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Tonight, Brits Paul Smith and Martin Murray will be fighting abroad for the world middleweight and super middle weight titles, respectively, with Smith in Germany and Murray in Monaco.
For Smith, this is the well-deserved rematch after he was robbed on the scorecards back in September of last year. Smith put in a remarkable effort, showed grit and resilience, boxed well and put pressure on Abraham, who, as we all know, can be crude to say the least.
Unfortunately, I and many others still didn’t give Smith the win; most had Abraham ahead by a round or two. Yes, it was tight but Abraham still won the contest
Had the scorecards not reflected the obviously unilateral biased judging in Germany for Abraham…then this fight wouldn’t be happening.
No-one would have complained at a split decision going Abraham’s way.
Either way, because the judges were clearly watching something else, Smith gets a rematch. And it may work out in his favour this time.
Smith knows more now than before his last fight. He now knows he can stick with Abraham for 12 rounds and whilst he felt the punches of Abraham in the first bout, Smith was never really troubled by the champion.
Smith can win this…if he gets a fair shake, and more to the point, he deserves it. Smith has been a boxing stalwart and servant for a long time. He may not be an elite level fighter but what he lacks in skill, he makes up for in heart and determination.
Both men are saying they will stop the other, but Abraham is not the feared puncher he once was. His last stoppage came in late 2012 against Medhi Bouadla, whilst Smith hasn’t stopped anyone important since Tony Dodson, in mid-2013.
Smith knows what he needs to do; outwork ze German, sorry, the German. Oh wait, they will always score it for Abraham. Well then, Smith needs to stop Abraham…oh yeah, I said that probably wasn’t going to happen….
I still fancy Smith’s chances more than I fancy Martin Murray’s over in Monaco.
Going up against Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, who, for those who don’t know, is the latest wrecking machine coming out of Kazahkstan, and with a 91% KO ratio.
Technically, Golovkin is brilliant; sublime even, knocking everyone out with natural power, not manufactured power. That is natural power…there is a big difference.
And although he has not faced someone like Murray before, i.e. someone from St.Helens, England, I don’t think it will faze Golovkin.
However, on a serious note, I am sure that Murray will be Golovkin’s toughest opponent yet. I don’t think I have ever seen Murray really wobbled before and he has been in with Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez.
Sturm can’t really punch, obviously, but Martinez can, even if he was one fight away from retirement, and actually Murray dropped Martinez in the seventh round, but was, just like Smith in Germany, robbed on the scorecards.
But they had it a close robbery, so not so much of a storm kicked up. The Germans should learn from the Argies there, perhaps.
It was interesting on Sky TV, a few months back they asked Murray how one would go about beating “GGG” if a fight was ever made between them and the answer Murray replied with was “a baseball bat”.
Although now Murray is ready to go and saying he is mentally prepared, and I don’t doubt for a second he is, Golovkin is a different beast to anything Murray knows.
And I don’t think Murray carries the power, nor possesses the skill, to worry Golovkin.
I’ll say that “GGG” stops Murray.
Here’s hoping I am wrong though, about both Smith and Murray, as we all love an underdog.
Nick Chamberlain can be contacted via Twitter @pbdundee
