Stieglitz vs. Abraham: Will the rubber match bring closure to this rivalry?
By Chris Carlson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 28 Feb 2014
The fate of each fighter?s legacy is at stake this Saturday night when Robert Stieglitz takes on Arthur Abraham in what could be the final installment of a trilogy from the GETEC Arena in Germany.
Legacy is a word used quite often in sports. Peyton Manning's legacy was the key talking point for pundits and fans alike in the lead up for the Super Bowl.
Nearly every time Lebron James looses a game in the playoffs or displays greatness, King James legacy is always being question and debated in the mainstream.
The legacy of boxers comes in all shapes and sizes. Some men go down as hall of famers, few become the best fighters of their generation, if remembered most boxers are seen as warriors respected for being a tough S.O.B.
The other side of the spectrum is no matter what a person does outside of the ring they will be known for something negative staining their legacy for life.
Frankly, many readers doubt that anything remotely close to legacy is on the line in this fight. But try telling someone from Germany that this fight is meaningless.
Both Abraham and Stieglitz have routinely fought in front of big crowds with "King" Arthur being the more popular of the two in his hay day.
But that was then and this Saturday night is the now in a fight that many see as a toss-up fight based off the first encounter being close and the rematch ending abruptly in the 4th round after the left eye of Arthur Abraham closed.
To win the rubber match Abraham will have to start the fight being aggressive something that has plagued him in big fights. He fought very actively in the first fight yet still had lulls of non action resorting to ear muff mode looking tired.
In the first fight Arthur did a good job of mounting flurries in the last minute of rounds or after a round in which he was fading.
Stieglitz had issues with both eyes that contributed to him losing roles were reversed in the rematch with Stieglitz jumping on Abraham right out of the gate.
The 2nd round saw plenty of two way action with Robert landing the bigger punches. After the third round one wondered how much longer Abraham's left eye would stay open after repeated power punches causing the eventually to be halted after 4 rounds.
My guess is the third fight will play out in similar fashion from an action standpoint. Both will start somewhat fast, at least relative to their previous fights, making it a battle of who can finish the end of each round.
Stieglitz eyes were bothered in the second half yet he still managed to make many rounds close. With so many swing rounds on the table a healthy Stieglitz should be able to wear down Abraham who has a track record of fading in fights.
Stieglitz within the first three rounds will set a pace the fans will appreciate and slowly but surely enabling him take over the fight closing out just enough rounds to capture a victory.
My official prediction is Robert Stieglitz by Majority Decision.
Written by Chris Carlson Owner and Host of Rope A Dope Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio
Follow Chris on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio & http://ropeadoperadio.wordpress.com/
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Chris Carlson.
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