The Sunday Herald (Sydney)
July 11, 2004 Sunday
Hamdan marks Abraham for destruction
By ADRIAN WARREN
NADER Hamdan will adopt a “destroy or be destroyed” approach for a
fight he recognises is risky, but too good an opportunity to turn
down.
Hamdan heads to Germany next Sunday for a WBA International
middleweight title showdown on July 24 with Armenian Arthur Abraham,
who has won all 12 of his fights by KO.
Described as the “best kept secret” in European boxing, 24-year-old
Abraham has the same trainer and manager as former super-middleweight
world champions Markus Beyer and Sven Ottke, who defeated Danny Green
and Anthony Mundine respectively.
Frustrated at the lack of big fight opportunities his seven-year
professional career has generated, 30-year-old Hamdan is dropping
down a division.
Winning the vacant title would give him a top-10 ranking and move him
closer to a fight with New Zealand’s WBA champion Maselino Masoe.
“I did have reservations about going to Germany and about going back
to middleweight, but it’s a huge opportunity and I’ve always been
waiting for one to come,” Hamdan said.
“I’ve been waiting for opportunities for five or six years and I’m
not going to say no to it now that I’m here.
“It’s a big risk, but that’s what fighting is about. I’ve never said
no to a challenge.”
Not surprisingly, Hamdan is wary of fighting in Germany after Green
suffered a controversial disqualification loss and Mundine was hit
with a two-point deduction by the referee.
A chat with Green on Thursday left him in no doubt about the tactics
he would need to employ in Germany, where Abraham lives.
“Even if I give him a boxing lesson, there’s no way I’m walking away
with a points win,” he said. “I know it’s knockout or be knocked out.
“Greeny basically told me to go in there with that attitude, destroy
or be destroyed, don’t give him any respect.”
With 17 KOs in a 36-1 record, Hamdan believes the extra power he has
displayed since moving up from junior-middleweight will serve him
well.
He has acquired a video of a couple of Abraham’s fights.
“He’s got a very good left to the body and a very good right to the
head,” he said.
“Billy [Hussein] told me the guy is very tight in his defence and
very strong,” added Hamdan, who has also targeted Germany’s Danilo
Haussler as a potential opponent.
Hamdan has sparred with prominent local fighters and has a couple of
sessions scheduled this week with Mundine, whom he helped prepare for
his world title defence against Manny Siaca.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress