Arthur Abraham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arthur Abraham Ավետիք Աբրահամյան
Abraham in 2016
Statistics
Real name	Avetik Abrahamyan
Nickname(s)	King Arthur Abrahammer
Rated at	Middleweight Super-middleweight
Height	5 ft 9 in
Reach	72 in
Nationality	Armenian German
Born	(1980-02-20) 20 February 1980 (age 45) Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	53
Wins	47
Wins by KO	30
Losses	6

Avetik Abrahamyan (Armenian: Ավետիք Աբրահամյան), known as Arthur Abraham, is a former professional boxer. He was born on February 20, 1980. Arthur competed from 2003 to 2018. He won many world championships in two different weight classes. These included the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title from 2005 to 2009. He also held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-middleweight title twice between 2012 and 2016.

Arthur Abraham's Early Life

Avetik Abrahamyan was born in Yerevan, Soviet Armenia. This was on February 20, 1980. His parents were Grigor and Sylvia Abrahamyan. In 1995, when he was 15, Arthur moved to Germany with his family.

As a teenager, Arthur loved cycling. He even became a youth champion in North Bavaria and Franconia. But then, he watched an exciting Mike Tyson boxing match. This inspired Arthur to become a boxing star himself. In 1999, Arthur and his brothers went back to Armenia for military service. After 2002, all the brothers finished their service. They returned to Germany in 2003.

Amateur Boxing Career

Arthur started boxing as an amateur in Bamberg. Later, he boxed in Nuremberg. In 1997, he became an International German champion in the junior welterweight division. He was also a three-time Senior Armenian champion in the light middleweight division. This was in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Arthur wanted to compete for Armenia in the 2000 Summer Olympics. But he could not because of his two years of military service. In 2003, Arthur and his brother Alexander returned to Germany. They hoped to start professional boxing careers. Arthur's final amateur record was 81 wins, 3 losses, and 6 draws. He won 48 fights by knockout.

In 2003, Arthur and Alexander joined promoter Wilfried Sauerland and coach Ulli Wegner. Arthur became a sparring partner for IBF and WBA super middleweight champion Sven Ottke. Ottke was getting ready for a title defense. Coach Wegner was very impressed with Arthur. He decided to train Arthur personally.

Amateur Highlights

• 1997 International German champion (light-welterweight)
• 2000, 2001, and 2002 Senior Armenian champion (light-middleweight)

Professional Boxing Journey

Middleweight Champion

Starting His Professional Career

Arthur Abraham began his professional boxing career on August 16, 2003. He was promoted by Wilfried Sauerland. Arthur won many fights early on. He beat Canadian boxer Ian Gardner to win the WBA Inter-Continental middleweight title. He also defeated Hector Velazco, a former WBO champion.

In July 2005, Arthur defended his WBA Inter-Continental title. He fought against the strong British boxer Howard Eastman. Eastman had only lost to two famous boxers before.

Becoming IBF Middleweight Champion

On December 10, 2005, in Leipzig, Germany, Arthur won the vacant IBF middleweight title. He defeated Kingsley Ikeke by knockout in the 5th round. The IBF title was empty because champion Jermain Taylor had given it up. In the fifth round, Arthur hit Ikeke with powerful punches. Ikeke started to fall, and Arthur landed more punches to win.

Arthur defended his title on March 5, 2006. He won against Australian boxer Shannan Taylor by a unanimous decision. Two months later, Arthur won his second title defense against Kofi Jantuah. He also won that fight on points.

Abraham vs. Miranda: A Tough Fight

On September 23, 2006, Arthur won a fight against undefeated boxer Edison Miranda. This was a very tough fight. Arthur's jaw was broken in two places in the fourth round. Miranda fought unfairly, hitting Arthur below the belt and headbutting him. Miranda lost five points because of this. Even without those points, Arthur still won the fight. His jaw needed surgery the night after the fight. Doctors put 22 screws into two titanium plates. After this fight, Arthur was praised for finishing despite his serious injury.

Arthur then defeated Canadian boxer Sébastien Demers by knockout in the third round. Arthur was much stronger than his opponent. Arthur won his fifth title defense by beating fellow Armenian boxer Khoren Gevor. He won by knockout in the 11th round with a strong left hook.

