Abraham-Dirrell Headed to Detroit on March 27, Ricardo Mayorga MMA Debut Set for May 15

Two news stories caught my eye yesterday that I didn't have time to comment on until now.

The first is that a site has been set for the recently rescheduled Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell Super Six fight, and it's one that makes a lot of sense. According to the Grand Rapids Press, that bout will take place in Detroit on March 27, either at Cobo Arena or Joe Louis Arena.

Dirrell is from Flint, a tad over 60 miles from Detroit (and a place the BoxingWatchers know fairly well, as our mom grew up there), so it goes without saying that he should draw plenty of local fans. If the fight was going to take place in the U.S. - and at this point in his career, even King Arthur prefers it that way - you may as well hold it where the American boxer will sell some tickets. So well done, Showtime, promoters, or whoever exactly deserves the credit.

And now for something that makes a lot less sense: Ricardo Mayorga's move to MMA is apparently for real. Mayorga is set to face Din Thomas, a former UFC fighter and a competitor on Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, on May 15 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

I don't know a ton about Mr. Thomas, but I do know that he has wins over Jens Pulver, Matt Serra and Clay Guida in his MMA career. That alone is strong evidence that he doesn't suck.

My gut tells me that Mayorga will get annihilated. However, one of the worries I always have about boxers moving to MMA is that their footwork and spacing will be incorrect because of the threat of kicks, knees and takedown attempts. Mayorga's boxing technique was never that great to begin with, so perhaps it won't be too difficult for him to throw it out the window completely.

We know he's tough, so maybe El Matador can take a few shots to land one. Maybe there will be some weird hybrid rules to give him more of a chance or Thomas will be, ahem, persuaded to keep the fight standing. Who knows?

I just know I'll be rooting against Mayorga, because I'd prefer to just keep the two sports separate, thanks very much.

Posted by The Franchise

Dirrell-Abraham Bout Moved Back 3 Weeks, But Still Not Free of HBO Competition

One of my recurring themes over the past few months has been repeatedly wishing that HBO and Showtime would stop counterprogramming each other with cards on the same nights, because it's not good for the health of the sport in the U.S.

I've been especially irritated about HBO insisting on putting fights on the same weekends as the second round robin fights of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic. From a competitive standpoint, I understand why they're doing it, but I don't like it.

A few days ago, word came down that Andre Dirrell had a minor back injury, necessitating the move of his bout with Arthur Abraham from March 6 to March 27. Though that's never the kind of news you like to hear, the silver lining was that at least it got away from HBO's card on the 6th, a doubleheader featuring Devon Alexander-Juan Urango and Cory Spinks-Cornelius Bundrage.

I was happy for about five minutes. Then I remembered that HBO also has a broadcast all but set for the 27th, a card that looks even better than the previous one with Marcos Maidana facing Victor Cayo and Ali Funeka getting a well-deserved rematch with Joan Guzman. Crap.

I'm not blaming this one on HBO, as its plans for the 27th have been known for a little while (though as far as I can tell, there's no site finalized for that card - time to get cracking on that one, no?). And some of the congestion is due to HBO's ambitious boxing schedule for the next few months, something I wholeheartedly applaud.

Still, looking at the whole picture strictly from a fan's perspective, it stinks that none of these fights will get the spotlight they probably deserve, and that viewers will have to make choices multiple times this spring. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there's a little basketball tournament going on in late March too, which obviously will take some eyeballs away.

But it is what it is, I suppose. Let's move on to...

SHOE SHINING

As reported by various sources and confirmed by the Showtime Sports site, boxing is still on for March 6. Vic Darchinyan, who qualifies as must-see in my book, becomes the headliner as he steps in with Rodrigo Guerrero, and Lenny Zappavigna faces Fernando Angulo in a fight that was always on the card but wasn't originally going to be televised. Though the broadcast has been rebranded as a ShoBox show, props go to Showtime for keeping it at 9 pm Eastern instead of shoving it back to a later time...

Though it's been common knowledge for some time, it was only yesterday that Allan Green was confirmed as the next Super Six opponent for Andre Ward, making it "officially official," as I like to say. Green certainly isn't lacking for confidence, saying to the AP of his tournament foes, "I know I can beat any of them." That won't be ab easy task, but Green's power certainly makes him a livelier underdog than the man he replaced, Jermain Taylor...

In terms of "Stories I Wish Would Go Away," James Toney's continuing flirtation with MMA ranks right up near the top of the list. But I can't fault a guy for wanting to make a few extra bucks, especially these days, and The Ring's William Dettloff recently offered a well-written examination of why Lights Out shouldn't be blamed for that either.

Posted by The Franchise

20/20 Hindsight: Re-Handicapping the Super Six Field

The boxing world wasn't exactly turned upside-down when Andre Ward upset Mikkel Kessler this past Saturday, but a big portion of it certainly sat up and took notice. Kessler was considered by many as the tournament favorite, and while Ward was highly regarded, fans just didn't know if he was ready for the level of competition he'd face in the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Now they do. Ward boxed exactly the fight he needed to against a stronger and more experienced opponent, frustrating Kessler with his hand speed and movement. He tied up often and did a lot of jumping in and out, which didn't make for an aesthetically pleasing fight all the time - Kessler and his team went a step further by suggesting it was a dirty fight - but his tactics led to a surprisingly easy night.

With the first stage of the tournament's round robin portion complete, Ward's victory announces him as a real contender to win the whole thing. The beauty of the Super Six format is that anyone could still win it, but we learned enough from the first round of fights to have a better guess at who's going to be around at the end.

That makes this a perfect time to evaluate each boxer's chances of taking the silver cup. I won't pretend to be an expert on setting odds, but here's one writer's attempt to size up the field going forward:

Arthur Abraham - 2 to 1

King Arthur was my personal pre-tournament favorite, and he did nothing to change that opinion with his spectacular knockout of Jermain Taylor. The extra point he earned for the KO was important, because even if the wheels come off in his next two round robin bouts, it very well be enough to get him into the semifinals anyway.

I don't expect that to happen, though. No one has been able to figure out Abraham's style yet, and even though Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch will give him two very different looks, neither fighter was impressive enough when they fought each other to make one think they'll be able to pull it off.

Abraham may very well run the table. I'd be surprised if he doesn't make the final and stunned if he isn't at least in the semis.

Andre Ward - 4 to 1

Ward has the physical tools and charisma to be a star, and now he is in great position to take the next steps down that path. Regardless of what you thought of the uglier parts of his fight with Kessler, he proved a lot and has to be taken seriously.

Ward's path to the elimination round should only get easier from here. He should be a huge favorite against Jermain Taylor (or a substitute) in his next match, and even though Dirrell's speed will be a test, it's one that S.O.G. should be able to pass.

My one qualm about Andre's chances to win the whole thing is that he often left openings for counters on Saturday. That would play right into Abraham's hands, but Ward has plenty of time to work on closing that hole in his game before he'd run into King Arthur.

Mikkel Kessler - 8 to 1

Assuming he's able to heal from the cuts he suffered against Ward and get his mind right, the Viking Warrior should be far from finished. Kessler's lateral movement is an Achilles heel, but his next fight is against Froch, who should be much easier to find.

A victory over The Cobra should fix any remaining confidence issues he'd have, leaving him with a date against Taylor, who looks like the weak link in the field. It's not hard to see Kessler with two wins and the No. 2 or 3 seed once the semifinals begin.

Once he's there, his biggest problem would be facing Ward again, or perhaps Dirrell. Don't count Kessler out yet.

Carl Froch - 15 to 1

Yes, Froch has two points under his belt, but they didn't come easy. I'm still not convinced he deserved the decision against Dirrell, and he just doesn't appear to have enough weapons in his arsenal to emerge as the overall winner.

Even if Froch advances out of the round robin, it's fair to wonder what he'll have left in the tank. His fights against Kessler and Abraham stand great chances of turning into slugfests, with the kind of action that takes something out of both combatants.

The Cobra has a way of finding a way to come through when the chips are down, so he can't be completely dismissed. He just looks too limited to bet the house on him ending up as the last man standing.

Andre Dirrell - 40 to 1

I truly believed Dirrell's athletic ability would make him the wild card in the tournament. That may yet prove to be the case, but man, he really needed those two points against Froch.

The Matrix looks to have the toughest road to the semis thanks to upcoming fights against Abraham and Ward. If he beats one of them, it will be the kind of upset that will shake up the whole Super Six.

