Analysing the Reign of Arthur Abraham Ahead of His Fight with Martin Murray

Arthur Abraham always appears to be a straightforward fighter. Born in Armenia but now based in Germany, the 35-year-old is a solid campaigner in every way.

A two-weight world champion, Abraham has a 43-4 record as a professional. He currently holds the WBO super middleweight title, a belt he has successfully defended four times.

He has found a way to stick around at the highest level for over a decade, despite some disappointing defeats and frankly dour displays.

Martin Murray is his next challenger. The Englishman has tried and failed on three previous occasions to win a world title, albeit all at middleweight. He’s moved up in the hope of a change in fortune.

Abraham, though, is a sizeable stumbling block in Murray’s path to glory.

Only Robert Stieglitz has ever stopped him inside the distance, and even that was due to an eye injury. While Carl Froch and Andre Ward both came out on top against Abraham, they did so on points.

Appearances can be deceptive, but that doesn't seem to be the case with King Arthur.

For starters, Abraham's face might actually be made from granite. His large nose, combined with a lack of hair, only adds to his rugged appearance. He has a face for boxing, and that isn’t meant as a slur on his looks.

But Abraham also has a tough streak running through him. He understands the sacrifices that must be made in the pursuit of glory.

For example, back in 2006, he suffered a broken jaw in the fourth round of his IBF middleweight title fight against Edison Miranda. The injury was obvious. One side of Abraham’s mouth became so badly swollen that he looked like a dog that found out the hard way not to eat bees.

Still, Abraham fought on. He fought on all the way through to the final bell, allowing himself to record a unanimous points win that meant he retained his belt.

Durability is just one reason why Abraham has stuck around at the upper echelon of the super middleweight division ever since he signed up for the Super Six World Boxing Classic in 2009.

It helps that he has such a good defensive technique, holding his hands high. While it exposes his body to blows, his conditioning is always good enough to withstand whatever comes his way. 

Abraham’s stomach, you see, is like his style: solid. But he can be lazy at times, too, plodding along through rounds to suggest his feet are, like his face, also made of stone.

Murray will know all of this—and plenty more—about his next opponent.

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However, Abraham hasn’t been quite so predictable of late. He's still tough. He still has that high guard as well, but Murray could have picked the wrong time to take him on.

Last year, when he fought Paul Smith in Kiel, Germany, King Arthur’s reign looked to be coming toward an end. He retained his title on that occasion, winning by 117-111 (twice) and 119-109 on the cards.

But the lopsided scores were not a fair a reflection of how the fight had played out.

Per Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph, Smith accused the judges of "robbing him of a lifetime opportunity."

The same report notes that Abraham looked “tired and lethargic” in the last half of the bout. He had possibly done just enough in the final reckoning to get the better of Smith, but there were signs to suggest he was in a state of decline.

However, stories of Abraham’s demise turned out to be greatly exaggerated.

He looked much better, much fitter in particular, in the rematch with Smith in February, controlling the bout on his way to earning a unanimous points victory that nobody could question.

Then, in his most recent outing in July, Abraham emphatically won his fourth clash with Stieglitz. For the first time since December 2012, he had produced a stoppage.

The TKO of Stieglitz in Round 6 impressed Murray, who told Micheal McKenna of the Liverpool Echo:

"

Arthur has looked great in his last two performances. I think I’ll be facing the best Arthur Abraham on Saturday night. 

He may have overlooked Paul Smith a little bit in their first fight, but I don’t think he is going to overlook me. He knows this is a massive fight for him and a risky fight, so I’m sure he’s going to turn up in top condition.

"

So much for a career heading toward closure. Abraham has looked rejuvenated.

His preparations for meeting Murray have been led again by experienced trainer Ulli Wegner, who has recovered from an Achilles injury to resume control of the corner.

According to Boxing News, the no-nonsense Wegner immediately moved his fighter to a secluded training camp. He explained, "My job is to ensure he is in top championship condition, and currently his fitness is not where I would like it to be. Now, he must step up his efforts or prepare for defeat."

Wegner understands the importance of every fight at this stage of Abraham’s career.

As revealed by Sky Sports, there is a rematch clause in the contract with Murray, who himself must realise this could be his last crack at the big time.

Without holding a belt, Abraham loses his appeal to both opponents and their promoters. Another champion would be taking an unnecessary gamble fighting someone of his vast experience.

He might have to fight his way into a position to challenge again, but time isn't on his side. Therefore, a defeat could spell the end for Abraham.

Murray must also fancy that a loss leaves him with a lack of options and that desperation for both men adds extra spice to the contest.