More Title Defenses

On December 8, 2007, Arthur defeated Wayne Elcock. This was his sixth title defense. He won by technical knockout in the 5th round.

Sometimes, the band Scorpions performed live during Arthur's matches. Now, he uses the song "Ready For The Fight" by The Young Punx.

On March 29, 2008, Arthur defeated American boxer Elvin Ayala. He won by knockout in the 12th round. He landed a powerful left hook that sent Ayala to the floor. This was Arthur's 7th successful title defense.

Arthur Abraham with his IBF middleweight title in 2008

Rematch with Edison Miranda

On June 21, 2008, Arthur had a rematch with Edison Miranda. Arthur's IBF middleweight title was not on the line. In the fourth round, Arthur landed a perfect right hand and left hook. Miranda fell to the floor, clearly hurt. Another left hook dropped Miranda again. He tried to get up, but his legs were weak. Arthur landed a final right hand, and the referee stopped the fight.

Final Middleweight Defenses

On November 8, 2008, Arthur defeated Raúl Márquez by technical knockout in the 6th round. This was his 8th defense of the IBF middleweight title.

He kept his IBF title on March 14, 2009, against Lajuan Simon. This was his first fight over 12 rounds since the tough battle with Edison Miranda. His 10th and final defense of the middleweight title was in Berlin against Mahir Oral. Arthur won this fight by technical knockout in the 10th round. Oral's coach stopped the fight after several knockdowns.

Moving to Super-Middleweight

The Super Six World Boxing Classic

After not being able to fight other champions, Arthur decided to change his weight class. He moved up to super middleweight. Arthur joined the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament. This tournament was for the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles. Other boxers in the tournament included Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, Andre Dirrell, Andre Ward, and Jermain Taylor.

Abraham vs. Taylor

In his first tournament fight, Arthur faced Jermain Taylor on October 17, 2009. Arthur had been supposed to fight Taylor before. Arthur defeated Taylor with a powerful knockout in the 12th round. Taylor had to go to the hospital. He had trouble remembering details of the fight. Taylor was replaced by Allan Green in the tournament. After leaving the hospital, Taylor congratulated Arthur on his win. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson watched the fight. He was impressed by Arthur's strength.

By the end of 2009, The Ring magazine ranked Arthur as the 14th best boxer in the world. On March 5, 2010, Yahoo! Sports ranked him #8 in the world.

Abraham vs. Dirrell

On March 27, 2010, Arthur fought American boxer Andre Dirrell. This was in the second stage of the Super Six tournament. Dirrell was ahead on points. In the 10th round, Arthur knocked Dirrell down, but the referee said it was a slip. Arthur lost the fight by disqualification in the 11th round. He hit Dirrell after Dirrell had slipped and fallen. Arthur said he didn't see Dirrell fall. Dirrell was taken to the hospital for a brain scan. Arthur had his first professional loss because of this disqualification.

Abraham vs. Froch

Arthur Abraham (right) fighting Carl Froch

Arthur was scheduled to fight British boxer Carl Froch next. This was for the vacant WBC super middleweight title. The fight happened on November 27, 2010, in Helsinki, Finland. Arthur did not become a two-weight world champion. He lost to Froch by a unanimous decision. The judges' scores showed that Froch clearly won. Arthur was disappointed with his performance. Froch said it was his best fight ever.

Abraham vs. Ward

Arthur still qualified for the semifinals of the Super Six tournament. Before that, he fought Stjepan Božić. Arthur won by technical knockout in the second round because of Božić's hand injury.

On May 14, 2011, Arthur fought undefeated American boxer Andre Ward. This was in the Super Six semifinals for the WBA super middleweight title. The fight took place in Carson, California. Arthur had lost two of his last three fights. Ward controlled the fight with his smart boxing. Arthur tried hard, but Ward blocked most of his punches. Arthur hurt Ward a couple of times in the last round. But it was not enough to win. Ward won by a clear unanimous decision. Ward went on to win the entire Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament.

Coming Back Strong

Arthur Abraham in 2010

On October 30, 2011, Arthur first said he would go back to the middleweight division. But later, he decided to stay at super middleweight.

