Doghouse Boxing, Canada
July 18 2004

Nader Hamdan Fight Postponed

Australian boxer Nader `Lionheart’ Hamdan is shattered that his
scheduled July 24 WBA International middleweight title fight against
unbeaten Arthur Abraham has been postponed after the Armenian-born
German was forced to withdraw due to injury.

A disappointed Hamdan told DoghouseBoxing: `I got a phone call about
two hours ago. The fight’s been postponed until September 4th.
Abraham got injured in training so the fight won’t be going ahead as
scheduled.

`I was ready. My weight was perfect, my training has been excellent.
Everything was good and we were ready to take off tomorrow. It’s
shattering for me.’

Hamdan was originally slated to fight Brett Culey last Friday night
for the IBF Pan Pacific super middleweight title, but he withdrew
from that bout to pursue the WBA International title.

While 24-year-old Abraham has stopped all twelve of his opponents
within the distance, he is yet to fight an opponent of Hamdan’s
calibre. But with Germany having earned itself an odious reputation
in recent years for dubious decisions, Hamdan isn’t expecting any
favours from the judges come September.

`I’ll try to take it out of the judges hands. I’ll go over and do my
best. I don’t know, I can’t really say yes or no because I’ve seen
how other people have been treated over there. I want to try and take
it out of the German’s hands and take care of it myself. That’s what
it’s about for me’ said Hamdan, 36-1 (17).

`I won’t be happy if I’m standing up at the end of the fight waiting
to hear the decision. It’s safer for me to knock him out or be
knocked out, you know, destroy or be destroyed. That’s how it is
going to Europe or people’s backyard.’

30-year-old Hamdan has recently spoken publicly about his desire to
quit boxing if the big fights don’t come his way by the end of the
year. The postponement of his fight against Abraham has only added to
his frustration.

`I’m very serious,’ said Hamdan about retiring from boxing. `I’m
about to pull the pin right now, but I need to sit down and relax a
bit and take a couple of deep breaths. But I’m very serious about
that. I’ve been around a long time. I was the WBC #2 junior
middleweight and we tried to fight in a couple of eliminators with
different fighters but nothing ever came through. And from what I’ve
seen, that’s boxing, and I not really in it for that, you know. I’m
in it to do my best.’

In recent times the former junior middleweight has fought as high as
light heavyweight, but he says that his body is suited to the 160lb
division.

`Actually middleweight feels pretty good,’ he said. `I never really
thought about going back to junior middleweight because I struggled
so long and hard to make weight and I didn’t want to do that anymore.
Even though I was a middleweight, I went up to super middleweight and
I fought at light heavyweight. But I feel comfortable at
middleweight. But wherever an opportunity comes along, I’ll fight
anybody. All they have to do is call Angelo Hyder, my matchmaker, and
offer me a fight. I’ll fight anybody and I’ll always give it my best
shot.’

Throughout his seven year professional career Hamdan has enjoyed
great fan support and admits he feels an obligation to deliver
exciting fights.

`I’ve always given them `fights of the year’ ever couple of years,’
he said. `That’s what I’m about. I love to fight. They come in and
pay their money for good fights and I like to give them entertaining
fights. I like to win and I love to fight. But I’ve been doing it for
so long and I don’t want to be one of those guys who hangs around for
too long. I’m in it for only one reason and if I can’t achieve that
reason, I’m not going to hang around. I’ve got a family, I’ve got a
future, boxing’s been good to me and I’ve looked after myself in
terms of life after boxing.’

While Hamdan clearly has one eye on life after boxing, he wanted his
fans to know that he will be giving nothing less than his best when
he steps into the ring to battle Abraham in September.

`I look forward to September 4th in Germany,’ he said. `I hope by
then mentally everything will be back to normal. I’m a bit upset
right now but in September I’ll be 110% again and ready, and we will
come back with that WBA International middleweight title.’