The King returns to the coast! Undefeated IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (28-0, 23 KOs) will take on Lajuan Simon in Kiel on March 14. “I have big plans for 2009,” King Arthur said. “I will start with Simon – and at the end of the year I want to be super-champion at middleweight.”
Not just because of his fight name, the 28-year-old German is the middleweight king. Since his spectacular title defense against Edison Miranda in September 2006, he has knocked out all of his opponents, earning German boxer of the year honours for three straight times. After Felix Sturm turned down a 2.5-million-euro offer for a unification clash, King Arthur has set his sights on Kelly Pavlik´s belts. “We are still in close touch with Top Rank, Pavlik´s promoters,” Sauerland Event General Manager Chris Meyer said. “It remains our goal to stage a unification fight between him and King Arthur.” For the showdown to materialise, though, King Arthur needs to defeat Simon next month. “First things first,” the champion said. “I will not allow Simon to destroy my plans to fight Pavlik. Just like last year, I will leave Kiel victorious. I only have the best memories of the city in which I knocked out Elvin Ayala last March.”
29-year-old Simon, a former US middleweight champion, is unbeaten in 24 fights (12 KOs). “We are full of respect for Simon,” manager Wilfried Sauerland added. “It was not easy to find a challenger for King Arthur. There were quite a few fighters in the rankings who would not dare to get in the same ring with him.”
Olusegun Gets Haywood In Commonwealth Defense
Ajose Olusegun is the embodiment of any professional boxer’s worst nightmare. The number 5 ranked WBC light welter is an aggressive southpaw with lighting reflexes who throws punches in bunches, forcing opponents to go defensive and cover up from the constant shelling rather than work their own game plan.
Olusegun, 25-0 (12), will appear as chief support to the Rendall Munroe vs. Kiko Martinez European super bantamweight title rematch at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England on Friday, February 27 when he defends the Commonwealth light welter title against English Champion Scott Haywood, 19-2 (4).
The undefeated 29 year old represented his native Nigeria in the 2000 Olympics before coming up short in the second round to eventual light welter Silver Medallist Ricardo Williams of America, the last time that Olusegun would taste defeat.
Relocating to England in 2001, Olusegun wiped out his early opposition, caging the WBF belt at 140 in 2002 before returning briefly to his homeland to capture the Nigerian title as well. By 2004, Olusegun had added the African Boxing Union crown to his growing trophy cabinet.
One fight later, “The Nigerian Nailer” would make a big splash in the UK by going up to welter and crushing current Commonwealth light middle champion Bradley Pryce in four brutal rounds.
Olusegun continued his reign of upsets at 147 pounds by knocking out highly regarded future Commonwealth welterweight champion Ali Nuumbembe in six frames in 2006.
In 2007, the southpaw returned to his natural weight and widely outpointed iron-chinned Gary Reid over twelve rounds to pick up the vacant Commonwealth light welter title and successfully defended the belt a year ago in a thriller with former English titlist Nigel Wright.
Since that time Olusegun has been trying to capitalize on his top five WBC ranking by calling out current champion Timothy Bradley and the title’s former owner, Junior Witter. As neither man will take up the challenge, Olusegun kept sharp over the balance of 2008 with three victories over lower level opposition in six round bouts.
Later this month Olusegun will be tested again when he defends the Commonwealth crown against six foot tall challenger Scott Haywood, a very awkward and motivated fighter who has only lost once, by a single point, over the last four years.
It’s a difficult situation for Olusegun, who must not only win but look good in doing so against a very difficult, hard as nails opponent in Haywood, if he is to have a chance at facing Witter or challenging Bradley for the WBC title.
Frank Maloney Promotions presents Rendall Munroe vs. Kiko Martinez for the Super Bantamweight Championship of Europe with full supporting undercard at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England on Friday, February 27, 2009.
Tickets are priced at £75 and £35 and are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508.
Sky Sports will televise the action live on SS1 starting at 10PM.
McNally prepared to trade bombs with Liverpool rival Delehedy
Hot Liverpool prospect Joe McNally would like nothing more than to share a coffee and a pleasant meal with Merseyside rival Graham Delehedy. However, on March 28 at the Echo Arena, McNally promises to put their friendship to one side and defeat the big-punching Delehedy more decisively than anyone before.
When not throwing punches at one another, McNally knows Delehedy simply as ‘Del’.
“I’ve boxed on a few shows with ‘Del’ at the Olympia and I’ve also sparred about 25 rounds with him over the years,” says McNally. “Del’s a great lad. I could easily sit down and have a coffee with him or go for a meal with him. Now I’ve got to fight him, that’s all.
“I can vouch for his punch power. He can punch – no doubt about it. He’s rocked me to my boots in sparring with 16-ounce gloves. The thing is, I’ve rocked him to his boots, too, in 16-ounce gloves. I’m going to be coming to knock him out on March 28 and he’s going to be coming to knock me out. It can’t be anything but an explosive fight.”
Southpaw McNally is currently 6-0 (2 KO) as a promising light-middleweight. Fellow Scouser Delehedy is 9-4-1 (7 KO) and renowned for his one-punch power on Merseyside. Despite patchy recent form, McNally expects to face the best and most dangerous version of Delehedy at HAYEMAKER 6.
“Against me he’s going to be bang-on,” assures McNally. “This isn’t a short-notice job in someone else’s backyard. This is going to be the biggest fight of his life. It’s two Scousers facing off against each other and I know he’s going to be looking to knock me out. He’s got nine weeks of preparation and he’s going to be as fit as he’s ever been.
“He’ll see me as a stepping stone to a title shot. I’ve no doubt he’ll fancy his chances.”
Level-headed and mature beyond his mere 24 years, McNally speaks like a fighter who has studied every move and habit in the arsenal of Delehedy.
“He’s a big puncher and I’ve got to be wary of it,” assesses Joe. “It’s one of those fights where you could win every second of every round and then get caught with something silly and get knocked out. ‘Del’s not the most talented of boxers, but he can flat out bang. He’s one of those punchers that can whack you on the top of the head and put you to sleep.
“The plan will be to stay concentrated through every round and box ‘Del’s head off. I won’t be on the back foot or anything like that, but I’ll look to keep it medium to long range and just beat him to the punch. If the knockout comes, I’ll go for it. I know that if I catch him clean, he’ll go. I’m very confident in my punch power at light-middleweight. ‘Del’ will probably be seen as the puncher in the fight, but I believe I’ve got more than enough power to switch his lights out.”
Part of McNally’s delight at securing the intriguing all-Liverpool contest with Delehedy is the sense of fear and danger that comes with it. Facing a noted banger has never been so alluring.
“I don’t want to mix it up with ‘Del’ too much because he can really bang,” admits McNally. “It would be stupid to take risks. Still, it might be nice to test my own chin with a couple of little 10-ounce gloves. It could be fun to take a few whacks from a known puncher like ‘Del’.
“It’s the sort of fight that gets you out at six in the morning to do your running. I’m looking at doing a better job on ‘Del’ than anyone else has. I want to go out and make a statement. I want people to think, ‘where did this kid come from?’.”
*** McNally vs. Delehedy forms part of the undercard to HAYEMAKER 6: ‘The Mersey Beatdown’ on March 28 at the Echo Arena, Liverpool. Tickets for HAYEMAKER 6 can be purchased from www.accliverpool.com or by calling