Will a Loss for Kessler Kill The Super 6?

by Paul Magno

Whenever you're dealing with elite professional boxers, the best planning you can sometimes hope for is a pair of crossed fingers and a silent prayer.

The Super Six World Classic was supposed to be different.

Six top fighters in a highly competitive, but definitely non-glamor division. No HBO/Golden Boy/Top Rank politics...Just the best fighting the best until there was one elite superstar left. It was a beautiful concept and a testament to what can be accomplished when fighters want to fight and their management isn't afraid to let them.

Unfortunately, the Super Six tournament may be two fights away from falling apart and, if we really would've paid attention, the writing was on the wall all along.

As Mikkel Kessler prepares to take on Carl Froch in what promises to be a Fight of the Year candidate this Saturday, there has to be one simple question on the minds of Kessler and his team: "What if we lose?"

A loss for Kessler would mean an 0-2 mark in the tourney and almost no chance to make it into the final four. What would be the point in going on? What if there were a third loss? Kessler, who was the favorite to win it all, is facing the distinct possibility of having his career crushed.

"The Viking Warrior" has always demonstrated the same type of stiff caution outside the ring as he demonstrates inside of it. The best move, yeah, maybe even the smart move, would be to pull Kessler out and make a grab for a lesser title en route to a cushy Calzaghe-esque reign in his home country of Denmark with packed stadiums and the comfortable assurance that every other top super middleweight will be occupied with one another.

Another option for Kessler would be Lucian Bute and an attempted short cut back to the front of the 168 lb. line.

The other questionable piece of the puzzle is American, Andre Ward, but for completely different reasons.

A win against Allan Green on June 19th puts Ward up 2-0 and further cements his status as breakthrough fighter of the tournament. Things can only go downhill form there.

His next fight would be a supremely tough stylistic encounter against good friend, Andre Dirrell, but why risk it? An impressive win against Green will have HBO calling (if they haven't been ringing the phone off the hook already).

The Miranda, Kessler and Green wins will put the Olympic gold medalist in the perfect position to make some real money and HBO has the cash and a list of potential opponents, strong enough to give Ward a real push as "America's Next Big Thing."

Any way you slice it, Ward and Kessler pulling out after the second round would kill the credibility of the tournament and make it little more than a parody of what it was intended to be.

When you think about it, Andre Dirrell is no sure thing to finish the tourney, either. It's easy to envision a scenario where Dirrell, convinced of the fact that he should be 2-0, decides to explore the open market and see what's available for a flashy, yet inconsistent, Roy Jones substitute.

Froch, Abraham and Green are likely to stay in the Super 6; Froch and Green, because there's nowhere else to go...and Abraham, despite the loss to Dirrell, is still in the lead (at least until Ward fights).

Maybe all this is  just paranoia on my part...Maybe everybody stays put and completes their commitment to Showtime and the fans. But it sure would make business sense for some fighters to pack their things before the end of the tourney. And just how often does the good of the sport take precedent over a management team's personal interests?

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While I Was Away...

by Paul Magno

When I planned out my vacation several months ago I simply didn't know how much boxing action I'd be missing...As much as I needed time away from the day to day grind here in my Central Mexican fortress, I would've put off the festivities for another date...Maybe a few weeks earlier so I could conveniently miss the Pacquiao-Clottey Crapfest...

Well, I've just about caught up on the action I've missed...So, I guess, no harm, no foul...Here's a brief review of some of the action that took place during my swingin' vacation:


Andre Dirrell DQ 11 over Arthur Abraham: Brilliant boxing clinic given by Dirrell over the first 9 or so and 100% validation of my opinion that Abraham is way overrated...As for the fight-ending foul: When, I first saw it casually, I was of the opinion that Dirrell was acting. When I saw it again and actually paid attention, it was clear that Dirrell was legitimately hurt and the way he reacted, by pawing at his eye, was eerily reminiscent of Gerald McClellan's reaction after he suffered a brain injury in a bout with Nigel Benn. Plus, how could anyone watch Dirrell's punch drunk post-fight interview and say that he was play-acting the part of a hurt fighter?

Marcos Maidana KO 6 over Victor Cayo: Whether Maidana goes on to do something at 140, there's no doubt at this point that he belongs among the top jr. welters in the world...Cayo, on the other hand, does not.


Joan Guzman SD 12 over Ali Funeka: Guzman is in a lose-lose situation...He simply can't (or won't) make a weight below 147, but he will be devoured by the elite crew at 147. Unless he can find a way to motivate himself below 135, Guzman is finished. Funeka was also busted for using a diuretic to help make weight...So, what we had was two natural welterweights fighting for a lightweight title...Go figure.


