Five months on since a questionable defeat left a sour taste in his mouth, Paul Smith Jr. has been longing for an opportunity to right a previous wrong against WBO Super Middleweight champion, Arthur Abraham.
On Saturday night, Smith will get that opportunity to claim that career defining victory he has craved, which he believes, was unjustly taken from him when the pair last met.
However, as Smith enters the belly of the beast for the second time, is a victory simply too much to ask from the unlucky Brit, as to defeat both Abraham and the renowned biased German judges would be an impossibility in itself.
It was back in September when the “Real Gone Kid,” Paul Smith entered the lion’s den to face off against well-known Armenian punisher, Arthur Abraham in his adopted home of Kiel, Germany.
Contrary to public opinion, the clear underdog Smith believed he had what it took to dethrone the battle-hardened veteran, bringing the title back to Britain. After sharing 12 evenly matched rounds with the reigning WBO Super Middleweight champion, Smith was proven to be correct, leaving him no longer simply believing he can win, but confidently knowing he can.
Even though the brave Liverpudlian came out on the wrong end of a controversial point’s decision, he has attained a well-deserved second crack at the champion, making him increasingly more confident of returning home with the illustrious title around his waist.
Despite this, Abraham will be equally as focused on retaining his WBO crown after his disappointing display last time out. The former two-weight world champion was far from his best on the night and will undoubtedly be peeved with his unconvincing performance back in September; therefore, he will be pulling out all the stops in his camp to finally stamp his authority on a resurgent Smith.
After his performance the first time out, Paul Smith gained a resounding sense of appreciation from fans and pundits alike, but there was also an overwhelming feeling of trepidation due to the fact that a controversial decision in Germany is never far from the surface.
The truth of the matter is, Smith will simply have to knock Abraham out if he is to snatch the WBO crown from the seasoned 34 year old’s steely grip.
Although, to say Paul Smith has no chance on Saturday night would be a insult to a very good fighter, but unfortunately the dynamic is clear for all to see, a victory in Germany against a hometown fighter, is really nothing short of a miracle.