In his first comeback fight on January 14, 2012, Arthur defeated Argentinian boxer Pablo Oscar Natalio Farias. He won by technical knockout in the fifth round. Arthur landed many strong punches, and Farias fell three times. The referee stopped the fight. On March 31, 2012, Arthur defeated former EBU super middleweight champion Piotr Wilczewski. He won by a clear unanimous decision.

WBO Super-Middleweight Champion Again

Abraham vs. Stieglitz: Winning the Title

In April 2012, the WBO said Arthur would challenge WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz. The fight happened on August 25 in Berlin. Arthur won by a unanimous decision after twelve rounds. This made Arthur a champion in two different weight classes. He became the second Armenian and first German to do this. The judges' scores were very close. Arthur was named the best boxer in Germany in 2012. His coach, Ulli Wegner, was named best coach.

Defending the Title

On October 9, 2012, Mehdi Bouadla was confirmed as Arthur's first title defense. The fight took place on December 15 in Nuremberg, Germany. Arthur kept his title against Bouadla. He won by technical knockout in the eighth round. Bouadla had a cut near his eye, which made it hard for him to see. Arthur said it felt great to be world champion in front of 10,000 people.

Five days after the Bouadla fight, a rematch with Stieglitz was planned for early 2013. The fight happened on March 3 in Stieglitz's hometown of Magdeburg, Germany. Arthur's eye swelled shut quickly in the second round. He could not see. The referee stopped the fight at the start of the fourth round, and Arthur lost.

Getting Back on Track

After losing his world title, Arthur had two more fights in 2013. First, he beat Willbeforce Shihepo by unanimous decision. Arthur won the vacant WBO Inter-Continental super middleweight title. Two months later, Arthur successfully defended this title against Giovanni De Carolis by unanimous decision.

WBO Super-Middleweight Champion (Second Time)

Abraham vs. Stieglitz III: The Decider

A third fight with Stieglitz happened on March 1, 2014. The WBO super middleweight title was on the line again. The fight was in Magdeburg, Germany. It was a very close fight. Stieglitz was aggressive, but Arthur used counter-punches. Stieglitz took a knee in the final round. Arthur won the fight by a split decision. Arthur was more active in the last five rounds, which helped him win.

In April, Arthur planned a quick first defense. He fought Serbian boxer Nikola Sjekloća on May 3, 2014, in Berlin. Arthur won the fight on points after 12 rounds. Arthur thought he broke his hand in round 7. He boxed carefully for the rest of the fight.

Abraham vs. Smith: Two Fights

On July 21, 2014, it was announced that Arthur would defend his WBO title against English boxer Paul Smith. The fight took place on September 27 in Germany. Arthur defeated Smith to keep his title. The decision was controversial because the scores were very wide. Many British fans booed the decision.

The WBO reviewed the fight. They did not order an immediate rematch. However, Smith stayed high in their rankings. By the end of October, Arthur agreed to fight Smith again in 2015. The rematch happened on February 21, 2015, in Berlin. Arthur won again by points after 12 rounds. Arthur was mostly in control, landing many power punches. Smith praised Arthur after the fight. The fight was watched by over 4 million people in Germany.

Abraham vs. Stieglitz IV: The Final Showdown

Arthur fought Robert Stieglitz for the fourth and final time on July 18, 2015. The fight was called 'Final Showdown'. Arthur won by TKO in the sixth round. Stieglitz was knocked down once in round 4. Arthur was ahead on all judges' scorecards when the fight stopped.

On October 7, 2015, Arthur agreed to defend his WBO title against British boxer Martin Murray. The fight happened on November 21 in Hanover. Murray was looking for his first world title. The fight went all 12 rounds. Arthur won by a split decision. Murray lost one point for holding, but it didn't change the outcome. Arthur praised Murray after the fight, calling him a "world-class fighter."

Losing the Title to Gilberto Ramírez

On January 18, 2016, it was announced that undefeated #1 WBO boxer Gilberto Ramírez would challenge Arthur. This was for the WBO super middleweight title. The fight took place on April 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. All three judges scored the fight 120-108 for Ramírez. Ramírez became the first Mexican boxer to win a super middleweight world title. Ramírez won by using his jab and hitting Arthur's head and body. Arthur lost his title.

Later Career Fights

Arthur fought on July 16, 2016, after losing his world title. He faced Tim-Robin Lihaug for the vacant WBO International super middleweight title. Arthur won the fight by TKO in round 8. He claimed the title.