Bernard Hopkins UD 12 over Roy Jones Jr.: I never thought I'd use the words "embarrassing" and "pathetic" alongside the Hopkins name, but this was a career-low for a fighter who deserves so much better. Poorly thought-out, poorly executed and just, plain tedious, this was the most cringe-worthy fight of the year so far.


David Haye TKO 9 over John Ruiz: Haye is for real...It remains to be seen whether he can hang with the Klits, but there's no doubt at this point that Haye belongs on the main stage.


Evander Holyfield TKO 8 over Frans Botha: Sadly, with a near win over Valuev and a TKO of Botha, Holyfield has a case for continuing on with his career...

Andre Berto TKO 8 over Carlos Quintana: Yes, Berto is legit and he's a deserving champion...shame on you if you thought otherwise.

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Allegations of Dirrell Cheating Are Unwarranted

by Dafs117

Experienced writer and analyst, T.K. Stewart, has been the first to openly criticize Andre Dirrell following his disqualification victory over Arthur Abraham at the weekend, accusing Dirrell of 'mock pain and agony' as he was laid flat on the canvas following a cheap shot from Arthur Abraham in Detroit.

Stewart complains that Dirrell faked injury to claim his first victory in the Super 6 Boxing Classic so he can continue on in Showtime's 168-pound tournament.

As always, Arthur Abraham's fan club has used this to back their poorly thought-out argument on how their guy was badly treated by Michigan officials, and how he was robbed of a 32nd career victory.

Dirrell was clearly ahead at this point in the fight and looked relatively comfortable, if slightly tired, as he hopped on his motor scooter and stayed well clear of Abraham, who stalked him looking for another dramatic knockout. The momentum was hardly with Abraham, even though he should have been awarded a knockdown in the tenth.

Stewart goes on to slate referee Laurence Cole, who made the decision to disqualify Abraham after the foul. He claims that Cole "went for the bait - hook, line and sinker", which is uncalled for in my opinion. Cole's job is hard enough without writers like Stewart on his case every time he gets a big fight, constantly referring to this fight for extra credibility from casual fans.

Abraham claims that he "did not see that he was down." Is that his best response? C'mon get real. He'd been looking up at Dirrell, 6'1'' no less, who had been towering over him, 5'9'', all night, but then suddenly Dirrell was clutching Abraham's ankles. Maybe Stewart went for the bait - hook, line and sinker?

Stewart closes his article with "the boxing ring is no place for actors - especially ones as putrid as Andre Dirrell." But the only actor I saw in the ring on Saturday night was Arthur Abraham, who complained and nagged at referee Cole about non-existent low blows. Trying to buy points from officials is a form of cheating, and because he didn't have 'his' referee, frustration boiled over which ultimately led to a thundering right hand from one of the biggest punchers in boxing landing on a defenseless Dirrell.

If Dirrell was acting, he should really try to get a part in an action film, because I was sold. He was obviously not, as he still hadn't realised that he had won moments after he regained consciousness. The twitching, the disorientation; both obvious signs of concussion, was enough for the doctors to make a thorough check on Dirrell in the ring and at the hospital.

The conspiracy theories are flooding in on forums across the web, but you only need to look at other televised fights to see why there is such skepticism of Dirrell. Francisco Lorenzo's melodramatic actions against Humberto Soto is a prime example, even if the aftermath was as despicable. Lorenzo is the scapegoat here, but he and many others are partly responsible for making spectators doubt the true purity of one's actions. It's the same in other sports, not just boxing.

Was Abraham's foul malicious? Probably not, I think it was more out of frustration than anything. It was out-of-character for a guy that has been very laid-back on Fight Camp 360, without even a mention of hatred towards his competitors. His reputation has been tarnished because of one moment of madness. It was a rush of blood to the head type of thing, nothing more.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, and I'm not trying to brainwash you into thinking that Abraham's shot was intentional, but the correct decision was made. Make up your own mind, the video is here.

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Andre Dirrell Out Of Hospital

According to BoxingScene, Andre Dirrell has received the all clear from the hospital following his visit after last night's disqualification win over Arthur Abraham in Detroit.

Dirrell was knocked-out on his back when Abraham landed a brutal right foul as Dirrell slipped on a canvas logo in the eleventh round. Abraham was disqualified by referee Laurence Cole.