Dirrell said during the Kessler-Ward broadcast that he still feels confident. He'll need that belief in himself and a lot more than that if he's going to make a run.

Jermain Taylor - 500 to 1

Surprisingly, Taylor recently revealed on Twitter that he's planning on staying in the World Boxing Classic. Many observers assumed he'd look to drop out after that vicious knockout at the hands of Abraham last month.

This analysis is easy: Taylor has now lost four of his last five, with three coming by KO. If he wins four bouts in a row against top competition, which is probably what it would take for him to win the tournament, it will go down as one of the most amazing turnarounds in the history of any sport.

Never say never in boxing, but that's about as close to never as you can get.

Posted by The Franchise

20/20 Hindsight: Europe 2, USA 0 Behind Abraham, Froch on First Night of Super Six

Credit the oddsmakers for looking good after an eventful first night of action in Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic.

All three Americans were toward the bottom of the list in terms of betting odds for winning the whole thing, with Jermain Taylor the longest shot of all at 10-1. That looked prophetic as Bad Intentions was victimized by a nasty KO at the hands of Arthur Abraham, delighting his home fans in Germany.

Taylor didn't look too bad in the opening rounds, using a high activity level and a steady diet of jabs to keep Abraham mostly at bay. But of course, King Arthur just settles in behind that high guard to study his opponents, and he starts throwing when he deems it's the right time.

I had Abraham comfortably ahead on the cards headed into the final round, with Taylor needing a KO to win. Instead, he was knocked silly by a gigantic right hand in a scene reminiscent but even worse than the shot that Carl Froch hit him with earlier this year.

Not surprisingly, ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting that Jermain suffered a severe concussion which includes some short-term memory loss. If I was a betting man - and I am - I'd put money on Allan Green sliding into Taylor's spot for the remainder of the tourney. I think he'd be the weakest link in the field, but I already felt that way about Taylor. much as I pull for him because he seems like a decent guy.

As for Abraham, his last round heroics should play well with fans everywhere, helping him toward his stated goal of becoming a star in America. I think he could catch on (despite his shaky English), as he seems to have that "it" factor. Certainly with three points in the bank and a very winnable fight against Andre Dirrell in Stage 2, he looks like he's in the Super Six for the long haul.

The nightcap between Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell couldn't have been more different. As expected, it was Dirrell flashing the hand speed and Froch trying to walk him down to land power shots.

And it was ugly. Boy, was it ugly. Clinching, hitting behind the head, hitting on the break, holding and hitting, something that looked like a judo throw... you name it, this fight had it. Dirrell was deducted a point for clinching, which he was doing like a madman, but how you could pick just him to single out is beyond me.

Despite that, there was some drama with Froch coming on in the middle rounds and Dirrell fighting a superb 11th round followed by a spirited 12th. All three of us here at BoxingWatchers.com had Dirrell winning by comfortable margins, so much so that they are now calling us out in Hungary. Google Translate claims the one comment reads "I mean, the 118-109 and 117-110 they are not meant seriously."

Uh, actually Hungary, they are meant seriously, and if you browse through the rest of our round by round posts here, I think you'll find we usually do a damn good job of scoring, free of any agendas. I called my brother Uatu after the scores were announced and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade because I was so befuddled by the judges scoring the fight for Froch.

I've calmed down since and been surprised to learn that some people thought Froch won. Other reputable sources (plus this one) side with us. But it is what it is.

Froch deserves credit for a willingness to relentlessly come forward. He cut the ring off well and did trap Dirrell on the ropes at times, I just didn't think he did much clean, effective punching in those spots - mostly because Dirrell showed great head movement - or in many others, to be honest. The Cobra also demonsrated an iron chin, but we already knew he had that.

Dirrell shouldn't hang his head, and I don't think he will. He needs to shake it off and get his mind on Abraham, because that is going to be a tough one.

Discounting some dissatisfaction over the Froch-Dirrell score and some concern for the well-being of Taylor, that was a fun night of boxing. Fans in Europe were certainly digging it, but to really capture the imagination of American sports fans, the Americans are going to have to win some fights. Paging Andre Ward...

Posted by The Franchise

Froch v. Dirrell: Round by Round

The second of tonight's fights is about to get underway. Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell should be making their way to the ring in about 15 minutes.

Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the entrances for the Froch v. Dirrell fight. Dirrell makes his way to the ring first. The crowd sends some boos his way, but he has a big smile on his face.

Froch comes to the ring now to "We Will Rock You" by Queen, which then changes to "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns and Roses.

Andre Dirrell is 18-0 with 13 KOs. Carl Froch is 25-0 with 10 KOs.

The intros are finished, here we go.

Round 1

Dirrell goes to work first and lands a couple of hooks to the body. Not much action from either fighter yet. They are feeling themselves out in there. Dirrell's speed is evident in the first round. Dirrell lands two jabs. Dirrell keeps talking to Froch; not sure what he's saying. Dirrell counters with a right hand. Dirrell switches to southpaw. Froch comes forward and Dirrell laughs and pounds his chest. Froch is keeping his left hand below his waist, while Dirrell is landing some good jabs.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 2

Dirrell lands a jab to the body. Froch keeps his jab going but misses because he's too far away. Dirrell is using good upper body movement to get out of the way of Froch's jabs. This looks like it's still a feeling out round. Froch leads off with a wide left hook, and Dirrell gets out of the way. Froch keeps both of his hands below his waist now. Dirrell lands a double left jab.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 3

Dirrell goes to work with a double right hand. Froch ties him up. They break apart and Froch goes back to the jab. Dirrell gets backed into the corner, and Froch tries to land but Dirrell gets away. Dirrell reaches inside for a jab to the body. Dirrell gets out of the corner again, and Froch misses with a body shot. Dirrell smiles. Froch lands a good right hand while Dirrell was off balance, and Dirrell counters. Froch can't take advantage of Dirrell when he is in the corner.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 4

Dirrell unleashes two left hands from the southpaw stance, and Froch puts his gloves up. Dirrell looks to be waiting to land his power punch. He switches back to orthodox stance. He counters with a right hand. Froch has Dirrell against the ropes, but Dirrell dances away. The crowd starts to boo. Froch goes to the body, and Dirrell comes forward and tries to land a straight left hand. Froch throws wildly while Dirrell is in the corner but misses.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 5

Froch throws a left hand, and Dirrell counters with a right hand. Now another great right hand by Dirrell. Froch isn't doing enough to win these rounds. He's really hesitating before throwing. The fighters tie up and Dirrell gets tackled down. Froch gets a warning. He looks frustrated in there. Dirrell throws a good combo, and they tie up. Froch lands a big shot to the body on the break, and the ref warns him again. Froch is clearly frustrated.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 6

Dirrell comes out in the southpaw stance. Dirrell gets caught in the corner. Froch throws wildly, and Dirrell slips. Dirrell lands two big shots. This has completely turned into a brawl. There's a lot of punching in the tie ups and on the breaks. The ref stops the action and tells both fighters to knock it off. Dirrell slips a right hand with a "Matrix" style move, earning his nickname.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Froch

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 7

Froch comes out and looks to be fighting with more urgency. They trade hard punches and tie up in the corner. Dirrell is baiting Froch while against the ropes to land a counter. Froch lands a punch to the body, and Dirrell clinches him. Dirrell has been clinching a lot, and the ref warns him. Froch lands a good right hand, and Dirrell ties up his other arm. This fight has really turned sloppy. Froch is now holding and hitting, and Dirrell complains to the ref. Dirrell lands a big left hand that backs up Froch.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 8

Froch goes back to the jab. Dirrell answers back with a jab of his own. Dirrell counters Froch's jab with a left. Not much from either fighter. Dirrell slips, which stops the action. Dirrrell lands a big right hand, the best of the round. Dirrell clinches, and Froch starts holding and hitting. Dirrell throws a power combination, and Froch smiles. Dirrell gets caught with a big right hand, and the crowd gets on its feet. Froch goes for a knockout, but Dirrell ties him up.

