Q&A with Abraham: “I want to hold on to my title for a while

Arthur Abraham (35-3, 27 KOs) has entered the ring in Nuremberg, Germany on
two previous occasions. However, the fight against Mehdi Bouadla (26-4, 11
KOs) will be something special. For the first time ever, the prodigy of
Coach Ulli Wegner will make his way to the squared circle as the WBO
Super-Middleweight World Champion. Hence, King Arthur is very excited about
returning to Franconia.

Arthur Abraham, on August 25 you won an exciting fight against Robert
Stieglitz and consequently took over as the reigning WBO Super-Middleweight
World Champion. What has changed since then?

Arthur Abraham: I am just more relaxed than before. Of course, my finances
have also changed since then. But that is about it. Understandably, I was
very relieved once I had that belt around my waist.

Before you moved up a division, you were the IBF Middleweight World
Champion. Are you even more motivated than before, now that you won the
world title in the heavier division?

Arthur Abraham: Most definitely. My motivation is immense. Everybody would
be happy to call themselves a two-division world champion.

Does that effect your preparation in any sort of way?

Arthur Abraham: Your attitude towards training changes. When I was younger,
my mind was wandering around. But the more experienced you get, the more
focused you become and you start realizing that professional sport is a
serious business. I try to keep mistakes to a minimum – and I train a little
bit harder each day.

In which areas have you developed yourself in the last months?

Arthur Abraham: You develop on a daily basis in many different aspects such
as physically and you become more disciplined. I think that I work even
harder than ever before.

You are finally returning to Nuremberg. You have very special memories of
the city in Franconia…

Arthur Abraham: That´s correct. During my amateur days, I was part of 1. FC
Nürnberg and my coach back then was Uwe Schulz. We had some great times
together. In 1997, I became the International Champion of Germany as well as
the Bavarian Champion. Those are great memories.

After you turned pro, you had two fights in Nuremberg. The first was in 2003
against Cezary Piotrowski followed by a fight with Howard Eastman two years
later…

Arthur Abraham: Back then, I was part of the undercard for a main event. Now
I am returning for the first time as the main event of the evening. However,
I also have some painful memories of Nuremberg. I cracked my rips during the
Eastman fight. That hurt quite a lot and it showed in my performance.

This time you will be facing Mehdi Bouadla. What are your thoughts on him?

Arthur Abraham: Mehdi Bouadla is a real fighter. He is always looking for
one-on-one situations. I am hoping to stop him early in order for him not to
land as many hard shots in return. Those could be very dangerous.

What are your plans for the future?

Arthur Abraham: First, I want to win on December 15. Once the new year has
started, I will start thinking about my next steps. I want to hold on to my
title for quite a while!