Abraham-Dirrell Is A Go For March 6

ANDRE DIRRELL vs. ARTHUR ABRAHAM, Group Stage 2 – Saturday, March 6, 2010, From the Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, Spa

In Rancho Mirage, Calif., LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Jan. 29, 2010) —Tournament point leader “King” Arthur Abraham will kick off Group Stage 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic when he faces Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in greater Palm Springs, live on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

The Armenian-born, German sports icon Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) currently leads the Super Six World Boxing Classic point standings with three (3) by way of his final-round knockout victory over American Jermain Taylor on Oct. 17 in Berlin. Dirrell, the former middleweight bronze medalist (2004 Olympic Games) from Flint, Mich., dropped a close, disputed 12-round split decision to defending champion Carl Froch in his Group Stage 1 match for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Championship the same night in Nottingham, England.

The event is being promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Sauerland Event.  Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow/Saturday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. and are available at The Show box office, online at www.HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow or by calling 1.800.585.3737. Prices are as follows: Floor $180; Loge $140; Mezzanine $85.

“I need two more victories to secure my place in the semifinals and I will start with Dirrell,” said the 29-year-old Abraham, who is training in Zinnowitz (Baltic Sea). “He is a very skilled, yet very awkward fighter. It will be a difficult challenge but together with my coach Ulli Wegner we have developed an idea how to beat him.”

Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) is eagerly awaiting the showdown. “The end of Camelot is near,” he said. “It's off with 'King Arthur's' head on March 6.”

Said Shaw, “Andre is going to pull the sword out of the stone and stab it straight into King Arthur's ego.”

This will be Abraham´s second fight in the United States. He previously defeated Edison Miranda by fourth-round KO in June 2008. “I have said it before and I will say it again: It is my goal to become a star in America,” Abraham stated. “That is where boxing legends are made, and I want to become a boxing legend. That is what the Super Six (World Boxing Classic) tournament is all about for me. The victory over Taylor was a good start, but I am not finished yet.”

Abraham is counting on the support of the huge Armenian community in Los Angeles as the fight will be held just 90 miles east in the Palm Springs desert. “A lot of Armenians live in L.A. and I hope they all come and support me against Dirrell. I will put on a great show just like I did against Taylor,” he said.

Abraham’s promoter Kalle Sauerland is thrilled to give the American boxing fans a first-hand look at who he believes is “the most explosive fighter in World Boxing”. He said: “Abraham kicked off the Super Six World Boxing Classic in style. Once again, he showed his incredible punching power. He is undefeated in 31 fights with 25 KOs including 10 successful defenses of his middleweight championship.

“He can't wait to get his stateside campaign going in the U.S. and he will deliver another spectacular fight against Dirrell. Gary Shaw and his troops better watch out — the Abrahammer is on his way to catch Dirrell. Here come another three points.”

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record          Fighter                                   Points

1-0                Arthur Abraham                         3

1-0                Carl Froch                                  2

1-0                Andre Ward                               2

0-1                Andre Dirrell                              0

0-1                Mikkel Kessler                           0