Spartan117: 10-9 Froch

Uatu: 10-9 Froch

Franchise: 10-9 Froch

Round 9

Froch goes to work with the jab again. Dirrell looks to counter. Dirrell gets a double left hand in. Dirrell misses with a jab but connects with a right hand. Froch starts coming forward more now. Dirrell is landing some great punches in this round, mostly left hands from his southpaw stance. Froch keeps trying to punch Dirrell in the back of the head; the ref warns him. Good round for Dirrell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Froch

Round 10

Dirrell keeps his jab going. Froch gets him in the corner and tries to throw his big power punches. Dirrell gets out of the way. Dirrell lands a stiff jab, and they tie up in the corner. It's still pretty sloppy in there. The ref stops the action and deducts a point from Dirrell for holding! Dirrell is not happy. He has already held twice since the point deduction. Dirrell lands two huge left hands. Dirrell lands an huge right hand, and Froch is on wobbly legs. He barely makes it out of the round.

Spartan117: 9-9

Uatu: 9-9

Franchise: 9-9

Round 11

Dirrell looks to be going for the knockout. This is the first fight where Dirrell has gone past 10 rounds. Dirrell is landing some thunderous shots in this round. Froch keeps tying up. Now Froch lands a good left hook. Dirrell goes to work in the corner and lands a two-punch combo. Dirrell is using great movement to dodge Froch's punches. Dirrell lands a great right hand counter. Froch is taking the punches well. Froch is still bouncing on his feet. Good round for Dirrell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Dirrell

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 12

They touch gloves in the center of the ring. Froch was told between rounds that he needs a KO to win. He comes out swinging. Dirrell lands a big right hand. Froch fires back with a combo that grazes. Dirrell lands an uppercut. Now he goes to the body. Dirrell dodges two punches while trapped in the corner. Froch lands a jab. Froch throws a combo in the corner. Dirrell gets stuck in the corner again, and Froch lands a combo. This has been a great round. Froch comes forward to land a a big punch but goes to the body. The bell rings. This one is up to the judges.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Uatu: 10-9 Froch

Franchise: 10-9 Dirrell

The judges score the bout 114-113 Dirrell, 115-112 Froch, and 115-112 for the winner... and still WBC super middleweight titleholder... Carl "The Cobra" Froch.

Spartan117: 118-109 Dirrell

Uatu: 116-111 Dirrell

Franchise: 117-110 Dirrell

Dirrell says he "worked his ass off" and says he knows he did enough to win, "but that's a hometown decision." He says he didn't think he needed a knockout, and he deserved the decision. He sees a harder opponent in Arthur Abraham, who he fights next. He says he's ready to get back into the gym to put in that extra mile.

Froch says that he knows he won the fight. He credits Dirrell for being tough and quick but says that he didn't fight on the inside and fight like a man. He says that Dirrell had to make an excuse for his loss, and that's what he did. He says that Dirrell will never beat The Cobra.

Posted by spartan117

Live Froch-Dirrell Round By Round Updates Plus Abraham-Taylor Round By Round Tonight

It's time! Time for the Super Six World Boxing Classic to get underway, that is.

Tonight's first wave of fights will see Arthur Abraham take on Jermain Taylor, while Carl Froch defends his super middleweight title against Andre Dirrell in England. Showtime will televise both fights in the U.S., and it appears that Abraham-Taylor will air on a delay and Froch-Dirrell will be live.

That being the case, we'll be here for any boxing fans unfortunate enough to not be able to see the bouts on TV. We'll have separate posts for both fights out on our home page, and we'll even act like the Abraham-Taylor fight is happening live. Just keep yourself away from spoilers elsewhere on the internets and you'll be fine!

Join us here around 8 pm Eastern time tonight as the World Boxing Classic begins.

Posted by The Franchise

BoxingWatchers Round Table: Super Six Picks

The BoxingWatchers each have their own opinions on the sport, but we don't get a chance to come together and express them very often. On the eve of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, we figured now was as good a time as any.

It goes without saying that we're excited for the super middleweight tournament to begin. Everything from the format to the participants suggests that boxing fans all around the world are in for a treat.

What's going to happen over the next year and a half? Here's our take...

Who is most likely to win?

Uatu: This is a difficult question. All of these fighters have question marks. The consensus pick seems to be Mikkel Kessler because of his size, his strength, and his skills. He also only has one loss, and that was to Joe Calzaghe in his prime. But he doesn't fight often and not here in the US. Still, he is the most likely.

Spartan117: I like Kessler to win it all. He has more experience in the ring than most of the other fighters in the tournament, and he has faced some tough competition in the past. An argument against him is that most of his opponents throughout his career have been no-namers and he faced them in his own country, but he's the only one in the tournament that faced future Hall of Famer Joe Calzaghe and even made it somewhat competitive.

I think he and Arthur Abraham have the most pure boxing skill in the tournament, but I have more faith in Kessler's style to win it all.

The Franchise: Will Abraham be the same fighter at super middleweight that he was at middleweight? If he is, then I think he's got the best shot at winning. He's tough, accurate, patient and powerful, and I don't think any of the other entrants have styles that will be too much for him to figure out.

I like Andre Ward's chances too, provided he gets past Kessler in his first fight, which should give him confidence that he can win it all. He is just so solid in all facets of the game, I would not be at all surprised to see him in the final.

Who is least likely to win?

Uatu: Since all of the fighters have question marks, this is also hard to choose. Could be Andre Dirrell since he lacks experience or Abraham since he's coming up in weight, but I will go with Jermain Taylor.

Despite his vast experience edge over the others, he has already lost to Carl Froch, and he's always looked a little shaky in the late rounds. So unless he has something new up his sleeve, Taylor will have the hardest road to victory overall.

Spartan117: Dirrell is the underdog in my book. We haven't seen him face the top-tier opposition, unlike every other fighter who's competing. This could make him a bit of a wild card, but I think experience will decide the winner, and Dirrell might be a bit over his head. That being said, I am still looking forward to see what he brings to the tournament.

The Franchise: I'm having the hardest time envisioning Froch as the last man standing. I respect his toughness and power, but considering Taylor was about 15 seconds away from beating him on the cards, I can see all of the others winning decisions against him.

What will happen during the tournament that will surprise a lot of people?

Uatu: Dirrell will both impress and excite the naysayers out there.

Spartan117: I feel the biggest surprise of the tournament will be Taylor. I see Jermain as the only fighter in this whose career is at stake if he doesn't perform well.

We have seen him fade in late rounds in many of his past fights, but it looks like he's been working harder to fix that then ever before. He's seen plenty of elite competition in his career (most notably bringing Bernard Hopkins' title defense streak to an end), which should prepare him for what he's about to face.

I think he understands what this tournament means for him and his career, which means we'll see him at the top of his game.

The Franchise: I'll go in a different direction with this question and say I expect that we'll see at least one of the Super Six drop out, and the substitute will shake things up by winning a match. It will cause some controversy but not enough to take away from the whole thing.

Some people may be surprised when more mainstream media start paying attention to the tournament in its later stages, but if it delivers as I expect, I won't be surprised.

Anything else to say about the Super Six?

Uatu: There is absolutely no way this tournament can fail. None.

Even if every fighter gets hurt in the first round, or if every fight is boring, so what? These are all matchups we want to see, even in the first round. It could slightly fall short of expectations if some of the fighters drop out along the way, but once again, so what? You might as well aim high. At least there is a blueprint in place.

Now, maybe the true champ at 168 won't truly emerge at the end, but once again, so what? I am not watching this to see a true champ crowned as much as I am watching to see a slew of even fights among super talented fighters in their prime. I am not getting those types of fights anywhere else.

Dare I say, this is a very UFC way of putting together fights. There are winners, there are losers, but we get a bunch of even fights and one loss doesn't take you out of the picture forever.

Oh, and for right now, I like Abraham to win it all.

The Franchise: It's been said before in other places, but it bears repeating: I hope other promoters, networks, etc. are paying attention to the fan reaction for this event, because it has been almost entirely positive. I don't expect the Super Six will "save" boxing, but it's a giant step toward eliminating some of the ill will and indifference toward the sport that's been building up over the last 20 years.

Goods fights speak for themselves, and while nothing can ensure exciting matches, this format provides the best conditions for them to occur. I hope and I truly believe that the eventual winner, and perhaps one or two other boxers who impress along the way, will emerge as big stars.

Posted by The Franchise

Predictions: Abraham-Taylor and Froch-Dirrell

The Franchise says...

The Super Six World Boxing Classic is finally here, and it's a damn good time to be a boxing fan. If you're like me, one of the things you always hope for is to see top fighters facing each other, and this tournament ensures that we'll be watching exactly that in the super middleweight division for the next year and a half or so.

The first two fights have some intriguing subplots. Arthur Abraham and Jermain Taylor were both champions at 160 pounds, and while Taylor has two fights under his belt at 168 (going 1-1), Abraham is making his first serious foray into the division.

