Sturm turns down Abraham's offer of $3.2 million

[Rantcatrat]

Felix Sturm avoiding showdown with Arthur Abraham, Universum turns down offer!

I don't know much about the going rate in Germany for unification matches between middleweight champions, but a $3.2 million offer has to be difficult to turn down. Sturm isn't getting any younger. He is coming off a big win against Sylvester. The economy is in the doldrums. When will he get another offer of this magnitude?

Bad decision by Sturm? Is he afraid he'll lose to AA?

[littlebif]

Seems to me a good offer.There isnt that many big fights in the MW division so i guess he is just happy defending it against average fighters.

[kingfrnk]

he should fight AA but i think he knows he will lose.

[Boom Boom]

What happened to champions wanting to fight champions. I should actually call Sturm a titleholder. If he was a true champion he would want to fight all the middleweight beltholders to become undisputed. I liked Sturm but he is a p@ssy for not taking this fight. There is no excuse, he is just anther scared fighter who is content with being second best. What happened to the days where the best of the divisions fought each other to see who is truly the best.

[BlackRazor]

That does seem odd he'd turn down that sort of money - especially since he said he'd easily outbox Arthur. If that's really the easy money he claimed it would be, why not fight him?

[JohnnyKickAss]

Statement of Klaus-Peter Kohl: We will not take up negotiations for now!

November 28, 2008

Regarding the "offer" launched in the press by Sauerland Event GmbH to Universum Box-Promotion regarding a fight between world champions Felix Sturm and Arthur Abraham, Universum-Promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl has made the following statement:

"The questionable practice of Sauerland Event GmbH does not sit well with Universum Box-Promotion and Felix Sturm, and has not contributed to the realization of this explosive and complex fight.

For us it was not a serious offer, but an ultimatum.

"Therefore, we will initiate no negotiations with Arthur Abraham's team, particularly as the demanded basic conditions offer no possible alternative to our intention to promote this high-carat fight independently, if necessary.

"Unfortunately the fans have to wait a bit. We prefer instead a fight against Kelly Pavlik who wears two world title belts. We have already made contact with his promoter Bob Arum and will first check our options for Felix in America.

"As long as Abraham continues to be under contract with Wilfried Sauerland we will take up negotiations. We hope that Arthur's weight problems don't draw a line through the calculations. The fans know that Felix Sturm is the best middleweight in the world."


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Sauerland: Sturm is avoiding a showdown with King Arthur!
November 28, 2008
Universum Box-Promotion have turned down Team Sauerland´s 2.5 million-euro offer for a unification clash between IBF middleweight champion King Arthur Abraham and WBA title-holder Felix Sturm. “We will not pick up negotiations at the time being,” Klaus-Peter Kohl stated in a press release. “For us it was not a serious offer but an ultimatum.”
Even though manager Wilfried Sauerland was not surprised by Universum´s reaction, he rejected Kohl´s remarks. “I think it is a pity that there were no actions in support of Sturm´s and Universum´s big words,” Sauerland stated. “Our offer was serious and not an ultimatum. We submitted it in writing and stressed that there could be additional time for negotiations. It was our second official offer for Sturm – the first one for 1.5 million euros has never been answered.”
Sauerland has no doubts that there are big things ahead for King Arthur. “He has a long-term contract with us and he will not move up to super-middleweight before he is the super-champion. So from our point of view there is nothing that speaks against future negotiations with Universum.”
And Sauerland managing director Chris Meyer, who is in Moscow at the time being, added: “We clearly showed which side wants to make this fight happen and which side is backing out. The only thing that is not serious is the answer from Mr. Kohl, which came by press release and not by fax to us. He is kindly invited to make a counter-offer at any time. But that cannot really be expected. For us there is no doubt that Sturm is scared of King Arthur.”
Team Sauerland wishes Universum and Felix Sturm best of luck for the negotiations with Kelly Pavlik´s promoter Bob Arum.



source: fightnews.com
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I said this again and again that I'm a huge Sturm fan,but even I have to admit that Sturm would loose to Abraham if the fight happens...not that I wouldn't be hugely surprised and happy if Sturm would actually win,but I just don't see it happen...

[Master]

Ignore Strum, he is out of the equation AA and Pavlik are the main men, the rest are just contenders. Just because he has a title does not mean jack.

[match]

More shocking than Sturm turning down that much money is the fact someone even offered him that much money.

[Rantcatrat]

ESPN - Dan Rafael Blog

Rafael calls Sturm out!