WITH BROKEN JAW, ABRAHAM BEATS MIRANDA

Associated Press Online
September 23, 2006 Saturday 11:49 PM GMT
Wetzlar Germany

Germany’s Arthur Abraham overcame a broken jaw Saturday to retain
his IBF middleweight title against Colombia’s Edison Miranda.

Abraham was awarded a one-sided decision after fighting from the
fifth round on spitting blood and unable to close his mouth.

Abraham, 22-0 with 17 knockouts, pounded Miranda through the first
four rounds, and won with scores of 114-109, 115-109 and 116-109 from
the three judges.

Miranda, 26-1 with 23 knockouts, apparently broke the Armenian-born
German’s jaw with a right late in the fourth round. The ring doctor
said he faced an operation.

In the fifth round, Miranda intentionally headbutted him and Abraham
went over to the edge of the ring to let blood pour out of his mouth.

After that his corner kept telling the 26-year-old Abraham he had to
hold out the whole 12 rounds or his title would be gone.

"You can do it try to close your mouth you can do it," Abraham’s
trainer, Ulli Wegner, kept telling him.

Miranda pressed the fight, but appeared spent from the pounding he
had taken.

The German kept dodging blows and once a round unloaded a few hard
shots sometimes knocking the Colombian into the ropes before covering
up again.

Miranda’s third low blow of the night in the 11th round proved costly.

Abraham repeatedly turned his back on Miranda after a clinch apparently
his concentration gone and each time the Colombian ran after him and
tried to knock him out from behind.

The low blow gave the German 5 minutes to recover and he easily stayed
away from Miranda through the final two rounds.