Tag Archives: Anthony Crolla

Abraham vs. Murray final press conference – quotes and pictures

Abraham – Murray part of a split-site championship doubleheader this Saturday on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment at 3 PM ET / 12 noon PT

San Diego, CA – November, 18 2015 -Arthur Abraham (43-4, 29 KOs) insists he has left no stone unturned in preparation for his WBO World Super Middleweight Championship contest with Martin Murray (32-2-1, 15 KOs)  This SaturdayNovember 21, live on AWEA WEALTH OF ENTERTAINMENT 
 
The fight will be part of a split-site championship doubleheader that will also pit WBA Lightweight champion Darleys Perez defending his title against Anthony Crolla from Manchester, England beginning at 3 PM ET / 12 Noon PT
Speaking at today’s final pre-fight press conference, ‘King Arthur’ detailed his ‘brutal’ training camp and declared himself ready to beat the British challenger.

”This has been one of the toughest camps of my career,” said Abraham. ”My coach Ulli Wegner and his assistant Georg Bramowski have pushed me to my limits. It’s been brutal at times, but it will all be worthwhile when my hand is raised on Saturdaynight. Martin is a good boxer and I expect him to give me a hard fight, but there is no way he is taking my title!”

Murray, who is contesting his first title at 168 lbs following three valiant attempts at middleweight, shares the Champion’s confidence and has vowed not to leave Germany without Abraham’s WBO belt.

Photo by Sebastian Hegar

”We’ve been studying Arthur carefully and I believe I’ve got him beat,” said the 33 year-old from St Helens. ”He is a great fighter, but he’s not changed his style in years, and in my opinion, he’s not evolved. It’s going to be a tough fight but I know it’s well within me to win. I won’t be leaving Germany without the title!”

”This is a real 50-50 fight,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland. ”And I think it will be Arthur’s toughest test for many years. However, he has never shied away from a challenge, and against Murray, I expect Arthur to prove why he is the number one fighter in the super middleweight division.”

Another man under no illusion of the danger Murray poses is Abraham’s long-time coach and mentor Ulli Wegner, who will be celebrating his 100th World title fight on Saturday night. ”For Arthur and I, a unification bout is the common goal,” said the 73 year-old. ”But first he must get past Murray, which will be no easy task!”

Photo by Sebastian Hegar
Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.comfor boxing updates.
About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.  In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez as well as Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly.

Murray believes his time has come to be crowned World Champion

Abraham – Murray part of a split-site championship doubleheader this Saturday on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment at 3 PM ET / 12 noon PT

San Diego, CA – November, 17 2015 -Martin Murray (32-2-1, 15 KOs) believes the time has come for him to be crowned World Champion as he prepares for his fourth World title tilt against WBO World Super Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham (43-4, 29 KOs) on November 21 at the TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany., This SaturdayNovember 21, live on AWEA WEALTH OF ENTERTAINMENT 
 
The fight will be part of a split-site championship doubleheader that will also pit WBA Lightweight champion Darleys Perez defending his title against Anthony Crolla from Manchester, England beginning at 3 PM ET / 12 Noon PT
The St. Helens man is unlucky not to have already claimed World honours having been held to draw by Felix Sturm in 2011 and finding himself on the wrong end of a continuous points decision to Sergio Martinez in 2013.

Photo by Lawrence Lustig

A brave performance against Gennady Golovkin followed in 2015, but was not enough to capture the Kazakh’s middleweight titles. Now, the former British and Commonwealth Champion believes the ‘time is right’ as he intends to draw on past experience to dethrone the German Champion.

”Abraham is a great champion and I’m expecting a tough fight but I just feel that the timing is right for me now,” reveals Murray. ”I think my first World title fight against Sturm may have come a little bit too early. I jumped straight from domestic to world level, so even though there was an argument to say I won that fight, I think it came to soon for me.

”Against Martinez, I knew I could win but going into the fight there were still some doubts. Whereas this time, I know I have it within me to win. I’ve got the ring experience, I’ve got the know-how, and I really feel, despite being in Germany, I’m going to get a fair crack of the whip.”

Murray, who has recorded three wins inside the distance since moving up to super middleweight, says he is expecting the ‘best Arthur Abraham’ having been impressed with the Champion’s recent performances.

