Arthur Abraham Knocks Out Jermain Taylor
King Arthur Abraham Kick-Starts the Showtime Super-Six Tournament
Oct 23, 2009
Looking to make a positive start to the “Super-Six” Super-Middleweight competition Arthur Abraham looked strong and purposeful at 168 pounds in repulsing the surprisingly vigorous challenge of former Middleweight king Taylor. Taking a slender points lead into the final round Abraham, 31-0 (25 KO’s) brought down the house with a screaming right hand which left Taylor prone on the canvas for several minutes.
Taylor Boxing Well in the Early Stages
Buoyed by the reverential crowd and fired up by an incendiary ring walk performance by veteran rockers The Scorpions Arthur Abraham looked ready for action as the opening bell rang. Yet it was Taylor who made the better start, boxing fluently from range, establishing his jab and keeping the shorter Abraham at a safe distance. Abraham for his part was content to stalk his opponent patiently, picking his punches while flaunting his virtually impenetrable “Peak-a-Boo” defensive guard.
Taylor appeared to be controlling the early exchanges, moving well and letting go with bursts of punches whenever the opportunity presented itself. However, he was struggling to hit the German flush and most of his work was either being picked off or deflected by Abraham’s crab-like defence. While Arthur pressed forward menacingly and occasionally let fly with his heavier hooks there was an undeniable crudity to his approach and by the end of the third round it was clear we were to be in for a long night.
Abraham’s Power Begins to Tell
Taylor continued to be busier as the fight reached the halfway stage. His height and reach were clearly causing the pre-fight favourite some problems. Taylor however, despite landing some solid right hands was never able to deter the implacable Abraham from his constant forward march. Taylor’s stamina, questioned following previous stoppages at the hands of Carl Froch and Kelly Pavlik, was being tested as Abraham started to close the range more effectively in the middle rounds, firing off bursts of short heavy hooks and right hands. The judges, as evidenced by the post-fight scorecards, appeared to be favouring Abraham’s sporadic yet heavier shots over Taylor’s busier work rate.
The turning point of the contest occurred in round nine when a heavy right hand clearly staggered Taylor. Though the American recovered well as the round drew to a close he had clearly felt Abraham’s power and adopted a somewhat more reticent approach as the fight neared the finish.
Brutal Knockout Leaves Taylor Badly Concussed
The finish, when it arrived was shockingly abrupt and conclusive. Taylor, at his corner’s insistence, was gamely talking the fight to Abraham when he walked on to a huge straight right hand. Taylor literally toppled to the canvas, arms splayed wide, he collapsed like a dynamited building. His head rebounded resoundingly off the canvas and he lay prone throughout what was clearly an unnecessarily pedantic and ultimately pointless count. As the referee reached seven he waved off the contest as Taylor’s handlers rushed to tend to their man. Later medical reports confirmed that Taylor had suffered a serious concussion and some memory loss after the fight.
Taylor, who drops to 28-4-1 (17 KO’s), had confounded the critics who claimed he was shot, fighting with bravery and style against his unbeaten and much stronger opponent. Though worryingly for the Little Rock native this was his fourth loss in his last five fights and his third stoppage defeat. Abraham for his part, while crude and somewhat one paced, showcased his power and sent out a clear message to his tournament rivals.
Abraham Establishes his Super-Middleweight Credentials
The immediate future looks bright for the Armenian born slugger. With this victory he both secures three points and shoots to the top of the tournament standings, while simultaneously securing the win over a marquee name he had craved, yet failed to secure during his four-year reign as IBF Middleweight king. Abraham has served notice that his power has been undiminished by the rise in weight and Andre Dirrell, narrowly outscored by rival Carl Froch in Nottingham on the same evening, will have his work cut out in keeping the Berlin buzz saw at bay when they meet in January 2010. Taylor on the other hand faces an uncertain future, and speculation has raged as to whether or not he will call time on his career. Should he choose to do so Allan Green has been mooted as his likely tournament replacement.