He's physically the smallest man in the tourney, and that could turn out to be an important fact, because he's a serious threat to win the whole thing if he can translate his style to the higher weight class. Abraham is efficient and accurate, content to wait for the right time to let loose even if that takes a few rounds.

Taylor is the only man in the field for whom the event is something of a final stab at regaining elite status. His days as the undisputed middleweight champion seem far behind him now, and he heads in off of three losses in his last four fights.

If Taylor can use what looks like a significant reach advantage and keep Abraham at bay with his jab, he has a definite chance to make his statement. He's capable of some very smart boxing - it's easy to forget that he did some good things in his first loss to Kelly Pavlik and would have beaten Carl Froch is he could have held on for another 14 seconds - but he has to be able to put it togehter for 12 rounds, and his track record on that score is not good.

I think this fight will be closer than some will suspect based on each man's recent performances, as Taylor uses what he's learned fighting some truly top-notch competition to make it very competitive. Ultimately, I just believe that Abraham will show his true quality over 12 rounds, and with the home fans urging him on, King Arthur will earn a narrow but unanimous decision.

The other fight on the tournament's first night sees WBC super middleweight titleholder Carl Froch put his gold on the line against undefeated but relatively untested American Andre Dirrell. It shapes up as the champ's power and toughness against the challenger's flashy quickness in front of Froch's literal hometown fans in Nottingham, England.

It's really hard to know exactly what we've got in Dirrell, who is two years older than fellow participant Andre Ward but has been in even lighter to this point. It's no mystery that he has a solid amateur background as a former Olympic bronze medalist, has speed in both his hands and his feet and he can switch from his normal southpaw stance to an orthodox look any time and be comfortable either way.

The unknown is how he'll handle taking shots from a puncher like Froch, who proved he can bring the thunder even after going 12 rounds with his dramatic victory over Taylor earlier this year. We should know early on if he has an answer for the movement and hand speed of Dirrell, and if he does, it could be a long, painful night for the American.

This is the rare fight where no outcome would surprise me. There's a lot to like about Froch's experience and power (plus the friendly crowd and, perhaps, judges), but it's possible Dirrell's athleticism will trump those factors.

I'm going to go with my gut over my head for this pick. While acknowledging Froch could catch his foe with a fight-ending shot, I think Saturday will be a coming out party in the form of Dirrell winning by decision, which may be closer on the cards than it appears on television.

Uatu says...

I like Abraham to wear Taylor down late and win by KO.

I will take Froch to wear Dirrell down late and win by decision.

Spartan117 says...

I like Taylor to get the upset victory tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to see how his new training methods will prepare him for a tough opponent like King Arthur. Taylor by decision.

I see Dirrell trying to make a statement with an early round K.O. Dirrell by K.O. in round 3-6

Posted by The Franchise

Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell: Super Six In-Depth Preview

Carl "The Cobra" Froch

Birthplace: Nottingham, England
Resides: Nottingham, England
Height: 6' 1"
Reach: 74 1/2"
Current World Titles Held: WBC Super Middleweight (168 lbs.)
Former World Titles Held: None
Professional Record: 25-0, 20 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 2-0, 1 KO
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 4-0
Record at 168 lbs.: 16-0

Notable Wins: TKO12 Jermain Taylor, UD12 Jean Pascal

"The Matrix" Andre Dirrell

Birthplace: Flint, Michigan
Resides: Flint, Michigan
Height: 6' 2"
Reach: 75"
Current World Titles Held: None
Former World Titles Held: None
Professional Record: 18-0, 13 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: No previous title fights
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: None
Record at 168 lbs.: 16-0

Notable Wins: TKO6 Victor Oganov

Analysis:

For those who care about the sanctioning body titles up for grabs in the Super Six super middleweight tournament, this will be the first time one of them is on the line. Reigning WBC champion Froch won his strap by beating Jean Pascal last December, and he'll defend it against a man who's never been in a spot like this - or anything close - in Dirrell.

Froch has a unique claim to fame among the Super Six in that he's already beaten one of them, knocking out Jermain Taylor in dramatic fashion six months ago. Down on two of the three scorecards and having already shaken off a third-round knockdown, The Cobra rallied to stop Taylor with just 14 seconds left in the fight.

In contrast, Dirrell isn't taking a step up in competition as much as he's taking a leap. The 2004 Olympic middleweight bronze medalist has dazzling athleticism and tons of potential, but he's never had to deal with the kind of quality he'll be facing as long as he hangs around in the tournament.

Direll himself has broken down the fight as his speed versus Froch's power, but that's probably oversimplifying things, because he has some pop, and Froch isn't exactly a plodder. The Cobra has also demonstrated a sturdy chin and championship-caliber heart; the next time Dirrell has to show what he has in either of those categories will be his first.

The other factor that can't be overlooked is that Froch will practically be fighting in his backyard in Nottingham's Trent FM Arena, also the site of his victory over Pascal. All of Dirrell's fights have come on U.S. soil, so he'll have to be mentally prepared for having a hot crowd solidly in the corner of his opponent.

Froch's Winning Strategy: Don't Wait

No one can find fault with Froch's assertion that Dirrell has never fought anyone of his caliber, so his pre-fight confidence is understandable. He can also feel good about the fact that he's shown in his last two fights that he is able to handle guys with really quick hands (Pascal), and that he has the power to win even if he's down on points (Taylor).

Indeed, he may be the hardest single-shot puncher among the Super Six. That doesn't mean he can afford to sit back and wait for his spot too long, though, because Dirrell is an entirely different animal than his two previous victims.

Dirrell is more technically sound than Pascal, and his young legs aren't likely to fade on him like Taylor's did. He'll also gain confidence from every round he wins or even fights competitively.

The Cobra's best bet will be to make Dirrell feel his power early and stay in his face. Winning the initial rounds will keep the crowd excited, give his younger foe some self-doubt and make the knockout shot he's looking for later on more likely to come from opportunity rather than desperation.

Dirrell's Winning Strategy: Keep Things Unpredictable

Even Froch himself would probably have to admit that Dirrell has the faster hands. The Matrix earned his nickname with his ability to get off first and throw truly ridiculous combinations that look like they came straight out of a video game.

But boxing is much more than a hand speed competition, and Froch is both crafty and sturdy. He's not likely to wilt under simple volume and he's too dangerous to stand in front of for too long, especially with Dirrell's whiskers so untested.

Fortunately for Dirrell, he has more tricks up his sleeve. Listed as a southpaw, he's actually adept at fighting from either stance and is fond of switching numerous times over the course of a fight. He's capable of some nifty moves with his feet too, hopping in and out and leaving opponents flailing.

Dirrell can't worry about proving himself or trying to impress anyone. He'll find success if he can keep Froch guessing by continually changing the distance, pace and his stance, and yes, unleashing his long combos when he gets a chance. Froch will be the best boxer Dirrell has seen, but The Matrix can win if he gives the champ something he's never seen before either.

Posted by The Franchise

Fight Camp 360: Episode 1 Recap

Fight Camp 360 is Showtime's answer to HBO's 24/7 or countdown series. It's a documentary style behind the scenes look into Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic.

It starts with ESPN's Dan Rafael discussing how this tournament came to be. There's some great footage of George Foreman and Mike Tyson commenting on how big a deal the tournament is.

Carl Froch is shown at dinner with his wife and family discussing his fight against Taylor and what the tournament means to him.

Next is Andre Direll. He's been training at Big Bear, California. He's been close with his father and he's dedicating his performance in the tournament to him.

Jermain Taylor gets the floor now. He's met with doctors to see why he's been getting tired late in his fights. They say it's because he's been losing weight too fast. Since then he's completely changed his training style.

Showtime now focuses on the meeting between all of the fighter's promoters. There were long conversations discussing how the tournament would be scheduled and who would face who.

Arthur Abraham gets focus now. He talks about how he got into the sport. He idolized Mike Tyson growing up and he says that this tournament will get him to where he wants to be in boxing.

That's it. It was a great look into the 4 boxers that fight next week.

Posted by spartan117

Friday Night Fights Report: August 7, 2009

Alfredo Angulo is the headliner tonight as he attempts to shake off his first career loss. Undefeated Anthony Dirrell is also in action as Friday Night Fights comes to us live from Buffalo Bill's in Primm, Nevada.

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas are on hand, and Pernell Whitaker and Mark Breland are tonight's studio guests with Brian Kenny. Atlas talks briefly about Angulo's TV-friendly style and Dirrell's attempt to come back from a bout with cancer.

