15.09.06 – Sauerland´s boxer Arthur Abraham and Marco Huck do not have much time for enjoying the sunny late summer days at the moment. Instead of this, both have to sweat at punching bags, at the power training gym und while sparring. At the Bundesleistungszentrum Kienbaum they prepare for the International Professional Boxing Gala (Internationale Berufsboxgala) at the Rittal Arena in Wetzlar.
Even Nikolai Valuev, Markus Beyer and Sebastian Sylvester prepare for their next fights at the secluded camp in the east of Berlin. “The guys are training hard and they are very well prepared for the fight”, Sauerland´s chef coach Ulli Wegner says. Arthur Abraham long ago got over his cold because of which the fight against Edison Miranda planned for Oldenburg had to be postponed. “In Kienbaum, we have best possible conditions for the preparation,” the middleweight boxer says. “And we use them daily and intensively.” On 23rd September, he wants to defend his IBF title against the Colombian challenger in Hesse. In Kienbaum, he puts the finishing touch to the great project.
Meanwhile, Arthur´s opponent makes verbal headlines again. “You made me wait, now I´ll make you pay,“ Miranda said to the internet portal eastsideboxing. “During the last month I have improved even more. This extra time has made me an even more dangerous fighter. I guarantee you that when he’s getting hit by my rocks he is going to wish that he never cancelled the first fight. My prediction the first time around was a knockout – now I will destroy him!”
The champion from Berlin calmly counters the verbal attacks. “Barking dogs seldom bite,” Abraham says. “We already know things like that from Miranda. I´m a real man – I suit the action to the word.”
Marko Huck will do the same after the long preparation time. Shadow-boxing and punching bag, weight-lifting and sparring: Sauerland´s boxer wants to be well prepared for the fight against Frenchmen Rachid El Hadak. “This fight is the last check before my title fight against Pietro Aurino,” says the 21 years old knock out king who climbs into the ring against the Italian for the cruisers´ European championship on 4th November in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Huck has won all of his 15 professional fights – 12 of them premature. His 32 years old opponent in Wetzlar refers to 10 fights – he has won 9 of them. “Certainly this won´t be an easy task but I´m in top form and I want to see my opponent lying on the ground,” Huck says confidently.
On Sunday, Sauerland´s boxer set off to Wetzlar. During the preparation time not much will come up to the boxers. The foundations have been lain in Kienbaum,” chef coach Ulli Wegner says.