Rick Reeno also reports that the brain scans are negative, which is always good to hear. On our forum, people question how much impact the knockout will have on Dirrell mentally. I honestly don't think it'll have any affect on him what-so-ever. Dirrell didn't expect the blow, and will probably not be in that situation again where someone crouches over him and lands a blatant foul. I have no reason to believe that Dirrell will be at a slight disadvantage because of Abraham's cheap shout.

His next opponent is Andre Ward, who first has to defend his new WBA belt against Allan Green on June 19.

Wilfred Sauerland, Abraham's promoter, has said that he will file a protest over Dirrell's 'acting'. The protest will be pushed aside, as anyone in their right minds can see that Dirrell was not messing around on the canvas.

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Arthur Abraham Disqualified Against Andre Dirrell

Detroit, Michigan - Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO) dethroned Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO) via disqualification tonight in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, picking up two points in the process. The BTBC had Dirrell leading 97-92 after ten.

Abraham was a long way behind on the cards in the eleventh round, when Dirrell slipped for the second time on an advertisement logo, and went down with his hands out in front of him to keep him from falling on his face. Abraham saw the perfect opportunity to land a right hand that put Dirrell's lights out. Abraham was disqualified by referee Laurence Cole, losing for the first time in his professional career.

The disqualification has taken a little bit of the limelight away from something much more important; Dirrell's coming of age. He used his attributes to his advantage and learned the harsh lessons he learned from the Froch fight in Group Stage 1. Even though he got tagged often by Abraham, he annihilated the Super 6 Boxing Classic leader over ten eventful rounds.

Dirrell floored Abraham for the first time in his career in the fourth, landing a straight right on an unbalanced Abraham. Abraham was down again in the seventh, but referee Cole made the wrong call. However, Cole evened things up as he failed to award Abraham a knockdown when he put Dirrell on the canvas legitimately in the tenth.

This has made the Super Six a lot more interesting, with every fighter still with a strong case in making the semi-final spots. If Abraham would've won in Detroit tonight, he could've retired on his stool after the first round against Carl Froch and still qualified.

After the bout, Abraham irritatingly claimed that Dirrell was "acting to get the DQ", which erased any sympathy left for King Arthur. The most frustrating thing for me was that it was getting interesting too, with Abraham getting real close at times to nail Dirrell with those trademark right hands as they approached a nail-biting conclusion.

Next up for Andre Dirrell is fellow Olympian Andre Ward, who first has to tackle the obstacle that is Allan Green. Arthur Abraham will be back at home against Carl Froch, who faces Mikkel Kessler on April 17.

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Final Round: Magno vs. Machine

by Dafs117/Paul Magno

Paul Magno’s attempt to emulate John Henry, a figure from American folklore, concludes this week with a slight twist from the normal proceedings.

The toe to toe battle with Title Bout Championship Boxing in a 21st century boxing-related battle of man vs. machine has been competitive, with both still evenly matched going into the final round.

In the final round we’ll be combining the next two weekends, which starts with Wladmir Klitschko making his defense of his heavyweight championship against Eddie Chambers, and concludes with two fighters that kicked-off the contest, Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell.

John Henry was successful, but will Magno be?

Wladmir Klitschko vs. Eddie Chambers

Magno: This isn't as easy as some would believe. Chambers, in his last fight, executed the perfect strategy against a taller, stronger Eastern European heavyweight. Yeah, Alexander Dimitrenko is no Klitschko, but nonetheless, it was a perfect game plan that I can see working against Wlad.


I'm tempted to pick Chambers in a shocker, but for the sake of the competition, I'll make the safe pick and say Wladimir Klitschko via TKO 8. But, if Chambers comes to the fight in shape and focused, all bets are off.


Machine: In the machine's view, Wladmir Klitschko is far the better fighter in this fight, and holds all the tools that are required to win this fight. He holds the WBO, IBF, IBO and The Ring Magazine's version of the heavyweight championship. Basically, he's dominating the division.

Eddie Chambers has a slight speed advantage, but everything else points to Klitschko's favour, plus the added incentive of fighting at home, if Klitschko needs some home cooking of course.

The Machine doesn't think he will, and predicts Wladmir Klitschko to be victorious via seventh round technical knockout. Eddie Chambers won't be in the fight at all, and will be picked off by the taller and rangier Klitschko, who'll continue his dominance at the top of the heavyweight division.

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Abraham-Dirrell Postponed To March 27

After revealing that he's injured his back in sparring, Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KO) has been forced to push back his upcoming fight against Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KO) from March 6 to March 27.