First up is Sergei Ganjelashvili and Archie Ray Marquez in a four-round bout. The 20-year old Marquez is the attraction here.

Back in the studio, Kenny talks about the 25th anniversary of the great 1984 U.S. Olympic boxing team with Sweet Pea and Breland. Tessitore says seeing them makes him sad when he thinks about what Olympic boxing has become.

Ganjelashvili is certainly game, attacking with awkward looping punches. But Marquez does some serious damage to the body in Round 2 and he looks confident. He turns it on with power shots from both hands in the final minute of Round 3.

Both men make it to the final bell, and Marquez will go to a decision for the first time in his young pro career. The judges all turn in scores of 40-36, and Marquez wins by unanimous decision.

Kenny talks to the former Olympians in another studio segment. Breland tells a tale about his lone amateur loss, as he finished his amateur career with a 110-1 record.

Highlights are shown of Whitaker's semifinal and final bouts from the 1984 Games. Even back then Sweet Pea had ridiculous body and head movement. Whitaker says his gold medal meant more to him than anything he accomplished as a pro.

Now we see highlights of Breland's Olympic bouts. Brian and Mark discuss how there was some pressure on Breland before the Games, as he already had quite a reputation going in. He was just too tall and lanky for his opponents, plus he had skills and power to boot.

Andre Dirrell is in attendance to watch his younger brother, and we're set for that match. Anthony Dirrell takes on Alfredo Contreras, who took the fight on short notice.

Dirrell was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006, and he talks a bit about overcoming the disease. He resumed fighting in late 2008, and is 5-0 since then and 17-0 (14 KOs) overall. This is scheduled for eight rounds at super middleweight.

Contreras tries to play the aggressor but Dirrell's hands are fast enough to land any time he sees an opening. Anthony can fight from either stance and tries both of them in the first round.

Andre is extremely vocal shouting out instructions and encouragement for his sibling. Anthony does a little showboating in the final minute of Round 2 after landing a nice combination in the corner.

Atlas doesn't like how Dirrell goes straight back with his hands down, but he's doing just about everything else right. Andre dons a headset and says he thinks Anthony is looking good. He does feel his brother could jab more and sit down on his punches as well.

Asked about the Super Six World Boxing Classic, Andre says he can't wait for it to start. He says he's faster and stronger than Carl Froch but knows The Cobra will bring everything he's got since he's a champion. Andre feels like he's training as hard as he can for the opportunity.

Dirrell smokes Contreras with a series of wicked body shots in the fifth round, then follows up with head shots from both hands. Contreras shows some heart by not wilting under fire.

About halfway through Round 7, Contreras catches Dirrell napping in the corner and actually lands a few nice shots. But Dirrell immediately comes back and starts teeing off with unanswered power shots, and though Contreras doesn't go down, the ref and his corner have seen enough. Dirrell wins by TKO at 2:32 of Round 7 and does a backflip to celebrate the win.

We get one more studio segment with BK, Sweet Pea and Breland. They examine highlights of Timothy Bradley-Nate Campbell and both fighters weigh in on the controversial ending. They also look at Devon Alexander-Junior Witter and Whitaker says he was glad the fight ended when it did.

The news recap includes Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola agreeing to fight in September, talks resuming for a Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams fight in October and the possibility of Allan Green as a substitute for the World Boxing Classic should one be necessary.

Posted by The Franchise

Franchise Thoughts: Looking at the Second Half of the 2009 Boxing Schedule, Plus the Debut of Shoe Shining

After a pretty hot start to the year in boxing, we hit a bit of a lull during the middle of the summer months. Something similar happened in 2008, but at least then we had Olympic boxing to watch (plus bitch about its ridiculous scoring system).

Anyway, we're past that now, and even if it's not necessarily pedal to the metal for the rest of 2009 - September could still use a few more fights, for one - as Jim Ross would say, business is about to pick up.

With that in mind, here are some highlights for the rest of the calendar year. This isn't intended to be an exhaustive list, and some of these fights aren't set in stone yet, but these are dates to keep in mind moving forward.

Aug. 15 - Nonito Donaire vs. Rafael Concepcion, Steven Luevano vs. Bernabe Concepcion (PPV); Roy Jones vs. Jeff Lacy (PPV)

Dueling pay-per-views are always a bummer, simply because they force you to make a choice. It will be interesting to see who has more (or more properly who has less) left in the tank between Roy and Jeff, and that event will probably sell better because of Jones' name. The little guys will be the better value pick though, and fans on the internets seem to be in love with Bernabe, so the Luevano bout should be a good one.

The Jones PPV also has Danny Green, B.J. Flores and Jason Litzau on the card, which is at least an attempt to give viewers some bang for the buck.

Aug. 22 - Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi (HBO)

This is a nice matchup between two eminently watchable boxers; Diaz for his entertaining fighting style and Paulie for his personality. Both men are trying to get careers that kind of came off the rails in 2008 back on track, so motivation shouldn't be an issue.

The rest of the card is also loaded, with Robert Guerrero facing Malcolm Klassen and Daniel "Call me Danny" Jacobs taking on Ishe Smith. The Golden Child has been pretty defensive on Twitter about criticism of Smith as an opponent; maybe he'll channel that aggression into something impressive.

Aug. 28 - Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods, Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey (ESPN2)

Friday Night Fights goes out with a bang with two title fights. I think the hard-swinging Cloud is on the verge of making a name for himself, but he's been off for a year and Woods is no stiff, or at least he hasn't been in the past. Urango-Bailey doesn't excite me a ton but is better than most FNF main events.

Sep. 12 - Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward (Showtime)

No, they aren't fighting each other, but tuning up and fulfilling sanctioning body obligations before the World Boxing Classic kicks off (probably, see below!). Nervous Showtime execs will be watching with crossed fingers.

Ivan Calderon also headlines a PPV the same night if pro wrestling-style squash matches aren't your thing.

Sep. 19 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (PPV)

So many questions to be answered here. Was Floyd really hurt and will he be rusty after his brief retirement? Will JMM handle the step up in weight? What weight is this fight being contested at, for that matter?

Unlike many HBO PPV cards, this one could end up really stacked. Already on is round two between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Zab Judah will fight someone. And Dan Rafael has mentioned Allan Green-Sakio Bika as a possibility as well. If you're going to fork over your hard-earned money for just one PPV this fall, you could do a lot worse than this.

Oct. 10 - Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa (PPV)

Again, these two guys aren't fighting each other, but will be in action on the latest Latin Fury card. Juanma is starting to become must-see TV for any boxing fan, and wins for him and Gamboa enhance the chances of a showdown in 2010.

Oct. 17 - Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor (Showtime)

Anticipation will likely be at a fever pitch as the most exciting concept to hit the sport in some time, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, gets underway. Not much more needs to be said, as every fight in the tournament is worth watching.

Nov. 7 - Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II (HBO)

This is one rematch plenty of fans want to see. Johnson pushed Dawson to his limits last time and hasn't shown signs of aging yet. If Bad Chad wins convincingly, it could go a long way toward reversing some of the negative feelings regarding his lack of killer instinct. And could a certain Executioner be waiting for the winner?

This is also the date that David Haye fights Nikolai Valuev. You know, if Haye actually decides to fight.

Nov. 14 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto (PPV)

How can you not like this match? It pits two popular fighters with large ethnic followings and styles that usually result in action-packed fights against each other, and it will be an excellent show to attend live.

The rest of the card is still coming together, but Edwin Valero, Humberto Soto and Alfonso Gomez are all likely to be fighting.

Nov. 21 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward (Showtime)

Assuming nothing goes awry in September, Kessler and Ward will finish off the first group of round robin matches here. My personal opinion is that S.O.G. drew the toughest initial bout, but the beauty of the World Boxing Classic is that there are no easy fights, so he might as well see how he measures up right away.

Nov. 28 - Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade II (HBO)

Bute is the guy who has the most reason for being upset about not being included in the World Boxing Classic, and apparently he wasn't even asked. That should be enough to put a chip on his shoulder, but there's also the fact that he was the beneficiary of some home cooking by the referee in Montreal during his first fight with Andrade.

It's tough to envision a second ending as dramatic as the twelfth round of Bute-Andrade I, but since this could very well be the last significant fight of 2009, maybe these guys will figure out a way to put an exclamation point on another good year for the sweet science.

SHOE SHINING...

