a puncher—he’s only stopped 18 of his 46 career foes—and he’ll be carrying more weight than he’s used to, which could further complicate that issue.
Stieglitz is a come-forward fighter, but he doesn’t have much in the way of head movement, making him easy to counter on the way inside.
With the 33-year-old, it’s largely a case of what you see is what you get.
He’s coming to attack, doesn’t have many frills or wrinkles to his game, and you can either exploit his deficiencies or you can’t. He’s there to be hit, but you need to be willing to pay the price.
Felix Sturm Will Win If...
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As Sturm has declined a bit over the past few years, he’s become a more exciting and crowd-pleasing fighter to watch. That’s been a good thing for fans, but it might not serve him terribly well in a fight with a bigger, presumably stronger man.
Sturm has two keys for this fight that are under his control and one that is not.
He needs to utilize his jab, stopping Stieglitz’s forward momentum and disrupting his attack. Contesting this fight on the inside is the absolutely last thing that Sturm wants or needs, and his jab is the key to keeping the action where he’s comfortable.
Sturm also needs to maintain a consistent level of work, otherwise it’s easy to see how he could lose rounds because Stieglitz’s just did more. That’s what happened to him against Daniel Geale and Soliman.
If he can pump his jab effectively, keeping Stieglitz at distance, off balance and unable to work, Sturm can win the fight. So long as the added weight, fighting at super middleweight for the first time in a decade, doesn’t diminish his game any further.
Robert Stieglitz Will Win If...
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Stieglitz is a rugged, aggressive fighter who possesses natural advantages in size and strength coming into this fight.
Should he be able to exploit those advantages, he should be able to handle whatever Sturm throws his way.
Stieglitz will want to push the pace of the fight, attacking Sturm early and forcing him onto the back foot and against the ropes.
That will allow him to make his power and size advantages the dominant story, wearing down his foe both physically and mentally over the second half. His activity rate, so long as it remains typical for one of his fights, should give Sturm all sorts of problems.
And the Winner Will Be...
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Stieglitz is bigger, stronger and fresher. He’ll be just too much for Sturm to handle.
It’s hard to assess where Stieglitz currently sits in his career. He’s been a pretty consistent performer over the years, winning two world titles at super middleweight, where he’s spent his entire career.
He dropped his last high-profile fight against Abraham, nearly being stopped in the final round, but he still seems to have more left in the tank than Sturm, who has declined over several years.
Stieglitz will use his natural advantages to get inside Sturm’s long jab, forcing the fight to the inside and making things very uncomfortable for his foe.
His aggression, power and size will prove to be the difference in a fight that will be close early but where Stieglitz will take over late for a comfortable decision.
Prediction: Stieglitz UD 12 Sturm (116-112)
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