The bout will still open the second stage of the Super 6 Boxing Classic, with Andre Ward making his first defence of his WBA belt against Allan Green and Carl Froch travelling to Denmark in his third defence of his WBC crown versus Mikkel Kessler on April 24.

Abraham leads the way in the groundbreaking tournament with a stunning twelfth-round knockout win over Jermain Taylor, who has since pulled out of the tournament. Andre Dirrell received his first defeat as he was on the wrong-end of a split decision defeat to Carl Froch, and is still searching for his first point of the tournament.

The March 6 card was clashing with HBO's World Championship Boxing broadcast of Devon Alexander's unification fight with Juan Urango for the WBC and IBF junior welterweight titles.

However, the March 27 card also clashes with another HBO broadcast which features Daniel Jacobs, Marcos Rene Maidana vs. Victor Manuel Cayo and a rematch between Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka for the vacant IBF lightweight title.

The fight will still take place at Rancho Mirage, California, also featuring Vic Darchinyan on the undercard.

This fight is an interesting clash of styles, showing how Dirrell's adapted to the Froch defeat and how Abraham controls a quicker opponent. A win for Dirrell adds another dimension to Stage 3, with possibly five fighters in the hunt for four spots.

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2009 Super Middleweight Report

by Dafs117

Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward vs. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler. Over the course of a month and a half, six quality fighters are slated to step into the ring in three outstanding matches. How many of them are on PPV? None. Yes, that’s right, zilch. They compete in a revolutionary new tournament set-up by Showtime Sports to find out who is top dog at 168 pounds.

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The Return of American Swagger

by Paul Magno

At the beginning of '09, the big story among the boxing media was the apparent downfall of the American fighter.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was still retired, Oscar De la Hoya had been humiliated by Manny Pacquiao and future Hall of Famers, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins were on their last legs. Even Kelly Pavlik, the blue collar Cinderella story of 2007-2008 had been profoundly schooled by Hopkins at the end of '08.

2009 didn't look to be much brighter at all for the American fight contingent since, to kick things off, Mosley was going to be facing off against the new consensus #1 Welterweight in the world and widely-regarded beast, Antonio Margarito.

But "Sugar" Shane pulled off the upset in front of a partisan, pro-Margarito crowd at The Staples Center in Los Angeles and ushered in a year that would see the return of a strong American presence in the sport.

Of course, bringing in the headlines was Floyd Mayweather Jr., as he totally dominated Juan Manuel Marquez in his comeback fight in September and officially pushed for a return to his pound for pound throne with a proposed fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2010.

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Super 6 Boxing Classic Stage 2 All Set

March 6: Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur Abraham - Andre Dirrell will fight Arthur Abraham at the Rancho Mirage in California. This fight will open the second stage of the Super 6 Boxing Classic Tournament on Showtime, which Abraham tops at the moment. Could Dirrell make up for his split decision defeat to Froch?

April 17: Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler - Carl Froch will make his third defence of his WBC Super Middleweight belt against Dane Mikkel Kessler, in either the City Ground, Nottingham, or a venue in Copenhagen or Parken. The venue will be decided in the subject of a purse bid. Could Kessler get back on track or will the Cobra qualify for the semi-finals?

April 17: Andre Ward vs. Jermain Taylor - To finish off the live doubleheader on Showtime, Andre Ward will defend his WBA Super Middleweight belt for the first time against Jermain Taylor at Oakland. Ward suprised most by defeating Kessler in Stage 1, and should have enough in the tank for Taylor. Could Taylor roll back the years and outbox Ward?

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UK Alert: Froch – Dirrell to be replayed on ITV

WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch will be back on British TV screens this Saturday night on ITV1. Viewers will get a chance to see last weekend’s Super Six World Boxing Classic bout with previously undefeated American prospect Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell.

The fight will be replayed on ITV1 at 11:15pm on Saturday night with the fight rounding off an action packed night for boxing fans with ITV4 kicking off a night of boxing coverage at 9pm. ITV4’s coverage will start with Showtime’s answer to HBO 24/7, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, a compelling new reality series that gives viewers unprecedented access into the lives and training regimes of the Super Six tournament participants. FIGHT CAMP 360° also covers the promoters that are not shy of voicing their opinions in the meeting rooms, discussing how the tournament came together and their views on the one off event.

The night will start off overseas to the O2 World Arena in Berlin, for a replay of the other Super Six tournament bout between two former World Middleweight Champs, Arthur Abraham and Jermain Taylor which also took place last weekend. Shortly after the fight, ITV4 will broadcast the English Welterweight title bout from the Froch – Dirrell undercard at Trent FM Arena between Adnan Amar and Tom Glover. The action then switches to ITV1 to cover Froch – Dirrell.

