Former IBF Middleweight Champion & Super Six World Boxing Classic semi-finalist King Arthur Abraham (32-3, 26 KOs) returns on January 14 when he takes on Pablo Farias (19-1, 11 KOs) in Offenburg, Germany. Right here, you can find a quickfire interview with the 31-year-old former champ as he’s finally just days away from his return to the squared circle.
Q: Arthur, January is not a popular fight date for most boxers because it means that you have to train through the Christmas and the New Year festivities. What was it like for you?
AA: “I trained all the time. No matter whether it was Saturday, Sunday, Christmas or New Year’s Day – I did not miss a single training session. On the days when Ulli Wegner was not available, his assistant Georg Bramowski took care of me. I did not complain about the hard training. It´s part of an athlete’s life. It’s not that bad to skip the sweets and the good food during Christmas time.”
Q: Are you looking forward to your ring return?
AA: “Yes, very much so. That’s why it was ok for me to train so hard in the past weeks. I have not fought since May. It has really been a long break.”
Q: You have been target to a lot of criticism after your losses in the Super Six tournament. How have you dealt with it?
AA: “Well, if you lose, you get criticized. That’s fine with me and that is something you have to live with. But I am not thinking about it any more. I have put it behind me. I am focusing on the future now.”
Q: Nevertheless, have there been any lessons learned?
AA: “You cannot change the past. You just have to accept it and try to improve in the future. I would not say I boxed “poorly” or committed a lot of mistakes. I just was too passive in the fights. I have prepared well for the fight in Offenburg but that is not any different from the last bouts. However, I will try to be more active, try to punch more.”
Q: What can the fans expect from you on January 14?
AA: “They can look forward to seeing the old Arthur Abraham, the one who won the world title and made ten successful defenses!”
Q: What are your goals for 2012?
AA: “I only have one goal. I want to be world champion again.”