Any good blog worth its salt needs a cutesy name for links and short commentary not big enough to warrant full posts, and I finally settled on shoe shining. Because who doesn't love a showy burst of uppercuts, right?

And if some boxing blogger out there has already thought of this one, I apologize. Just remember imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. On with the show...

Except for Floyd's dispute of reports that he owes the IRS a boatload of money, thus forcing him to come out of retirement, we haven't had too many appearances from Mayweather family members in the headlines for a bit. That changed over the past 24 hours when Roger Mayweather was arrested on charges of attacking a female boxer he used to train. I'm sure Floyd Sr. will have a comment or two on this one...

From the "say it ain't so" file comes Dan Rafael's blog entry mentioning how a lawsuit from Kessler's former promoter could derail the Super Six before it even gets going. To which I say, oh, hell no...

Here's a good little piece on how the Agua Caliente Casino Resort put a big effort into promoting the Timothy Bradley-Nate Campbell card. It's just nice to see boxing discussed as something to use as a draw for guests...

Andrew Walker at East Side Boxing discusses what it would take for the U.K. to get a TV channel devoted to boxing. My heart says that would be incredible for the U.S. too, but my heart knows that niche channels in general don't seem to be doing that well, and boxing's audience is too small to make that possible.

Posted by The Franchise

Boxer Clothing and Gear: Super Six World Boxing Classic Edition

Since we're still a few months away from the beginning of the World Boxing Classic, there's plenty of time left to gear up in support of your favorite super middleweight. That's assuming, of course, that your favorite 168-pounder isn't Lucian Bute. But I digress.

As it turns out, there's a pretty nice selection of t-shirts, clothing and other assorted stuff out there bearing the names and likenesses of Showtime's Super Six. And it's as close as your nearest web-enabled computer, as you're about to see.

Just click on each fighter's name to be headed in the right direction. Some of this I've covered in previous posts on boxer clothing and gear, but some is new.

Onward!

Mikkel Kessler - The Viking Warrior does not mess around. Kessler's fan shop has t-shirts, hats, hoodies and posters that can be purchased in four different currencies, including my favorite, the Danish krone.

If you're looking for something a little different, Kessler has serigraphs in four different colors. I has to look up the word serigraph, and I don't have an extra four or five thousand kroner on my dresser, but that's the way it goes.

Arthur Abraham - You'd better believe the former middleweight titleholder has his own onlineshop (his spelling). The site can be viewed in English, but some things get a little funky in the translation from German. Maybe not "all your base are belong to us" bad, but definitely off.

I dig the shield logo he uses on a lot of his clothing - very fitting for a fighter nicknamed King Arthur. Some of the more interesting items for sale are Arthur Abraham flip-flops and a fan club membership card that's actually a mini DVD.

Jermain Taylor - You'll notice that Jermain has no link. Once upon a time, there was a JT Store (no, not Justin Timberlake) attached to his official site. That was probably back when he was beating Bernard Hopkins and generally on top of the world.

Now his site has no link to a store and simply says you can email merchandise@jermaintaylor.com if you are interested. Demand is down, I suppose. You can still Google your way in the back door, but buyer beware.

Carl Froch - I'm not sure what happened to The Cobra's official site, because I believe he used to have one. Fortunately the folks at Red Corner Apparel has the foresight to sign Froch to a shirt deal before he knocked out Taylor. That's good timing.

Froch's shirts are currently on sale. Red Corner has also promised a new site and an expanded line of clothing soon, so that's a company worth watching.

Andre Ward - Ward signed earlier this year with Pound 4 Pound Apparel, and he's been getting an increasing number of items in his line as the year goes on. Right now there are S.O.G. tees, hoodies, warm-up jackets, beanies, and even polo shirts. Sharp!

And S.O.G. stands for Son Of God. If you don't know, now you know.

Who's that leave? Only the tournament's young wild card, Andre Dirrell. As far as I can tell, The Matrix has no official site, no clothing, no nothing. Some company get on the stick and sign this kid, because if he ends up winning the tournament, you'll be glad you were in on the ground floor.

Posted by The Franchise

Report: WBC Will Cooperate With Super Six World Boxing Classic

One of the things I wondered about when Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic was announced earlier this week was whether or not it may help push the sport's sanctioning bodies further into irrelevancy.

By that I mean that many fans will recognize the winner of the tournament as the world champion at 168 pounds. That'll be true no matter what happens to the various alphabet belts in the meantime and despite the fact that several other worthy super middleweights (Lucian Bute for sure, possibly Allan Green and Sakio Bika) are not participating.

With that in mind, it's interesting to see that one sanctioning body with something at stake - the WBC, since Carl Froch is its 168-pound titleholder - is going to play ball with the Classic. In his blog entry yesterday, ESPN's Dan Rafael reported that the WBC has given its support to the tournament, meaning they probably won't shaft Froch (or anyone who might beat him) with any silly mandatory defenses while the event is going on.

Rafael correctly points out that the WBC is likely doing so out of its own financial self interest and that it's not hard to take that stance right now because its top three contenders for Froch's belt (Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell and Jermain Taylor, in that order) are also in the Super Six. It's easy to do the popular thing when it's also what's best for you.

The true test will be after the first round of fights. I don't pretend to know exactly how the WBC board figures out its ratings, but if, say, Dirrell beats Froch and Ward beats Arthur Abraham, that would likely mean that the WBC would want the former Olympic teammates to fight each other next.

Or if all three Americans lose their first fights (which is certainly possible), that could make someone like Karo Murat or Green the No. 1 contender. Would the WBC continue to defer to the tournament or would it try to exert some influence on the proceedings? I suppose it could always hand out the ever popular interim belt, which is currently vacant at 168.

It will also be worth keeping an eye on the IBF, who apparently is making Mikkel Kessler fight a crappy mandatory before he even starts his tournament run, and the power behind the sport's most respected set of rankings, The Ring. The magazine's super middleweight championship is currently vacant, and without its No. 2 man Bute involved, it may stay that way throughout.

Posted by The Franchise

Franchise Thoughts: Remembering Thunder Gatti, Anticipating the World Boxing Classic

I was getting ready to do the round by round for the Joseph Agbeko-Vic Darchinyan fight Saturday when I got the text message from Uatu telling me that Arturo Gatti was dead. Details were scarce in the first few hours, but my first reaction was one of disbelief.

He was, after all, just a few days past his 37th birthday. He'd been in the ring as recently as two summers ago, though that TKO loss to Alfonso Gomez is not the way his fans would probably prefer to remember him.

The story of his untimely demise continues to unfold, and it appears Gatti was the victim of foul play, perhaps by his own wife. That's a pretty raw deal for someone who was such a courageous fighter once he stepped inside the ropes.

Gatti will hold a special place in my heart for two reasons. First, his trilogy with Micky Ward that really put him on the map coincided with the beginning of my time as a serious boxing fan. The sport sold itself with fights like those.

Also, I was fortunate enough to see Gatti fight in person at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City several times, and the reaction he got from those crowds was something to see. It's kind of strange to think that a Canadian who was born in Italy would be adopted so completely by the Jersey fans, yet that's exactly what happened.

There's probably a lesson to be learned there for younger fighters still coming up. In terms of boxing skill, Gatti was never one of the best in the world - he was taken apart pretty easily by Oscar De La Hoya and given a merciless beating by Floyd Mayweather - but the heart he displayed was more important to his followers.

Fighting a crowd-pleasing style and laying it all on the line may not always be the best way to win any given fight, and it certainly puts you at risk of physical damage and a shortened career. Gatti showed, though, that it does go a long way toward winning people over, and that certainly counts for something.

HBO is replaying the Ward trilogy in its entirety Friday night on HBO2 and Saturday morning on HBO. I plan on catching at least one of those showings as my own small personal tribute.

R.I.P. Thunder. You certainly did more than enough in the ring to earn it.

In happier but no less stunning news, the six-man super middleweight tournament dreamed up on Showtime was made official yesterday. I felt a little sheepish thinking it could actually come together last week, but that feeling is quickly turning to excitement.

It's not hyperbole to say that this is the most welcome change in the way things usually proceed in boxing in decades. It took a lot of creativity and guts on Showtime's part to even suggest it, a lot of vision on the part of the fighters to agree to it and a surprising amount of cooperation from five different promoters to make it a reality.