Froch handed the heavily-hyped Dirrell his first ever defeat in front of a sold out Trent FM Arena in Nottingham last Saturday. Froch successfully defended his title and his undefeated record intact via split decision with the Italian Massimo Barrovecchio and Belgium judge Daniel Van de Wiele awarding Froch the bout 115-112, while Mexican official Alejandro Rochin Mapula scored it 114-113 for Dirrell.

The win caps an outstanding hat-trick of victories for Froch who won the WBC title courtesy of a thriller with previously undefeated Canadian Jean Pascal, who is currently the WBC Light heavyweight Champion, before making a successful first defence Stateside with a sensational last round stoppage of former undisputed Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor. Now “The Cobra” has ended Dirrell’s unbeaten run, he’ll face the current WBA Champ Mikkel Kessler in the next round of match-ups.

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Gritty Froch Solves Matrix Dirrell

Carl Froch SD 12 Andre Dirrell

UK fans may have built former WBC Champion Carl Froch 26-0 (20 KOs) up to be the next 168 lbs king after Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and Joe Calzaghe dominated the decision for years, but Dirrell wasn’t buying it. And after a little more than 12 rounds of action at the Trent FM Arena, neither is anybody else.

Due to Showtime’s lack of preparation, the fight was delayed for half an hour. The Nottingham faithful patiently sang along to Johnny Cash and The Beatles at 02:30 am. They weren’t treated to a slug-fest, but more of a clash of styles and negativity on Dirrell’s part.

The hard-punching Brit Froch, 167.5, barely kept WBC super middleweight belt as he attacked heavily hyped Andre Dirrell, 167.5 at the second attempt, in the middle rounds and withstood the challenger’s furious retaliation down the stretch to win a close split decision over 12 heats. Afterward, the 26 year-old Dirrell, 18-1 (13 KOs), displayed his disgust about a point deduction in the 10th round in the post-fight interview. He’ll face Arthur Abraham next.

Pre-fight favourite Froch, 32, didn’t look as strong as usual and was slow and sluggish to begin with. He often lost his balance when missing punches and was countered by the much quicker Dirrell. This was Froch’s second defence of his WBC belt, and certainly not his best. But despite the belt-holder’s poor tactics, Dirrell could do no better than lose narrowly.

Dirrell didn’t stamp enough authority in the cagey rounds to win them against the defending champion as Froch struggled to find rhythm. The American did well to avert Froch’s vaunted opening attacks but it came to no avail as they jabbed for the opening two rounds. Dirrell turned loose in the 4th, switch-hitting and using his footwork to dance around Froch. It became a see-saw battle in the fifth on, as Froch and Dirrell mixed it up, but they missed the target on most occasions. Dirrell repeatedly hit Froch’s gloves with full force, his lack of precision costing him some points. With more composure and coolness, Dirrell could have caught the frustrated Froch, whose punches were a little more free-swinging than the challenger.

There were some very difficult rounds to score, but Froch certainly held the lead through 7 rounds, so Dirrell became more aggressive in the final half of the fight. Unfortunately, his constant clinching lost him a point, which made Dirrell fight a bit more front-foot. The final rounds were even, one for Dirrell and one for Froch. His negativity cost him some crucial rounds at the core stages of the fight. Froch pulled out a split decision, 115-112 (X2) to the champion and 114-113 to Dirrell.

Dirrell should have won the bout, but he didn’t sustain a consistent offence and lost the close rounds to the Englishman. Dirrell didn’t throw combinations. He just threw occasional jabs that were absorbed on Froch’s gloves. He came to Nottimgham to steal a decision, not to fight. He ran and hugged and didn’t do enough to beat the champion. Sometimes it takes more than that to beat a champion. That’s why Dirrell will need a massive performance to beat Arthur Abraham in stage 2. Carl Froch will fight Mikkel Kessler in a mouth-watering contest between two of the division’s finest.

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Super Middleweights Make Weight

WBC Super middleweight beltholder Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch and his American challenger Andre ‘The Matrix’ Dirrell both weighed in at 167½ pounds yesterday in front of a massive crowd of 3,500 people at the famed Market Square in Nottingham, England. Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) made weight on his second attempt, having weighed in earlier in the evening at 168.4 lbs. He had up to two hours to make the official weight for the title fight, but only took 50 minutes to return to the scales at 167½.

Former IBF 160-pound titlist Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) weighed in bang on the super middleweight division limit of 168 pounds, while his opponent, another former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) tipped the scales at 166¼ pounds.

