This weekend at the Tui Arena, Germany, Martin Murray will be hoping to be fourth time lucky as he attempts to dethrone WBO Super Middleweight champ, Arthur Abraham. Murray has been facing fairly weak opposition since climbing up to Super Middleweight, but the Brit has a fairly good chance of upsetting the odds.
Murray isn’t known for his punching power in world title fights – or actually winning – but he’s put in admirable, gritty showings against the likes of Felix Sturm (Split Draw 12), Sergio Martinez (UD 12), and Gennady Golovkin (TKO 11). These encounters did tale place at Middleweight, however, prompting the question: how will Murray fair with a fully fledged 168-pounder like Abraham?
On paper, this matchup looks competitive, but again, Abraham must be considered the favorite since he’ll come as Murray’s first legitimate Super Middleweight test. Before you make your prediction, check out our Murray vs Abraham Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats. (Be sure to not miss our must-read Klitschko vs Fury and Cotto vs Canelo editions also.)
Note: Advantageous stats are indicated in red (some may be subjective), and championship stats refer to ‘fully fledged world titles’ only.
Martin Murray vs Arthur Abraham
Physical/Vital
Birthplace
Merseyside, UK … Berlin, Germany
Age
33 … 35
Height
6′ 0″ … 5′ 9″
Reach
73″ … 72″
Stance
Orthodox … Orthodox
Record (Pro)
Debut
2007 … 2003
Bouts
35 … 47
Wins
32 … 43
Defeats
2 … 4
Draws
1 … 0
No Contests
0 … 0
Knockout Ratio
43% (15) … 62% (29)
1st Round Knockouts
3 … 0
2nd Round Knockouts
2 … 7
3rd Round Knockouts
3 … 5
4th – 6th Round Knockouts
7 … 11
Defeats by Knockout
1 … 1
Knockdowns Suffered
3 … 1
Rounds Boxed
200 … 357
12-Rounders Completed
4 … 15
Current Winning Streak
3 … 7
Undefeated Fighters Defeated
5 … 4
Latest Win
Jose Miguel Torres (TKO 5) … Robert Stieglitz (TKO 6)
World Title Bout Experience
Wins
0 … 19
Defeats
2 … 4 (1 DQ)
Draws
1 … 0
No Contests
0 … 0
Successful Defenses
NA … 15
Longest Championship Reign
NA … 3 years, 7 months
Major Titles Won
NA … IBF (160 lbs), WBC, WBA, WBO (168 lbs)
Major Titles Currently Held
NA … WBO (168 lbs)
Notable Performances
MURRAY: Gennady Golovkin (LOSS, TKO 11), Domenico Spada (TD 7), Max Bursak (UD 12), Sergio Martinez (LOSS, UD 12), Jorge Navarro (TKO 6), Felix Sturm (SD 12), Nick Blackwell (RTD 5), John Carvalho (TKO 4), Carlos Nascimento (TKO 3), Peter Mitrevski Jr (UD 12), Shalva Jomardashvili (PTS 6), Sergey Khomitsky (PTS 8, PTS 8), Danny Butler (SD 3, Prizefighter 160lbs Final)
ABRAHAM: Robert Stieglitz (TKO 6, SD 12, UD 12), Paul Smith (UD 12, UD 12), Nikola Sjekloca (UD 12), Giovanni De Carolis (UD 12), Wllbeforce Shihepo (UD 12), Mehdi Bouadla (TKO 8), Piotr Wilczewski (UD 12), Pablo Farias (KO 5), Stjepan Bozic (TKO 2), Jermain Taylor (KO 12), Mahir Oral (TKO 10), Lajuan Simon (UD 12), Raul Marquez (RTD 6),
Edison Miranda (TKO 6, UD 12), Elvin Ayala (KO 12), Wayne Elcock (TKO 5), Khoren Gevor (KO 11), Sebastien Demers (KO 3), Kofi Jantuah (UD 12), Shannan Taylor (UD 12), Kingsley Ikeke (KO 5), Howard Eastman (UD 12), Hector Velazco (KO 5), Ian Gardner (UD 12), Nader Hamdan (TKO 12)
There you have it, fight fans! Based on our Murray vs Abraham Tale of the Tape, Stats & Facts, plus your own take, how do you see this battle unfolding?
Murray vs Abraham will headline a Sauerland Promotion/Matchroom Boxing card on Sky Sports 1, Saturday night. We’ll have Live Coverage right here at Boxing Base, and Live Round by Round Coverage over on Twitter (@BoxingBase).