Assuming the proper amount of push from the network, there's every reason to think that the winner and perhaps the other finalist will become big stars even in the eyes of casual fans. That outweighs the risk of, say, going 0-3, but as we've discussed internally, at least the losers of early fights are still guaranteed two more big ones, and that rarely happens.

Things could still unravel - this is still boxing - but I'm going to assume that at least the first set of fights will go as planned and give my very early thoughts on the U.S. versus Europe portion of the round robin:

• Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell - I think it's likely that Dirrell has the most God-given talent of anyone in the tournament. The question is whether he's ready for a challenge like this, and Gary Shaw is rightfully a little concerned about fighting Froch on his home turf too. My gut says Dirrell will pull it off, giving him a ton of confidence going forward.
• Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor - It's a shame for Taylor, who I really like, because I think this style match-up is a bad one for him. Bad Intentions has shown an undeniable habit of fading late, while Abraham starts slowly and turns it on as he goes. Unless Jermain gets to him early or he's just outmuscled at 168, I think King Arthur stays undefeated.
• Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward - To me, this is the toughest call. Ward seems like he has everything except for top level power, and Kessler really impressed me in the only fight of his that I've seen (his loss to Joe Calzaghe). I favor Kessler right now but could see myself flip-flopping several times before November.

Those are three tasty fights, with the promise of nine more to go. I say bring on October.

Posted by The Franchise

Showtime's Super Middleweight Tournament Made Official as World Boxing Classic

An announcement that many boxing fans were hoping for but not many thought would actually happen was made today in New York.

Somehow, some way, Showtime got six of the world's top super middleweights - overseen by five different promoters - to agree to take part in a round robin tournament, dubbed the World Boxing Classic, that will begin this October and run through the first part of 2011. As widely rumored ahead of time, the participants will be WBC titleholder Carl Froch, WBA titleholder Mikkel Kessler, former middleweight champs Jermain Taylor and Arthur Abraham and undefeated young Americans Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell.

According to today's press release, Froch and Kessler's belts will be on the line during their first tournament matches. It had previously been reported that any mandatory defenses dreamed up by the sport's sanctioning bodies would not interfere with the tournament, and Abraham has already relinquished his IBF middleweight belt in order to take part.

Each man is guaranteed three fights in the round robin portion, with two points given for a win (and a one-point bonus for a knockout), one for a draw and none for a loss. The boxers with the most points after three bouts will move on to the semifinals, with the winners facing each other to decide the whole thing.

Noticeably absent from the tournament field is IBF 168-pound titleholder Lucian Bute. Early reports had him turning down a spot in the tourney, but his representatives told ESPN's Dan Rafael last week that he was never invited.

Of the six men who will be competing, only two have faced each other before. That happened this past April, when Froch scored a memorable 12th-round KO of Taylor in a fight he was losing on two of the three official cards.

Though the complete schedule for the first round of the World Boxing Classic hasn't been made public yet, it's set to get underway on October 10 with a split-site doubleheader. Abraham will take on Taylor in Germany, while Froch will face Dirrell in the U.K.

Posted by The Franchise

20/20 Hindsight: Showtime's Proposed Super Middleweight Tournament... and Why It Might Actually Work

There weren't any major fights to look back on during this July 4th weekend (sorry Eddie Chambers!), so instead, I'm going to focus on some news that first hit over the last few days. Close your eyes for a second and imagine that two current super middleweight titleholders, two rising American stars, a former middleweight champion and an undefeated middleweight titlist moving up in weight all agreed to compete in a six-man, round robin tournament.

Sounds great but crazy, right? After all, this is boxing, where even obvious match-ups have a hard time coming together for various reasons.

But it might not be as far-fetched as it seems. As reported by various sites, but most prominently by ESPN's Dan Rafael, Showtime is attempting to assemble a tournament featuring Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Jermain Taylor and Arthur Abraham.

You really need to read the whole piece to appreciate the ambition involved, but to summarize the details, each man would fight three others in the field with two points awarded for a win (plus one for a KO), one for a draw and none for a loss. The top four in points after the preliminaries would advance to the semifinals, with the winners facing each other after that to decide the whole thing.

The very tentative plan for the first round would be:

Oct. 10: Froch vs. Dirrell and Abraham vs. Taylor
Nov. 7: Kessler vs. Ward
Jan. 30, 2010: Abraham vs. Dirrell
March 2010: Froch vs. Kessler
April or May 2010: Ward vs. Taylor
July or August 2010: Ward vs. Dirrell and Froch vs. Abraham
September 2010: Kessler vs. Taylor

In a word, wow. It would be hard to believe any boxing fan wouldn't be excited by this idea: a series of good fights in a division stocked with talented fighters.

So many questions would be answered by this tournament. Is Froch for real? Does Taylor have anything left in the tank? Can Abraham continue his winning ways at 168? Are the two Andre's ready for the big time? And that's just a few off the top of my head.

At the same time, it's even easier to see why it's not wise to get your hopes up for Showtime actually pulling this off. Too many competing interests, too many egos to be stroked, too much perceived risk (it's very possible to come out 0-3) and just too many questions, even if Rafael says there are contingencies for everything.

Until an official announcement is made that the tournament is on or credible boxing scribes write that it's dead, the case against it will be argued all over the internet. As an optimist by nature, I'm going to take a shot at arguing why the crazy thing might happen.


1. None of the participants are superstars.

Yes, it's a talented field, and everyone but Ward and Dirrell has held an alphabet belt. All of the fighters are known quantities who have been on the big American cable outlets.

Still, no one in the proposed tourney has huge name recognition among mainstream sports fans - the kind of pull that would generate eight-digit paydays. Taylor is probably the closest to being a household name in the U.S., but his star has faded after three losses in his last four fights.

The Europeans are all looking to raise their profiles on this side of the Atlantic, and Ward and Dirrell could use the step up in competition. Even with the knowledge that no bouts in this event would be easy, there's reason to think all of these guys could see the upside in it.

There's no way a Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather would agree to something like this, because the risk doesn't justify the possible rewards. But for a group of boxers a notch or two below elite status, it just might.

2. Golden Boy and Top Rank are not involved.

This is not a slam against either organization. They are the two biggest powers in the sport right now, and they even play nice with each other when there's incentive to do so.

It's just hard to imagine either Golden Boy or Top Rank would agree to let one of their fighters participate in a tournament like this one. They wouldn't feel comfortable with the uncertainty involved, and they'd likely want more say in the format.

On top of that (as Rafael points out), Golden Boy and HBO are almost like peanut butter and jelly at this point, and this is Showtime's baby.

It's not going to be easy to get a half-dozen promoters to agree on anything, let alone something as complicated as a round robin tournament. Yet it's still going to be easier to sell them without the two gorillas in the room.

3. The proposed fights have strong regional appeal.

Some of the match-ups wouldn't sell out venues in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Showtime seems to be aware of this and has thoughts of staging the fights where they make the most sense.

Froch-Kessler and Froch-Abraham will draw big crowds in Europe. Ward can certainly bring fans out in California, and Taylor should still be an attraction in the South or Midwest.

A few of the prelims look shakier than others (think Abraham-Dirrell, especially if either or both lose their first fights), but by and large, the round robin fights have strong regional appeal. Put them in the right places, as Showtime appears willing to do, and the ticket sales should be acceptable for all parties involved.

4. Showtime can afford to think outside the box and has a history with these fighters.

HBO tends to market everything, even fights that don't necessarily warrant it, as its own event. That formula has allowed it to become the industry leader, and there's really no incentive for it to commit to anything like this.

As the network doing the chasing, Showtime can roll the dice to try to bridge the gap. It's quite the coup if the tournament comes off, as the cable channel would have compelling fights to broadcast from this fall through the first part of 2011.

Showtime has also invested time and money in this particular group of fighters (and the 168-pound division in general), with all but Kessler making appearances over the last two years. If there's a big promotional blitz, as Rafael suggests is in the works, there's no one better equipped to hype the participants, show highlights, etc.

The fighters and their teams surely know this too. That previous investment could pay off handsomely by giving Showtime the extra bit of persuasion necessary to get the participants they want to sign up.


There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical that the tournament will become a reality. Boxing is the sport where great ideas wither on the vine far too often, as anyone who's followed it for any length of time can attest.

It's a long shot, but there are just enough factors in play to make this concept the exception. As boxing fans, we just have to cross our fingers and hope that a plan this promising pans out.

