:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/30283209/475895439.0.jpg)
When Arthur Abraham regained the WBO super middleweight title in his third fight with Robert Stieglitz on March 1 in Germany, one of the early questions was what type of opponent the 34-year-old slugger would look to face in defense of his title.
Real contenders? Pretenders?
The first answer is pretender, as Abraham (39-4, 28 KO) will return on May 3 against Nikola Sjekloca (26-1, 8 KO) in Berlin. The quick turnaround, however somewhat makes up for the lackluster choice of opponent, and the fight should probably be considered something of a victory lap defense for the veteran star.
Sjekloca, 35, is a Serbian-born fighter who now resides in Montenegro, and is probably best (or only) known to fight fans from his wide loss to Sakio Bika in February 2013 on Showtime in a WBC final eliminator. His best win was a decision in 2011 against a faded Khoren Gevor.
This matchup is reminiscent of Abraham's December 2012 fight with Mehdi Bouadla, which was the first defense King Arthur made after his previous title win against Stieglitz.