”Arthur has looked great in his last two performances,” said the 33 year-old. ”I think I’ll be facing the best Arthur Abraham on Saturday night. He may of overlooked Paul Smith a little bit in their first fight, but I don’t think he is going to overlook me. He knows this is a massive fight for him and a risky fight, so I’m sure he’s going to turn up in top condition.”

Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.
About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.  In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez as well as Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD and Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

Arthur Abraham – Martin Murray WBO Super Middleweight title bout added to Perez – Crolla This Saturday on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment at 3 PM ET 

San Diego, CA – November, 16 2015 -THIS SATURDAY!! It will be a championship doubleheader on AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment as the Arthur Abraham – Martin Murray WBO Super Middleweight title bout from Hanover, Germany has been added to the already announced broadcast featuring the rematch between WBA Lightweight champion Darleys Perez and Anthony Crolla from Manchester, England.

“I am pleased to be able to bring this fight to the American boxing fans,” said Charles Herring, President of AWE

Abraham has been a champion in Middleweight and Super Middleweight divisions for the better part of the last ten years, has a record of 43-4 with 29 knockouts.

He won the IBF Middleweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Kingsley Ikeke on December 10, 2005 and defended the title 10 times which included 7 knockouts. He then entered the Super 6 Super Middleweight tournament and knocked out former undisputed Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in 12 rounds.

Abraham became a two-division world champion when he won a 12-round unanimous decision over Robert Stieglitz on August 25, 2012. After one successful defense, he lost the title to Stieglitz, but won it back three fights later via 12-round split decision. Abraham has defended the belt successfully three times which includes a 6th round stoppage over Stieglitz in their 4th bout on July 18.

Murray of St. Helens, England has a record of 32-2-1. He won his first 26 bouts which was highlighted by winning the Prizefighter tournament in 2008 and defeating two undefeated fighters in the process. Murray also wins over Kevin Concepcion (14-1), Sergey Khomitsky (22-5-1), Shalva Jomardashvili (26-1, Carlos Nascimento (25-2), John Anderson Carvalho (21-4-1), Nick Blackwell (8-0). He had a draw with former world champion Felix Sturm (36-2-1).

Murray won the WBA Interim Middleweight title with a 6th round stoppage over Jorge Navarro. That win facilitated Murray into a fight with WBC Middlweight champion Sergio Martinez.

The bout, which took place on April 27, 2012 in front of over 50,000 in Argentina saw Murray knock down Martinez in round eight. In round eleven, It looked like Murray dropped Martinez again but it was ruled a slip and Martinez was able to win a razor thin decision.

Murray once again challenged for the Middleweight title and was stopped in 11 rounds to WBA & Interim WBC champion Gennady Golovkin on February 21, 2015 in Monte Carlo.

Since that bout, Murray moved up to Super Middleweight and won three fights in a row, including his last outing when he stopped Jose Miguel Torres (31-6) in six rounds in five rounds on September 5th in Leeds, England.

The start time will be 3 PM ET / 12 Noon PT.

Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.

