Former IBF middleweight champion and Super Six semifinalist Arthur Abraham hits the comeback trail on Saturday night when he takes on Argentina's Pablo Oscar Natalio ''Pokemon'' Farias at the Baden-Arena in Offenburg, Germany. Although the bout is for the lightly regarded WBO European super middleweight title, Abraham has stated that his intention is to move back down to the middleweight class and regain a version of the world title in 2012.

31-year-old Abraham [32-3, 26 KOs] was last seen being handed a boxing lesson by the eventual Super Six champion Andre Ward at the Home Depot Center in California last May. The loss cost Abraham a rematch with Carl Froch and a shot at winning the Super Six title. It also marked the third time in four bouts that Abraham had been dominated by an opponent.

The Berlin-based Armenian began Super Six in impressive fashion, knocking out former middleweight titlist Jermain Taylor in the 12th round of a fight he had dominated in October 2009. The brave but outgunned American was behind on all three scorecards and heading toward defeat when to add insult to injury, he was knocked cold by a booming straight right to the chin late in the round. Taylor was forced to spend three nights in a Berlin hospital suffering from severe concussion and double vision.

It was an ominous start for Abraham, and he was quickly installed as the bookies favorite to win the Super Six tournament. However, his limitations at 168 pounds were exposed in his next fight five months later, when he was handed a boxing lesson by the 6'2'' Andre Dirrell, and suffered his first professional defeat when he was disqualified in the 11th round for hitting his opponent after he had slipped to the canvas.

Abraham was still a heavy favorite when he faced Britain's Carl Froch in his third Super Six bout in November 2010, but once again he was outclassed by a much taller and rangier opponent, losing a landslide decision. Despite back-to-back defeats, the three points he had gained by knocking out Taylor were still good enough to put him in against the undefeated American Andre Ward in the Super Six semifinal.

In an attempt to rebuild his shattered confidence prior to the Ward bout, Abraham took a tuneup fight in Germany in February 2011, but the contest ended unsatisfactorily when Abraham's opponent Stjepan Bozic was forced to withdraw in the second round after damaging his hand. Three months later, Ward handled Abraham with ease, giving the Armenian yet another boxing lesson.

Powerfully built at 5'10" tall, and possessing a 72 inch reach, Abraham has the perfect structure for a middleweight. He won the IBF version of the title with a fifth round KO of Nigerian Kingsley Ikeke in 2005, and used his physical prowess allied to a simple ring strategy to power his way to 10 consecutive title defenses over the next four years, with impressive victories over the likes of Edison Miranda [twice], Wayne Elcock and Mahir Oral. 

During his reign as champion, the Armenian relentlessly pursued what would have been a huge fight against American WBC/WBO champ Kelly Pavlik, and his frustrations at being unable to make the matchup may have been the catalyst for his move up to 168 pounds.

Abraham loves to rumble forward 'tank-like' behind a high guard, patiently waiting to get into striking distance before unloading his heavy artillery. It is a simple tactic that worked perfectly up until his fight with Andre Dirrell. The American was the first man Abraham had faced that possessed the size and speed to intimidate him, plus boxing ability far superior to his own. 

Likewise, Carl Froch may never make fight fans forget about Sugar Ray Robinson, but he looked sensational employing the simple tactic of keeping Abraham at the end of his long jab while scoring with fast right hands to secure a lopsided victory over his opponent.

While Super Six shattered the Abraham myth forever and exposed the Armenian's limitations as a fighter, he could still be a major force at 160 lbs. Abraham is a genuine knockout puncher at middleweight, has a great chin and is a marquee name in Germany, topped only by the Klitschko brothers as a box office attraction. Even the very best in the 160 pound class - Argentina's Sergio Martinez - would not relish going 12 rounds against ''King Arthur'', but would no doubt appreciate the mega-payday that would be involved. 

However, before he can target one of the division's world champions, Abraham must first deal with an ambitious, hungry opponent that is seven years his junior and has lost just once as a professional.

24-year-old Pablo Oscar Natalio Farias [19-1, 11 KOs] turned professional in Buenos Aires in 2008. Trained by the fellow countrymen and former WBC cruiserweight champion Marcello Dominguez, the 5'8" Farias is a game, bull-chested brawler with a busy style reminiscent to that of that great Argentinian light heavyweight champion of the 1970s - Victor Galindez. 

Boxing extensively in his native Argentina, Faria was unbeaten against decent if unremarkable opposition until his last fight in November, when he was floored in the first round by veteran Jose Alberto Clavero before being disqualified in the fifth for hitting his opponent after the break.

The unmarked baby face of Farias is testament to his ability at slipping punches, and he hits fairly hard with both the left hook and a swinging right hand. The Argentinian's skills are limited, but he is strong and game, and will definitely be looking to upset the Abraham applecart on Saturday night. 

There is little doubt that Farias has been handpicked by Abraham's promoters Sauerland Event and his trainer/manager Ulli Wegner as a credible opponent that should make him look great and give him a knockout victory. The Argentinian comes to fight, and loves to brawl - suicidal tactics against a bomb thrower of the caliber of Abraham. If King Arthur has been putting in the work he claims he has over the festive season, he should make short work of Farias, but if he is already looking ahead to bigger fights, he may have to work a little harder, and could even be taken the distance.

I believe that Abraham lost to Dirrell, Froch and Ward because they were the best three fighters he has ever faced. In the case of Dirrell and Froch, their physical advantages were overwhelming. Against Ward, he simply faced a supreme stylist at the peak of his game. 

Abraham will still have way too much for most fighters in the middleweight division, and I look for him to score an impressive KO over a game but outgunned Farias in four rounds.

Abraham by KO in four.

Big Fights Odds: Arthur Abraham 1/33, Pablo Oscar Natalio Farias 9/1 bet 365