Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green Moved Back a Week to April 24

It's kind of funny that my last post included a mini-rant about how having big boxing cards on HBO and Showtime on the same weekend was not good for the health of the sport in the U.S. Perhaps Showtime agrees with me.

ESPN's Dan Rafael and the AP are both reporting that the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green fights - both part of the second phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic - have been moved back from April 17 to April 24. Though there was no official announcement of the reason, both media outlets mentioned HBO's recently confirmed split-site doubleheader featuring Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez and Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda, which will be held on April 17, as the likely motivation.

Reading between the lines, it's pretty clear that Showtime blinked. There's no shame in that. Pavlik is a much bigger name to Amercian fans than any of the Super Six participants, and Bute is getting to be huge in Canada. Why not give the tournament the open date it needs to have the spotlight to itself?

Froch is quoted in Rafael's piece saying that he's upset about the inconvenience it will cause his fans who have made travel plans (he's fighting Kessler in Denmark), and that does stink. But overall, this is a positive move for boxing fans everywhere who won't have to choose between the two cards, and even though the decision probably wasn't made for this reason, it's good for the sport as a whole.

Now if someone would please move one of the cards on March 6, where a very similar situation is currently set to happen, I'd be a very happy camper indeed.

Posted by The Franchise