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Photo © Harry's Gym
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While most Australian boxing fans are focusing on IBF super featherweight champion Robbie ‘Bomber’ Peden’s ambitious attempt to unify his world title with WBC counterpart and pound-for-pound stalwart Marco Antonio Barrera this weekend, IBF #6 junior welterweight Naoufel ‘Chocolata’ Ben Rabah has been studiously preparing for the biggest fight of his career against hard-nosed Mexican pug and IBF #10 Arturo Morua on the Barrera vs Peden undercard.
The Golden Boy Promotions card will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and is available live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
It’s a big step up in class for Rabah, 23-1 (13), who relocated to Australia after representing Tunisia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. But Rabah’s enigmatic trainer Craig Christian insists that his charge is more than ready to face the biggest challenge of his professional career.
“He’s been over in Tampa, Florida sparring with Robbie Peden, ‘Diamond’ David Santos and a couple of other boys,” said Christian, who is the major sponsor of popular Perth-based radio show ‘Harry’s Gym Fight Nite’ which airs weekly at 11:00am on Saturdays on Sport FM 90.5.
Christian, who trains a large stable of stars including world ranked fighters Gairy St. Claire, Daniel Dawson and WBA featherweight champion Chris John at Harry’s Gym in Perth, believes the slick 27-year-old boxer-puncher will have too many tools in his arsenal for the tough Guadalajara native.
“He’s fighting Arturo Morua, who’s a good all-round fighter,” said Christian. “He’s not fast, not slow, not a big power, but he’s a good all-rounder, a typical Mexican. He’s tough as nails, not a big puncher, but he’s in on you all the time. I think Ben Rabah will be too classy for him, way too classy. Then I expect Choc to get a big money fight against Hatton and beat Hatton.”
The lone blemish on Rabah’s record occurred in 2002 when then undefeated fellow Olympian Fred Kinuthia outworked him over twelve rounds to retain the Australian welterweight title. Rabah has since avenged the loss twice, winning a pair of decisions over twelve and six rounds.
27-year-old Morua, 22-6-1 (13), holds a twelve round decision win over current WBA junior welterweight titleholder Carlos Maussa as well as ten round decision wins over Omar Weis and Jung Bum Kim. But in Rabah he will be facing a classy boxer-puncher with quick hands and sharp reflexes who will enjoy substantial height and reach advantages over him.
Christian was particularly effusive in his praise for American matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz who was instrumental in putting the Rabah vs Morua fight together.
“Sampson Lewkowicz is the Picasso of boxing,” said Christian. “Every word he’s opened his mouth to, he’s done. He’s been incredible to me. Picasso got Choc on the undercard but he didn’t know about TV, but he’s done the best he could for me.”
With the top two positions in the IBF junior welterweight rankings vacant, it is expected that the winner of Rabah vs Morua will become the mandatory challenger for the world title that England’s Ricky Hatton ripped from Kostya Tszyu in spectacular fashion last June.
“We reckon Ricky Hatton is easy for us,” said Christian of the reigning junior welterweight champion. “I watched his last fight before Tszyu and mate, Tszyu made him look good. I’m telling you, Tszyu made him look good. You watch the fight with [Ray] Oliveira and he doesn’t look that good because Oliveira moved to the left and right of him.
“I reckon Kostya made Hatton look good and I reckon Ben Rabah will beat him.”
To find out the latest news on the Australian boxing scene, tune in to ‘Harry’s Gym Fight Nite’ by visiting www.sportfm905.com for a live web broadcast at 11am Perth time every Saturday (11pm Friday USA east coast, 9pm Friday USA west coast). |
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2005
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By Anthony Cocks, Site Editor (September 16, 2005) 
