Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinalists Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham participated in a press conference on Tuesday to formally announce their May 14 bout at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca live on Showtime.
Ward will defend his WBA Super Middleweight title against the Armenian, German based Abraham to kick off the Semifinals of the super six. Abraham was only present via video conference as he is in the middle of training for the fight.
The Ward-Abraham winner advances to the tournament Finals against the winner of the Carl Froch-Glen Johnson Semifinals showdown.
Also participating in the press conference was a noticeably slimmed-down Chris Arreola. The heavyweight world contender will try to stay on track for another opportunity for a heavyweight world title as he takes on Nagy Aguilera in a non-televised undercard bout.
Below are what the fighters, promoters and trainers had to say on Tuesday:
Dan Goosen: “To me, no matter how the Super Six has progressed I think it’s a tremendous concept for boxing. I think everyone learned how tough it is to make great fights amongst the world’s best fighters. It sometimes takes years and years to put together a fight that people want to see. It has taken some time but it has been worth it. No fighter has escaped without a tough fight. We have the Semifinals kicking off on May 14 and the Finals later this year.”
“Last time I saw Chris like this was five years ago. When everything is said and done, I don’t think there is a better heavyweight out there when he’s doing the things he needs to do. I always thought the fight with Chris was more outside the ring than inside the ring. You have to be dedicated and willing to push yourself. I wanted everyone to see Chris with their own eyes, not to tell you in a press release. This is the new Chris Arreola.”
Andre Ward: “I’m fired up as always. I’m not buying into people saying that Abraham is not the same. I know Arthur and his team are preparing for a storybook ending but it won’t be at my expense. I’m ready to defend my title. I have two more fights before I’m the best super middleweight in the world and I plan on winning both of them. It’s as simple as that.
“In my preparation I’m probably giving him more respect than he deserves. My job is to put him away from the opening bell. My job is to make him feel the same way he felt right after the Carl Froch fight as soon as possible.”
Arthur Abraham: “I’m looking forward to May 14 and having a great fight. I am feeling OK. I was a little sick but I just started training again and I should be fine. You’ll be surprised on May 14. It’s not my style to make big predictions. I want to show you inside the ring. I know he is the favorite but that motivates me even more. Over history many favorites have crashed down.”
“I don’t want to speak about what went wrong in the past. I want to focus on Andre. I will use my heart, my fists, my body and my hands to defeat Andre. I look forward to coming over to the U.S. I will give 120 percent. Together, with the Armenian fans, I will win the title and reach the finals. We will win on May 14 and then we’ll win the final. I’m looking forward to coming back to America. But I’m mostly looking forward to returning to Germany with a victory and putting on a great fight.”
Virgil Hunter (Ward’s trainer): “We’re in full-tilt now in camp. We have a great game plan. More than anything, we want to make sure we make a statement and give you something to write about. I’d like to say that Arthur is scared to come here and face Andre face-to-face, but it’s a long trip over here. I understand.”
Chris Arreola: “I do look a little bit better. The main thing with being 30 years old is you only have a little window of opportunity and it’s time for me to do it. I let everyone down when I showed a lack of dedication to the sport and I look forward to showing myself again. The main thing is after my last fight I didn’t go back to living like I used to. I’m a family man now. I’m good and just living the life. I can train at home without all the distractions. I’m more focused and dedicated.
“The turning point was around December. I realize that 2010 and 2009 were terrible. It was my fault. Now it’s about what I want and what I’m supposed to do to win. No more games. I’m 20 or 30 pounds ahead of the game, so I’m not worried about weight anymore.”
Henry Ramirez (Arreola’s trainer): “Obviously, you can see that Chris is at a lower weight. The biggest fight with Chris has been outside of the ring. The maturity is finally catching up with the physical ability. The sky is the limit for Chris and the best is yet to come.”
