Arthur Abraham vs. Gilberto Ramirez: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
It's been nearly five years since WBO world super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham fought outside of Germany, where he's made his home for most of his life.
His last boxing venture abroad was at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, where he lost to Andre Ward via unanimous decision. It was his third loss in four fights, but Abraham rekindled his career by setting up shop in Germany and becoming the fighter to beat in the super middleweight ranks.
With his reputation in Europe firmly established, the Armenian-born Abraham is returning to the United States for a high-profile title defense on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley Jr. rubber match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
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Undefeated up-and-comer Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez will be looking to dethrone the battle-tested Abraham, who presents by far the toughest challenge of his promising career. The 24-year-old is looking to become the first Mexican boxer to win a super middleweight title.
"That's why you work so hard," Ramirez told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael through a translator. "You don't want to just be a guy. You want to be a special fighter. The opportunity to be the first Mexican super middleweight champion is added motivation for me. It really means a lot."
Here's the viewing info and odds for the super middleweight clash.
Abraham vs. Ramirez: Fight Time, Viewing Info
When: Saturday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
TV: HBO (pay-per-view)
Live Stream: Top Rank TV (pay-per-view)
Odds: Abraham 9-5; Ramirez 10-23
Note: Odds are via Odds Shark and updated as of Thursday, April 7 at 7 a.m. ET.
| 44-4, 29 KOs | Record | 33-0, 24 KOs |
| 60 | KO Percentage | 73 |
| 369 | Rounds | 157 |
| 36 | Age | 24 |
| 5'9" | Height | 6'2.5" |
| 72" | Reach | 75" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Southpaw |
Despite having successfully defended his belt five times and lost just once in his last 13 contests, Abraham is the underdog according to the oddsmakers. His age (36), the fact he's venturing out of Germany for the first time in several years and the knockout power of Ramirez are all likely contributors to this set of circumstances.
Ramirez also boasts distinct height and reach advantages over Abraham—6'3", 78 inches and 5'10", 72 inches respectively—which could make it difficult for the latter to move in tight, where he does some of his best work.
As Bleacher Report's Briggs Seekins noted, the Mexican is an excellent body puncher: "Ramirez has tremendous length and reach and a powerful left hand. He has very good punch selection and is a particularly good body puncher, digging his left hand into an opponent's torso from long range."
Abraham has a thick, powerful frame and makes it difficult for opponents to get to his chin, but he could find it difficult to get his offense going if he can't slip past the body blows. Paul Smith found some success getting to Abraham's torso in two bouts against the champ but still lost both times.
Stamina and focus will be key for Abraham in this one, as he can't let his guard down against a fighter with a robust 73 percent knockout rate. Abraham started his preparation for this bout a bit earlier than usual.
"I am already feeling great," Abraham said, per Rafael. "Normally I just start preparation eight weeks before a fight, but this time my whole preparation lasts about 12 weeks. I am taking Gilberto Ramirez very serious."
Though Ramirez has some obvious advantages coming into the bout, Abraham is the one with all the great experience.
Zurdo hasn't yet fought a fighter of particularly great repute. When he has taken on contenders such as Maxim Vlasov and Gevorg Khatchikian, his bouts have gone the distance rather than end on stoppages. Abraham is a crafty fighter who knows how to handle the ebb and flow of a match, hiding behind his high guard when necessary before putting pressure on his opponent.
If the match goes to the card, Ramirez will have to show he has greater power and speed than Abraham. Ramirez can't get stuck fighting in close with Abraham; he has to be the aggressor.
Should Ramirez take the mantle from Abraham, it could vault him into boxing stardom. A win would be historic, and making a splash on a Pacquiao undercard could endear him to a wide swath of boxing fans.
Abraham has the chance to expand his legacy with a win, showing he's capable of beating quality opposition outside of friendly territory and perhaps setting himself up for a few more high-profile bouts before he eventually calls it quits.
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