By Allen Fox: Arthur Abraham (32-3, 26 KO’s) tries to turn his career around against super middleweight contender Pablo Natalio Farias (19-1, 11 KO’s) in a 12 round bout on January 14th at the Baden-Arena, Offenburg, Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany.

Things have gone downhill for the former International Boxing Federation middleweight champion Abraham since his disastrous decision to move up in weight to the super middleweight division and take part in the Super Six tournament.

Abraham, #4 WBA, #4 WBO, has lost three out of his last four fights since March 2010 and hasn’t fought since losing by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision to Andre Ward last year in May. Abraham just wasn’t cut out to be fighting at 168. Initially, Abraham fought well when he first moved up in weight, as he beat former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Jermain Taylor by a 12th round knockout in his first fight in the Super Six tournament in October 2009. However, things quickly turned sour for Abraham in his next fight in the tournament when he was getting dominated by the fast and crafty Andre Dirrell. Abraham lost his cool and fouled Dirrell when he slipped on the canvas. Abraham stood over the fallen Dirrell and delivered knockout blow to the seated Dirrell.

Abraham was immediately disqualified and he came across as a poor sport about it by blaming Dirrell for pretending he was hurt rather than acknowledging that he had fouled the American. Abraham then lost his next fight to Carl Froch by a lopsided 12 round decision in November 2010. Following that defeat, Abraham took a fight outside of the Super Six tournament and defeated Stjepan Bozic by a 2nd round TKO. Abraham returned to the Super Six tournament in his next fight and was easily beaten by Ward by a 12 round decision. Abraham is now supposed to be working on losing weight to get back down to the middleweight division where he hopes to try and recapture his best glory by winning one of the middleweight world titles. However, before Abraham does this he plans on taking this last fight super middleweight against contender Farias.

Farias, ranked #3 IBF, #4 WBC, has got an excellent left hook that he likes to throw to the body. His right hand isn’t all powerful, though, and he’s faced little more than B and C level opposition his entire career. It’s easy to see why he was chosen to fight Abraham because he doesn’t move very well and tends to slug it out with his opponents. Farias is also slightly thick in the middle and looks to stand no taller than 5’8”. He’s perfect for a small fighter like the 5’9” Abraham to turn things around against.

Also on the card will be heavyweight Kubrat Pulev taking on Taras Bydenko, WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz defending his title against Henry Weber, light heavyweight Dustin Dirks facing Thomas Ulrich, middleweight Marcos Nader vs. Farouk Daku and super featherweight Romona Kuehne defending her World Boxing Federation, WBO Female super featherweight and WIBF super featherweight titles against challenger Agot IIoko.