Froch (25-0, 20 KOs), a Nottingham native, will attempt to defend his title on home turf at the Trent FM Arena, where a sell-out crowd of about 8,000 fans is expected. The other two super middleweights will fight in front of another sell-out crowd of more than 14,000 fans at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany, Abraham's adopted hometown, on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The 12-round bout is one half of the first stage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, and will be broadcasted live on Showtime.

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Magno vs. The Machine (Stage 1): The Super Middleweights

by Dafs117 / Paul Magno


John Henry was a Steel Drivin’ Man

John Henry is a figure from American folklore, a symbolic representation of the modern man vs. machine debate.

According to the story, John Henry was a famously strong “steel-driver” erecting railroads with his co-workers across the mountains to the West.

When the greedy railroad boss purchased a steam-powered hammer to replace the railroad crew, John Henry issued a challenge: him vs. the machine for the jobs of his crew.

Henry ended up beating the machine, but he paid the ultimate price; His heart exploded afterwards and he collapsed on the same railroad tracks that he had just put down.

Now, Boxing Tribune editor-in-chief, Paul Magno takes up the battle as he goes toe to toe with Title Bout Championship Boxing in a 21st century boxing-related battle of man vs. machine.

In this series, both Magno and the Machine will make predictions for all the upcoming major bouts and records will be kept to see whether a modern day John Henry stands a chance against a multi-functional, mega-powered computerized opponent.

And where better to start than a double-header from the revolutionary Showtime Super 6 Boxing Classic.

Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor

Magno: Both fighters made a name for themselves eight pounds lighter in the Middleweight division and, now, both are trying to establish themselves as top dog at 168.

Despite the odds being stacked against Taylor, he still represents the best and most accomplished fighter, by far, that Abraham has ever faced.

In a lot of ways, Taylor and Abraham are similar in style and ability. Both are multi-talented boxer-punchers who are separated from 98% of the pack based solely on pure athleticism.

Taylor’s major defects have been focus and stamina, with both becoming legit liabilities as a fight progresses. Recent losses against Carl Froch and Kelly Pavlik were testaments to Taylor’s flaws as a fighter. In both fights, Taylor was solidly ahead and ended up suffering TKO losses.

But the question is whether Abraham’s defects as a fighter negate Taylor’s biggest flaws. Abraham, as talented as he is, couldn’t be described as a pressure fighter by any stretch of the imagination. He mostly fights in flurries, content to let loose for brief periods of time and steal rounds with his flashes of ability.
The questions in this fight will be whether Abraham can significantly pressure Taylor so that stamina becomes an issue later in the fight and whether Taylor’s natural ability can negate Abraham’s natural ability.

This is an evenly-matched fight that will come down to Abraham’s hometown advantage.
Taylor will make the final bell, but he’ll lose a unanimous decision: 116-112, 115-113 and 118-110.

Machine: As a bigger middleweight, Arthur Abraham should hold a slight advantage over Jermain Taylor, with a perfect physical condition in a much more favourable weight.

Fighting in his adopted country Germany, Abraham will be at an immeasurable advantage as the officiating is one of the most biased on the planet. Any close fight on the scorecards, will go Abraham’s way. Tough luck. That’s why you need to do more than just win a fight in Germany.

Abraham is seen as a pressure fighter. Not so. Just because he’s the aggressor against mediocre opposition, he rarely sustains an attack throughout the round to be styled as a pressure fighter.

The magnitude of his punches should be enough to trouble a post-prime Taylor, who still has the ghost of Kelly Pavlik tap-dancing in his mind under any kind of pressure.

Abraham has been described as one of the best finishers pound-4-pound in the sport today, in the same category as his super middleweight rival Carl Froch, for his outstanding punch accuracy and output when an opponent is hurt.

In front of the richest people in Berlin, Arthur Abraham will send a statement to the rest of the Super Middleweight fighters, with a quick stoppage victory over former Olympian Jermain Taylor.

Abraham hurts Taylor with a straight right in the early exchanges of the first round, and Taylor struggles to make it through the opening round on his feet. Abraham moves in for the stoppage in the second round, and punishes a negative Taylor who falls to the canvas under the heavy pressure from the Armenian. Taylor survives another minute, but it counts for nothing, as the referee judges that Taylor has received too much punishment and waves away the contest. Abraham is the winner by TKO in the second round.

Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell

Magno: This will be a fun match as two unorthodox talents with complete opposite skill sets and fighting philosophies do battle in a screamingly pro-Froch Trent FM Arena in Froch’s hometown of Nottingham, England.