Talks in October suggested Arthur and Martin Murray might fight again in Monaco. The fight was planned as a non-title bout. The winner would become the mandatory challenger for the WBO super middleweight title. Arthur got an elbow injury in training and had to pull out.

Abraham vs. Krasniqi

The World Boxing Organization ordered a fight between Arthur and Robin Krasniqi. This was an eliminator fight. An agreement was reached for the fight to happen on April 22, 2017, in Erfurt, Germany. Arthur hurt Krasniqi in the second half of the fight. He won by a 12-round unanimous decision. This earned him another chance at a world title. Krasniqi started well, but Arthur's right hand in round 6 changed the fight.

Abraham vs. Eubank Jr.

On June 1, 2017, reports said Chris Eubank Jr. would defend his IBO super middleweight title against Arthur. The fight was in London on July 15. It was considered Eubank Jr.'s biggest fight since 2014. The winner would join the World Boxing Super Series tournament. At the weigh-in, Arthur was slightly over the weight limit. He had to lose the extra weight.

Eubank Jr. won by a unanimous decision. The scores were 120–108, 120–108, and 118–110. Arthur had little to offer and was mostly defending. Eubank Jr. landed many uppercuts. Arthur landed only a few clean shots. This was Arthur's second loss in his last four fights.

Abraham vs. Nielsen

On March 13, 2018, it was reported that Arthur and Danish boxer Patrick Nielsen might fight. The fight was confirmed for April 28 in Offenburg, Germany. Arthur won by a split decision after 12 rounds. He won the vacant WBO International title. Arthur put pressure on Nielsen and landed strong punches. Nielsen moved well but didn't have enough power to keep Arthur away.

Retirement from Boxing

In 2021, Arthur Abraham announced he was retiring from boxing. He had a successful career with 47 wins (30 by knockout) and 6 losses. One main reason for retiring at age 40 was to spend more time with his family.

Life Outside the Ring

Arthur appeared in Cologne, Germany, for a fun exhibition match. He fought entertainer Oliver Pocher in a bouncy, castle-like "ring." They used huge, air-cushion boxing gloves. On April 9, 2010, Arthur joined the dance show Let's Dance on RTL. But he left after the first episode to focus on boxing.

In the movie Max Schmeling (2010), Arthur played a supporting role. He played boxer Richard Vogt, who was Schmeling's last opponent. Just like in real life, Ulli Wegner was in his corner.

German actor and producer Til Schweiger invited Arthur to act in his film Crime Scene (2013). Til and Arthur had been friends for a long time. Arthur played a gang leader in the movie.

Arthur was a judge for the "Miss Germany" beauty pageant in 2012 and 2013.

On January 9, 2013, the RA Ministry of Diaspora honored Arthur. Minister Hranush Hakobyan praised Arthur as a role model. She gave him the "Poghos Nubar" medal.

Arthur sent a letter of sympathy to the family of Vladimir Yengibaryan after he passed away.

Personal Life

His family calls him "Avo," which is short for Avetik. Arthur Abraham is married to Lusya Hovhannisyan. They have three children: Grigor, Maria, and Diana. His younger brother Alexander is also a professional boxer.

Arthur plans to open a boxing school in Armenia after he fully retires. He also wants to have foreign-language classes there, like English and German. This will help students succeed internationally.

He received German citizenship in August 2006. He also kept his Armenian citizenship.

On September 21, 2008, Arthur and fellow boxer Vic Darchinyan were honored by Armenian President Serge Sargsyan. This was during a celebration of the nation's 20th independence anniversary. Both men received medals "For the great services for Armenia" of the first degree.

Images for kids

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  Abraham in 2016

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  Abraham with the IBF middleweight title, 2008

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  Abraham (right) vs. Carl Froch

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  Abraham in 2010

Professional Boxing Record

Viewership in Germany

Arthur Abraham's fights were very popular in Germany. Millions of people watched him box on TV.

Awards and Recognition

• Hrant Shahinyan Medal
• 2009 Berlin Sportsman of the Year
• Child Award 2009

See also

In Spanish: Arthur Abraham para niños

• List of middleweight boxing champions
• List of super-middleweight boxing champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of WBO world champions