Posted by The Franchise

Andre Vs. Andre: The Possibility of Ward Vs. Dirrell, and Why We Boxing Fans Can't Have It Both Ways

Since it's a fight I'd like to see and a rivalry that seems natural for several reasons, I'm surprised that it slipped by me. But according to BoxingScene.com managing editor Jake Donovan (who in turn got the word from Gary Shaw), the WBC has declared that Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell should face off to determine the number one contender for Carl Froch's super middleweight belt.

On the surface, this seems like a fantastic pairing. Dirrell and Ward were Olympic teammates in 2004, with the former winning bronze and the latter capturing gold - the last American to do so.

Both fighters have taken cautious steps up the ladder of competition as professionals, and they have emerged undefeated thus far with nearly identical numbers of wins and KOs. General consensus seems to be that each man has had only one true test so far: Ward just last month against Edison Miranda, and Dirrell last November against Victor Oganov.

A breakdown of a potential fight between the two is probably worthy of its own post. My initial impression is that they are fairly evenly matched, with Dirrell owning a greater amount of natural athleticism and explosiveness and Ward possessing a more complete all-around game.

Two Americans in the same weight class, both talented, both undefeated, and former teammates to boot. Sounds great, right?

Yet the initial reactions among boxing fans on the internet have ranged from cynical to downright negative, and I think the reasons why say a lot about the current mindset of the sport and its followers.

One complaint is that it's too early for this fight to occur, that it should be saved for some murky future date after both boxers have more time to be built up. It's easy to understand that point of view since in today's boxing climate, a single loss can seem catastrophic - even though the most popular pick as the world's current top pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, has three of them.

Match the two Andre's against each other right now and one of them could potentially be "ruined" going forward. Though we complain constantly about prospects taking too long to face real competition, we seem to be hesitant about them facing each other when there's a sense that the stakes are too high.

On top of that, there's no guarantee that a potential Ward-Dirrell superfight would ever materialize down the road. The path to superstardom is a slippery one, and Alfredo Angulo can testify that even when it's plotted carefully, it doesn't always turn out as planned.

The second category of gripes suggests that Ward and Dirrell haven't done enough to be considered as mandatory challengers for Froch, that the whole idea is somewhat ludicrous. This is despite the fact that the Cobra himself hadn't done too much to earn his gold, which was vacant before his late-fight heroics against Jermain Taylor.

And isn't this one of the same "alphabet belts" hardcore fans frequently dismiss as meaningless? If the title is irrelevant, why should fans care who wears it or who is next in line to fight for it? The match-up itself is most important, everything else is secondary.

As boxing fans, we either want to see the most compelling fights possible, or we accept the current system of protecting young talent. We either ignore the sanctioning bodies' titles or we care that the most deserving people are getting the title shots.

Those questions have room for argument, but as the possible Ward-Dirrell bout makes clear, they can't be answered both ways.

Posted by The Franchise

20-20 Hindsight: After Beating Miranda, How Does Ward Measure Up Against the Best at 168?

Consider it a first test passed.

If you were waiting for Andre Ward to start to fulfill some of his promise - and if you were, you weren't alone - you had to like what you saw Saturday. Ward won a convincing decision against a pretty rough customer in Edison Miranda and even overcame a little adversity (an early cut) to pull it off.

True, I think we can safely say that Miranda isn't a world-beater by now, and may actually be morphing into a gatekeeper of sorts. But at the very least, his power posed a threat to a young fighter thought to have a questionable chin.

Ward was able to stand and trade effectively and a lot more often than I would have figured going in. He also switched stances numerous times, and while we often debate amongst ourselves here at BW how much that helps, it really seemed to befuddle Miranda.

It may not have been a star-making performance on its own, but the win answered some questions. Most importantly, it quelled my fears that he'd be a slightly lighter Chad Dawson - skilled but somewhat boring.

Saturday's victory also kept Ward moving up in what is suddenly a very interesting super middleweight division. How does S.O.G. stack up against the top guys at 168? Glad you asked.

Might as well start with the alphabet champs...

Carl Froch: It appears Ward may get a shot at The Cobra before anyone else. There's little doubt in my mind that Andre has the edge in athleticism and talent, but Froch probably has more power. And as we saw when he beat Jermain Taylor, you have to put him away when you have a chance, and Ward wasn't able to do that against Miranda.

Lucian Bute: Despite Bute's undefeated record, I like Ward if this fight is ever made. I'm not sure there's anything that Bute does that Ward doesn't do a little better. He is a southpaw and has a lot of KOs on his record, but his power doesn't seem like the type that would worry Andre.

Mikkel Kessler: Now here's someone Ward might not be ready to face just yet. Kessler hasn't been heard from on American TV since his relatively close loss to Joe Calzaghe, and it's doubtful he'd be matching up with Ward any time soon. But that's just as well, because Mikkel can really box and has some pop too.

Karoly Balzsay: He's... okay, I have to admit I don't know anything about this guy. It hardly matters, as Balzsay rarely ventures out of Germany and has an August bout already lined up. Let's move on.

And since the guys with the gold aren't the only interesting names in the division...

Librado Andrade: If Ward isn't ready for a title shot, here's a possible opponent to consider. His straightforward style would make for some action, though I think Ward would handle him barring getting caught with something big. You'd think this fight would sell in the Golden State, as Andrade lives in California.

Andre Dirrell: To me it just feels right that two young American fighters with the same first name in the same division would end up as rivals someday. The Matrix is still looking for the kind of affirming fight that Ward just had with Miranda. Down the road, though, who knows?

Jermain Taylor: I haven't read that he's retiring, so I have to assume Taylor is sticking around for now. It's worth remembering that he was on his way to beating Froch on the cards before his late fade. His name value (for now anyway) could make him an attractive opponent for Ward, and he'd be a different kind of test.

Posted by The Franchise

Dirrell v. Findley: Round by Round

The main event is at super middleweight between Andre Dirrell and Derrick Findley. Dirrell is a top 10 super middleweight contender. Findly is 13-2 with KOs and is actually fighting 8 inches shorter than Dirrell tonight. That's a serious disadvantage. Dirrell is 17-0 with 12 KOs.

Round 1

The height disadvantage doesn't look as obvious as I thought it would. Dirrell is sticking the jab which is easy when you're fighting a significantly shorter fighter. Findley gets in and lands the jab. Direll lands a great body shot. Dirrell lands a right hook and gets out of the way. He's sticking and moving very well. Dirrell lands an enormous left hook and knocks Findley silly. Findley stumbles against the ropes and Dirrell switches to southpaw and unleashes some serious power shots. Dirrell throws uppercut after uppercut but somehow Findley makes it out of the round. In between rounds Findley's corner said that their fighter's nose is broken.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 2

They touch gloves to start round 2. Dirrell stays in southpaw now. Dirrell lands a great left straight. Findley isn't throwing much of anything. Dirrell lands a huge body shot that staggers Findley. Dirrell lands a 1-2 combo upstairs. Findley isn't throwing anything which shows that this fight should just be stopped. Now Findley gets in and throws a punch but it misses. It's pretty much target practice for Dirrell right now. Findley has never been knocked down but it looks like he might be tonight.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 3

Findley is trying harder to get inside now. Dirrell goes back to the jab. Dirrell moves away from Findleys straight right hand. Dirrell's movement is great. Dirrell sticks a jab but isn't throwing much else. Findley finally lands a left. Findley lands a right hand. He gets in again and Dirrell falls from a slip. Dirrell should really be doing more to end this.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 4

Findley is clearly outclssed but Dirrell isn't doing enough to try to finish this. He keeps sticking and moving and now even clinching. This is a better round from Findley but still not great. Dirrell lands a great jab. There's been a minute of nothing but jabs from Dirrell. Findley isn't doing much of anything either.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 5

The crowd is not into this fight and with good reason. Dirrell has no reason to stick and move and he continues to do so. Dirrell lands a left to the body and left upstairs. Findley gets inside and Dirrell clinches. Dirrell goes back to the jab. Both fighters keep talking to each other. I'm not sure what they are saying. Findley gets a final warning for hitting on the break.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Round 6

Findley waits 30 seconds to throw a punch. Dirrell sticks to his jab. Findley is stalking Dirrell around the ring and Dirrell flashes a big smile. Findley keeps talking to Dirrell most likely talking trash for constantly backing away. Dirrell keeps throwing the jab and now throws a body shot. Another round goes to Dirrell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Dirrell

Findley's trainer doesn't want his fighter to take any more punishment and throws in the towel.

The winner by TKO at the end of Round 6... "The Matrix" Andre Dirrell.

Posted by spartan117