Froch, the defending WBC Super Middleweight champ can be seen as a slow-footed pasty version of Tommy Hearns with arms down low and a desire to mix it up.

By far the more accomplished of the the two, Froch has already earned his place with wins over athletically gifted fighters Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor.

Froch’s success depends on his ability to lure Dirrell into a fight and not engage in a boxing match. He was able to do that with quick-fisted fighters like Pascal and Taylor, but Dirrell could be another story.

Andre Dirrell can be seen as the junior entrant of the Super 6 Tournament. He’s perhaps the most athletically gifted of the six, but also the least experienced.
Patterned after Roy Jones Jr., Dirrell is a speedster who, only recently, has started adding some power to his game. The question will be whether he can handle the pressure of fighting a guy like Froch in a place like Nottingham.

If the flat-footed Froch can’t lure Dirrell into a battle, he will be chasing the American all day and catching enough counters to lose rounds. Dirrell’s history suggests that, when pressed, he gets on his bike so that could mean big problems for Froch.

Despite the massive hometown advantage, Dirrell will prove to be too fast and too athletic for Froch. Dirrell wins this via split decision, 116-112, 115-113, 112-116.

Machine: The two unbeaten fighters should put on a show as their different styles will surely make a gripping fight at the Trent FM Arena. Could hometown scoring be a factor?

Froch will be defending his WBC super middleweight belt for the second time, against a switch-hitting speedster that has far superior footwork and a considerable hand speed advantage over the champion. The champion might be judged as flat footed, but makes up for it in the power stakes, as he will possess a serious threat to the untroubled Dirrell.

Dirrell is expected to be on his bike for most of the fight and his punch output should be greater than Froch, so if it goes to the scorecard, Dirrell will hold a major advantage.

Dirrell’s more eye-catching flurries are enough to win him the opening rounds on the judges’ scorecards, as he silences the Nottingham crowd. Froch takes the closer and gritty middle rounds to even it out on the scorecards. The champion edges ahead in a close 9th round, the best of the fight. Dirrell surprisingly thrives under the relentless pressure of Froch, and wins the final rounds to split the Showtime team... and the judges.

Both fighters think they have done enough to win it. Press row are all split with different opinions as the scorecards are announced. Dirrell wins a thrilling opening to the Showtime Super 6 Boxing Classic, with an extremely debatable split decision, 116-112, 115-114 to the American and 115-113 to Froch.

Current Scores: Magno 0-0 (0 KOs), Machine 0-0 (0 KOs)

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There Can Be Only One : Part 1

by Simon Garner

On the 5th February this year, the man considered the king at 168lb, Joe Calzaghe retired from boxing. In doing so, he left somewhat of a void in the super middleweight division. What we’ve been left with, is a number of good fighters with varying degrees of experience, but no one who stands out.

The best case that’s been made for the throne came back in April when Carl Froch dramatically stopped Jermain Taylor in the final round of the WBC title bout. A fight which Taylor largely dominated until the later rounds only for him to tire and for Nottingham based fighter to take advantage.

The likes of Andre Ward and his namesake, Andre Dirrell have both fought since the retirement of Calzaghe but neither has stamped a big impression on the boxing world. The same can be said for Mikkel Kessler, the current WBA champion, a man who fought well against Calzaghe back in 2007, but has only entered the ring to face the likes of Dimitri Sartison and Danilo Haussler in recent times.

The other big name left in the division is ‘King’ Arthur Abraham, who despite his regal title has yet to make significant inroads in the division, with his only win coming last year in a rematch against Edison Miranda. A man who was also recently defeated by Andre Ward

Therefore, due to the confusion in the division, a plan was devised by Ken Hershman, the head honcho of boxing at Showtime to make all of the aforementioned combatants fight it out to find out who is the best in the divison.

The concept devised is an ingenious and unique one, never tried to such an extent before in boxing: a modified round-robin tournament to create an undisputed divisional leader. The winner of each bout will receive three points for a KO victory and two points for a decision. One point will be awarded for a draw. The preliminary rounds will begin in October and each participant will engage in three initial bouts. From this, the top four highest points scorers will advance to the semi-finals in January 2011. The winners will then fight in the final in May/June 2011.

This tournament is similar to others of yesteryear that sought to establish lineage in a crowded divison. The most recent example of this came in a smaller game back in 2001 when the top middleweights fought to establish a champion. First, the Executioner, Bernard Hopkins outpointed Keith Holmes. Then Felix Trinidad knocked out William Joppy. And finally, Hopkins shocked the world by putting on a boxing masterclass and finally stopped the seemingly unbeatable Tito to become the first undisputed champion at 160 since Marvin Hagler.

