The middleweight division is starting to move. Bernard Hopkins, who dominated this weight class for the last decade, lost his four belts – WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO – in his fight against Jermain Taylor, who won the rematch, too. Taylor vacated the IBF title on October 10. This vacant IBF title is the prize of the fight between Arthur Abraham (18-0, 16 KOs) and Kingley “Sharp Knuckle“ Ikeke (23-1, 13 KOs) Saturday in Leipzig, Germany, the same day that Sam Soliman encounters Ronald Wright in an IBF eliminator in Uncasville, CT. Fightnews spoke with Abraham about the upcoming match, Bernard Hopkins and his role in boxing, and Christmas presents.

How do you feel - so shortly before your first world championship fight?

Right now I don’t feel too good, I’m just tired from my training session. But I hope, no, I know that on the day that I box for the world title I will be 100 percent in shape. Now I’m simply tired because I have trained hard today. But I have to train hard if I want to become world champion on December 10. Mentally I’m relaxed and fit, just perfectly at ease, everything is fine mentally.

Are you nervous?

[Abraham drawls:] Nooo. No, I’m not nervous. What does nervous mean, anyway? Of course you start thinking before a fight like this. You think about how you should box the guy. And there is of course a bit of tension because it’s a world title fight. But on the other hand, I was more tense before the Eastman match [Howard Eastman, 2005-07-16, Nuremberg/Germany W 12].

You opponent Kingsley Ikeke is a whole lot taller than you – he is 1.93 m [6’4].

Yeah.

How do you box someone who is 15 centimetres [5.9 inch] taller?

How I box someone like him? You’ll see on December 10 how I box him. You don’t really expect me to tell you now what I’m going to do with Ikeke, do you? If I tell you that now everybody can read it in the Internet and next they’ll write it in the newspapers. And then Ikeke could prepare himself, which of course I don’t want him to do. I prefer giving him a surprise and show it to him in person. After all, I don’t want to spoil his fun. Watch the fight on December 10 and you will see how one boxes such a tall guy, and better still, how one defeats such a tall guy.

Is this the first time that you are facing someone who is that much bigger?

Yes. I’ve never faced such a big opponent before. But I think you should better call him taller, he is not really a big fighter.

What else can you tell us about him, except that he is taller than you?

He is an outside fighter but I don’t think he has a hard punch. To tell the truth, I don’t think he is a great boxer, not even someone very special, he is just the man who stands in my way, who I have to beat. It would be very bitter for me if he were the one to stop me. Actually, it would be inconceivable. If you want to be the world champion – and that’s what I want to be – you must be able to beat opponents like him. Otherwise it would make no sense to train so hard.

Ikeke‘s Co-Manager, Nelson Oliveira, recently said he did not expect the fight to go the full distance of 12 rounds. Do you agree with him?

Yes. Why shouldn’t I? Seems a good prognosis to me.

What outcome do you predict?

It is always difficult to say something before a fight. But I always try to win inside the distance. Because I can’t have my opponent hear the final ring bell. My opponents don’t go the distance, I won’t let them!

Nelson Oliveira appeared to be quite sure of Ikeke’s victory, he said: “Abraham has a large thin nose and Sharp Knuckle [Ikeke’ nom-de-guerre] will leave a good impression on his face." Would you like to say anything to that?

Ikeke could judge himself happy if he managed to hit my nose even once.

The remark about your nose could almost be considered a compliment.

Exactly! That’s how I see it, too. My nose is not a shapeless lump, my nose is an Armenian nose! And to hit it is not easy. Many have tried it, but they all failed.

Do you get much support from your home country?

The Armenian Minister of Defence is going to come, and he alone will bring about 50 people who all want to see me fight. Many, many Armenians will come to support me. I know that people will be coming from Moscow as well. And, of course, a lot of my German supporters will be there. I hope that after the fight I will have even more friends and fans that support me in the future. The Armenian television broadcasts the match live.

Don’t you think the situation is a bit strange – here in Germany you have conquered the hearts of many boxing fans ...

Thank you. If you say so …

… but in Armenia you are already a superstar, even before boxing for the world title.

Well, if you call it that ...

Wouldn’t you agree? Your matches are constantly repeated on TV. Everybody in Armenia knows you. The Minister of Defence comes to Germany just for seeing you fight ...

Let me put it this way: We are rather popular in Armenia, a bit like the Klitschko brothers in Ukraine. Part of it is that we [Arthur Abraham and middleweight boxer Alexander Abraham, his equally undefeated brother] are the only boxing brothers in Armenia. We are a big hope for my country because we keep up the Armenian pride. But I must not forget my German fans. I also box for them. So, let me say here very clearly: I‘m also boxing for Germany. I box for two countries, for Armenia and for Germany.

You always said that you wanted to box against Bernard Hopkins for the world title. It won’t be Hopkins now - Hopkins is not the world champion anymore. It seems that your dream will not come true after all, does that make you sad?

Honestly speaking, yes. I would love to box Hopkins. He was my – for me he was a model boxer. He and Mike Tyson. But then, lately he did not give the impression of serving as a model for me anymore. I liked him a lot. Of course I still respect him a lot. And I still want to box him.

Who else would you put on your letter to Santa Claus?

No, no, I don’t wish for any opponents as a Christmas present. My wish is to become world champion now and then, as the new world champion, celebrate Christmas together with my parents and my family.

Where will you celebrate?

If I become world champion I will throw a gigantic party here. I’m going to invite 100 or 150 people. If I don’t become world champion I won’t do anything. But that’s something I don’t even think about. I must be the new world champion. I have to think about my future.

Okay. Just let us imagine that there will be even more presents when Christmas is over and you receive parcels with boxers wrapped inside. Who would you like to take into the ring with you?

When Christmas is over – I box anybody. I’m not afraid of anybody. No matter who wants to fight against me, I’m ready. There is no one special, apart from Hopkins, where I would say that I prefer him above others. Whoever has the courage to face me - let him come to Germany, put on his gloves and get into the ring with me.

What about Felix Sturm (24-1-0; KOs 11)?

When both of us are world champions we will box each other [Sturm was to box Maselino Masoe, 26-2-0, KOs 25 for the WBA title on November 26 but the fight was cancelled due to an injury of Sturm], and then the matter will be settled once and for all.

As always, my last question: what are your wishes for the future?

To become world champion, to get rich. And to become a special world champion, not just one name among three or four. With my coach [Ulli Wegner] I want to become a special world champion, someone who stays in the memory of the people like Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones. And then, after having achieved all that, to step down undefeated. That would be my wish for the future.