Agence France Presse
March 30 2008
‘King’ Arthur slays challenger Ayala
KIEL, Germany (AFP) – American Elvin Ayala proved to be no match for
IBF middleweight champion "King" Arthur Abraham who slayed his
challenger with a twelfth round knock-out here on Saturday.
Ayala, 27, is the self-styled "Wrath of God", but he felt the full
force of Abraham taking several hits to the head before the champion
caught him flush of the chin to leave the challenger crumpled on the
canvas with just 25 seconds left in the twelfth.
"Kiel was bigger for me than New York, but now that’s over, I am
looking for a big fight in the United States later this year," said
Abraham who is now hoping for a date at Madison Square Garden, New
York, in June.
Abraham, the unbeaten 28-year-old champion, who now has 21 knock-outs
from 26 fights, had few problems in his seventh defence against Ayala
who was left with a 18-3 record including eight knock-outs.
"That’s boxing," said Ayala after he was helped to his feet following
his defeat.
"I came here to do a job and unfortunately it didn’t come off, but
that’s my job. They call him King Arthur, but I am a king myself and
I have to come back from this."
After Abraham’s last two routine defences against England’s Wayne
Elcock and Armenian Khoren Gevor, Ayala made the champion work hard
with a courageous display, but ultimately gave the champion few
problems.
The American put the champion briefly on the ropes at the end of the
third round which sparked a furious assault from Abraham until the
bell.
Ayala took two big blows to the head in the fifth and the champion
soaked up the blows from the increasingly desperate American before
putting him on the canvas with 30 seconds left in the round.
Abraham raised the pace in the sixth round as Ayala started to tire
and again in the seventh, Abraham soaked up the punches before
unleashing a flurry of combinations and landing several head shots.
In the tenth, Ayala pinned the champ in the corner, but again Abraham
absorbed the shots and hit back with powerful punches.
It was all over in the twelfth when, with less than 30 seconds of the
fight left, Abraham put Ayala in the corner and a upper cut to the
chin left the challenger face down on the canvas.