DETROIT (March 28, 2010) – Not satisfied with Arthur Abraham’s underhanded performance against Andre Dirrell on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena, which would warrant his suspension by most members of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), Abraham’s promoter Wilfried Sauerland issued a release on Sunday accusing Dirrell of seizing “…his chance to sneak out of the fight when the chance presented itself…Dirrell is a very good actor.”
The “chance” Sauerland was referring to was when Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich., did the “splits” after slipping in Abraham’s (31-1, 25 KOs), of Germany, water-soaked corner, and while on one knee and defenseless got knocked out by a sweeping Abraham right.. Referee Laurence Cole immediately stopped the fight at 1:13 of the 11th round, awarding the victory, via disqualification, to Dirrell, who was leading on all three judges’ scorecards by 98-91, 97-92 and 97-92. It was the opening bout of the Group Stage 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic .
“Sauerland is a sourpuss. Is he Abraham’s promoter or minister of propaganda?” asked Gary Shaw, Dirrell’s promoter. “Maybe Abraham is used to having his partners fake it, but thanks to SHOWTIME, the world witnessed not just Abraham’s heinous act, but a multitude of replays from every angle showing that Abraham was looking at Andre while he was down on the canvas before deliberately unleashing his illegal blow. As far as I’m concerned, Abraham is a coward and his promoter is an enabler. It was a desperate act by a desperate man.”
Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Sauerland Event, the Dirrell vs. Abraham battle will be replayed Tomorrow! Monday, March 29, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME 2.
“But rather than dwell on a pack of lies, let’s focus on Andre’s magnificent performance,” Shaw continued. “He tagged Abraham with his first knockdown and his first loss in a 31-bout professional career. Both are huge accomplishments. Plain and simple, Andre boxed Abraham’s ears off. He was faster, stronger and smarter. Andre painted a masterpiece on a 20-by-20 canvas. It was his Mona Lisa.
“Andre went straight to the hospital after the fight where he gave his post-fight urine test to the Commission and spent three hours getting examined before being released early this morning. I’m very proud of Andre Dirrell. When his back was against the wall he fired back and against the leader of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.”
“I want to thank all my fans for their support and I especially want to thank everyone in Flint, Detroit and the surrounding areas as well as the entire Midwest for coming out on Saturday night,” said Dirrell. “I’m excited to have the chance to rest and relax with my family at home in Flint.”