DARLEYS PEREZ SPEAKS ON UPCOMING TITLE DEFENSE


Photo by Team Perez
COLOMBIA (November 12, 2015) – WBA lightweight world champion, Darleys Perez (32-1-1, 20 KOs), who’s co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing, is looking forward to his highly anticipated rematch with Anthony Crolla (29-4-3, 11 KOs).  Perez returns to hostile territory at the Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2015, the same location where the first fight took place.
Perez, who retained the WBA crown against Crolla with a majority draw on July 18, 2015, knows he must be at his optimum best to retain his title, especially on foreign land.  With an expected crowd of 12,000 fans routing against him, Perez feels confident he can pull off another win with his back against the wall.
“I’m a true champion who never backs down from adversity,” said Darleys Perez who hails from Colombia. “Crolla is a very skilled fighter with a lot of heart and I know he’s coming for my title.  He’ll have his entire country on behind him when we fight, but that doesn’t faze me.  My goal is to end the fight early with a knockout, but if we go the distance, I have complete faith that I will get a fair ruling from the judges in the UK.
In the first fight Perez was deducted two points for low blows, one in the 11th eleventh and the other in the 12th round.  This time Perez is well aware of the mistakes he made in their last outing and vows not to repeat those errors.
“There is no doubt that I would have won the fight by unanimous decision if I didn’t get deducted for those low blows.” Perez continued. “It was my fault and I won’t make the same mistakes in the rematch.  I’m hungrier now then I’ve ever been and nothing is going to stop me from bringing back my title to my countrymen of Colombia.”
“It’s clear to me that Darleys Perez is very focused for this fight.” said Gary Shaw. “He knows what’s on the line and the many doors that will open up for him with a victory.  I’ve had fighters come out victorious when they’ve traveled to other countries and fought for world titles.  Perez already proved he can get a fair shake with a gritty performance.  The judging now a days is fairer then it’s ever been.  When Darleys meets Crolla, only one man will come out victorious, and I believe it will be Perez.”
“This is an incredible fight that matches two world class boxers against each other,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “That Perez and Crolla have a controversial history only makes this fight even more exciting. We believe Perez will fight to his full potential and come away with an undisputed win and retain his world championship.”

Darleys Perez defends WBA Lightweight title against Anthony Crolla in a rematch on Saturday, November 21, LIVE on AWE

Ordered by the WBA – One of the most anticipated rematches of the Year
San Diego, CA – October,6 2015 – On Saturday afternoon, November 21, Darleys Perez will defend the WBA Lightweight title in a rematch against Anthony Crolla in a bout that can be seen live and exclusively in the United States on AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment
 
The bout will take place at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
There’s a saying in boxing that if a title challenger ends the night with a draw, it means he beat the champ. For boxing fans of Anthony Crolla, the saying is more than true. Here’s the history on Crolla v. Perez I and why Crolla Perez II is a must watch rematch.
On July 18, 2015, boxing fan favorite Anthony Crolla made an emotional return into the ring to fight Darleys Perez for the WBA World title. Seven months prior, Crolla suffered a fractured skull, not in the ring, but at the hands of a burglar using a concrete slab as a weapon. Crolla risked his life to help a neighbor who was being burglarized.

Some thought Crolla was lucky to be alive, much less return to the ring to fight again. All leading to a very emotional evening in July as Crolla challenged Perez for the WBA World Title. Yet another devastating blow was coming. After twelve rounds of world-class boxing, Crolla finished the night with an extremely controversial draw. Boxing fans thought Crolla won the fight, before a two point deduction was taken against Perez for low blows. Crolla’s outraged home crowd fans were stunned and left the arena in silence. Amir Khan, the fast-handed UK fighter expected to fight Manny Pacquiao in early 2016, tweeted “What a joke!” characterizing the decision of Crolla fans worldwide.

Perez and Crolla will return to the scene of the first bout, in front of a raucous crowd at the Manchester Arena.

Perez of San Pedro de Uraba, Colombia has a record of 32-1-1 with 20 knockouts.
He won his first 28 bouts, which included wins over Samir Torres (10-2-1), Patricio Antonio Pedrero (20-1-1), Ramesis Gil (6-0-4), Oscar Meza (22-4) & Bahodir Mamadjonov (11-0).
He challenged then undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa for the WBA Interim Lightweight title on June 8, 2013 in Montreal.  Perez came up just short, but two bouts later he defeated Argenis Lopez (19-0) to win that same title on June 28, 2014 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The 32 year-old Perez made two defenses of the interim crown by defeating Jaider Parra (23-1-1) and Jonathan Maicelo (21-1) being being elevated to the WBA Lightweight champion.
Crolla of Machester, England has a record of 29-4-3 with 11 knockouts.
He turned professional on October 14, 2006 with a win over Abdul Rashid (1-0).
The 28 year-old has amassed wins over 4-time world title challenger Michael Brodie (36-3-1), Andy Morris (19-3), John Watson (13-1), Willie Limond (34-3), Syephen Jennings (5-1-1), Kieran Farrell (14-0), former Jr. Welterweight world champion Gavis Rees (37-2-1), Stephen Foster (31-4-1) & Former world title challenger John Murray (33-2)
The start time and a full undercard will be announced shortly.
Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.