By Daniel Hughes: Fighters, promoters, managers, trainers, writers and boxing fans will always question tight decisions the world over the nature to debate a close call. It makes boxing the one sport you can sit around a table or bar and argue to your heart’s content when a fight goes to the scorecards.
Paul Smith
Paul Smith to get rematch with Arthur Abraham even if WBO doesn’t order it
By Scott Gilfoid: Well, it looks like all that grumbling by Paul Smith (35-4, 20 KOs) has been doing ever since his loss to WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (41-4, 28 KOs) last Saturday night is going to pay off for him, because he’s going to be getting a rematch with Abraham even if the World Boxing Organization (WBO) chooses not to order a rematch.
Dan Rafael of ESPN is reporting that Smith’s promoter Eddie Hearn is in negotiations with Abraham’s promoters at Sauerland Event to put the rematch together regardless of whether the WBO says no to a rematch.
World Boxing Organization to review Abraham vs. Smith fight
By Scott Gilfoid: Paul Smith’s complaining about the results of his loss to WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham last Saturday night in Germany could possibly pay off for the 31-year-old fighter because the World Boxing Organization (WBO) are going to be reviewing the fight to make a determination on whether a rematch should be ordered or if Smith should be made the mandatory challenger.
What Smith and his promoter Eddie Hearn’s gripe is that the scores were too wide in Abraham’s favor. The judges scored it 117-110, 117-111 and 119-109. I don’t think there’s much argument over the fact that Abraham won the fight.
Hearn appealing to WBO to make Paul Smith the mandatory for Abraham
By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says he’ll be appealing to the World Boxing Organization to have his beaten fighter Paul Smith (35-4, 20 KOs) made the mandatory challenger to WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (41-4, 28 KOs) so that Smith can get an immediate rematch.
Hearn isn’t happy that Smith lost to Abraham by a 12 round unanimous decision by the scores of 117-110, 117-111 and 119-109 last Saturday night at the Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Hearn thought that it’s a fight that could have done either way, but by much closer scores. Since the scores were too lopsided for Hearn’s liking, he wants a rematch.
Abraham wants Sturm-Stieglitz winner, not Paul Smith rematch
(Photo Credit: Sebastian Heger) By Scott Gilfoid: Well, it looks like Paul Smith (35-4, 20 KOs) is going to need to get in line and wait his turn for another crack at WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (41-4, 28 KOs) after losing to him by a 12 round unanimous decision last Saturday night at the Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
Abraham said after the fight that he’s more interested in facing the winner of the November 8th fight between Felix Sturm vs. Robert Stieglitz fight at the Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Abraham says he would be interested in fighting Smith a second time under the fight circumstances. What those circumstances are is unclear.
Arthur Abraham defeats Paul Smith
By Scott Gilfoid: WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (41-4, 28 KOs) put in a workmanlike performance in defeating #5 WBO Paul Smith (35-4, 20 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision on Saturday night to retain his WBO title at the Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The final judges’ scores were 117-111, 117-111 and 118-109.
The 117-111 scores were fair because Smith wasn’t doing enough in each round, and he was getting really nailed by the much stronger Abraham. The fight was one-sided for the most part until the 6th and 7th rounds in which Smith fought well and got the better of Abraham with his body punching and his high work rate.
Abraham came back and dominated the 8th and 9th rounds in landing some heavy right hands. In the 10th, Smith showed new energy in nailing Abraham repeatedly with right hands and left hooks to the body. Abraham controlled the 11th and 12th rounds to cruise to victory.
Paul Smith: I’m going to win if I get the game plan right
(Photo Credit: Sebastian Heger) By Scott Gilfoid: Paul Smith (35-3, 20 KO) believes all he needs to do is get the game plan right for him to defeat WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (40-4, 28 KOs) tonight in their fight at the Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
Smith believes that he can overcome the 34-year-old Abraham’s talent and power advantage simply by having the perfect game plan. The guys that have given Abraham problems in the past were ones with a high workrate, a good job, great stamina, and excellent boxing skills.
Smith, I hate to say it, falls short in pretty much all of those categories. He doesn’t have a high work rate, his stamina isn’t great, his jab is a limp one, and his boxing skills less than remarkable. I’d say that Smith’s chances of beating Abraham are very, very slim event Abraham is clearly the weak link among the champions.
Paul Smith up against it with Abraham fight
(Credit: Thomas Goos / Lawrence Lustig) By Scott Gilfoid: Trainer Joe Gallagher believes that #5 WBO Paul Smith (35-3, 20 KOs) is going to surprise a lot of boxing fans on Saturday night by going into Germany at the Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and defeating WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (40-4, 28 KOs) in front of his own fans. Gallagher sees the 31-year-old Smith’s experience and size as being important factors in him beating the 5’9” Abraham.
The 5’11” Smith will have a two inch height advantage over Abraham, but I’m not so sure on whether that’ll mean all that much because Smith tends to crowd his opponents rather than using his reach to fire away on the outside. He reminds me a lot of heavyweight David Price with his habit of not using his reach when punching. Price stands far too close when throwing his punches and that leaves him open for getting nailed by his shorter opponents.
Exciting times for the Brits
By Kbarsey: Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank Snr, Johnny Nelson, Naseem Hamed, Lennox Lewis, Joe Calzaghe just to name a few have all been fantastic boxers who have had successful careers. As have many Brits from our Previous generation (too many to list).
But as we embark on 2015 I truly believe Britain’s boxing scene has something to be excited about. Assessing Britain’s current crop of talent one has to believe that they will surpass our previous generation.
Kell Brook in my opinion did fantastically well, Carl Froch still possesses two world titles. Jamie Mcdonnell is also a world champion as is Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton.
Paul Smith: Froch showed how to beat Abraham
(Photo Credit: Sebastian Heger) By Scott Gilfoid: #5 WBO Paul Smith (35-3, 20 KOs) will be fighting for a world title for the first time in his 11-year pro career this Saturday night against the big punching WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (40-4, 28 KOs) in what shapes up to be the last chance for the 31-year-old Smith at the Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
With the fight being in Germany, Smith can pretty much forget about winning a decision. That’s obviously not going to happen. If Smith wants to win this fight, he’s going to have to prove that he can do what other fighters with superior power to him couldn’t do in Andre Dirrell, Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor, Carl Froch, and Edison Miranda.