European Boxing News: Abraham Retains IBF Title Over Gevor

By Per Ake Persson

IBF middle champ Arthur Abraham retained the title with a brutal knockout over a very brave challenger in Khoren Gevor on Saturday at Max Schmeling Hall in Berlin. The end came at 2:41 of the eleventh.

Gevor, who had fought with a belief, heart and determination that went beyond his abilities, was all of a sudden hurt by a left hook and staggered backwards, Abraham followed up, missed with a big right hook but the short, powerful left hook that came behind it took out Gevor.

The challenger went down on his knees and fell over as American referee Pete Podgorski dispensed with the count. Gevor got up relatively quickly but looked badly dazed for minutes. After ten it was scored 98-91, 97-93 and 97-95, all for Abraham.

Gevor was off to a good start, outworking the champion. However, Abraham had much superior power and once he found the range, he would nail Gevor almost at will, fighting in spurts with long spells off as he often tends to do.

Khoren, a southpaw, showed a good chin, but most of all an enourmous will and kept coming back no matter what.

On the undercard, welter Michel Trabant and Giammario Grassellini fought to a technical draw after Trabant was badly cut after an accidental clash of heads in the fourth.

Cuban cruiser Yoan Pablo Hernandez knocked out Brazilian Daniel Bispo in the first to win the vacant WBA Fedelatin title.

Super middle Mads Larsen clearly beat Australian Nader Hamdan after eight rounds. Hamdan was floored in the third.

Cruiser Alexander Frenkel scored a bad knockout over American Shane Schwarz in the first and it took a long time for Schwarz to get up on his feet.