In contrast the super-middleweight division hasn’t been without a leader for nearly as long. However, by bringing together the top fighters at the weight, all under different promoters, is something that should be applauded. The “Super Six” tournament will turn heads and as Lou DiBella put it recently, it will provided an “international jolt of adrenaline for boxing”

In Part 2, I will consider all the participants, their strengths, their weaknesses and their chances of victory. Finally, I will then state who I think will be crowned as champion in 2011.

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USA! USA! America's 10 Best Boxers!

We've already explored the topic of Britain's and Puerto Rico's best. In the works are features on the best Filipino and Mexican fighters.

However, on this July 4th, it's only fitting to write about America's best active fighters.

So, grill another burger and open another cold one while we delve into the topic of who, exactly, are America's Finest:

10) Steve Cunningham- This former Cruiserweight champ with quick hands and sharp reflexes would still be sporting the bragging rights of being "The World's Best Cruiser" if not for, literally, four or five punches from Tomasz Adamek last year. Cunningham is working his way back to a rematch and wants nothing more than to avenge this tough loss.

9) Andre Berto- The reigning WBC Welterweight titlist gets little respect in the media, but he was good enough to beat a very tough Luis Collazo as well as a large handful of tough contenders ranging from Jr. Welter slugger, Juan Urango, to tough ex-champ, Cosme Rivera.

8) Nate Campbell- The Galaxxy Warrior shocked the world last year by beating up and out-classing the highly-regarded Juan Diaz. He followed that up with a gutsy win over the awkward and talented, Ali Funeka. At 37 years of age, there aren't too many more fights in Campbell's reserves, but he'll have the chance at another career-defining bout against Timothy Bradley in August.

7) Kelly Pavlik- While still no.1 at Middleweight, Pavlik's star has fallen considerably following his embarrassing loss to Bernard Hopkins and the recent postponement of his fight with Sergio Mora. However, Pavlik is still the iron-fisted slugger who beat Jermain Taylor and Edison Miranda into submission and turned the tough Marco Antonio Rubio into a a mid-fight pacifist.

6) Timothy Bradley- Bradley is the man at Jr. Welterweight, whether Ring Magazine says so or not. He went over to the UK to take the title from the awkward Junior Witter, completely dismantled veteran Edner Cherry, and beat fellow 140 lb. champ, Kendall Holt, in a thriller. Now, on August 1st, he takes on former unified Lightweight champ, Nate Campbell, in another tough and dangerous fight to add to the case for making him no. 1 at 140.

5) Chad Dawson- Forget the fact that he had a couple of dull fights with Antonio Tarver and consider the fact that he just beat Tarver twice...decisively. In addition to the Tarver fights, Dawson also holds exciting wins over Eric Harding, Tomasz Adamek, and Glen Johnson. The rematch of the controversial Johnson fight has been signed to once and for all prove that Dawson indeed deserved the nod.

4) Bernard Hopkins- Coming off his schooling of Kelly Pavlik, B-Hop is looking for just the right fight with which to close out a spectacular career. Whoever he fights last needs to be aware that they are fighting one of the smartest, toughest men in the game and that they are in for a very long night. If Hopkins doesn't make it into the Hall of Fame as soon as he's eligible, they should just close the place down.

3) Shane Mosley- With wins over Antonio Margarito, Ricardo Mayorga and Luis Collazo as well as a close contest with Miguel Cotto, Mosley has re-established his claim as one of the few active fighters who could be tagged with the "Legend" label. He has been in hot pursuit of a bout with Manny Pacquiao, but that looks unlikely to happen.

2) Paul Williams- Williams has been given the nickname of "The Most Feared Man in Boxing" and it's hard to dispute. Most of the big names from 147 up to 160 simply refuse to even mention his name. Being an unusually tall and freakishly active southpaw has a lot to do with it...victories over Antonio Margarito and easy wins over tough veterans like Carlos Quintana, Verno Phillips and Winky Wright may also be a big factor in the fact that Williams' phone isn't ringing off the hook with fight offers.

1) Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Mayweather gets the top spot before he even officially makes his return from a 20 month "retirement." Mayweather may be the most gifted fighter of this generation and is doubly-blessed with one of the sharpest boxing minds in the sport. While getting gang-hated for having the nerve to talk about business decisions in boxing interviews, few can doubt that Mayweather is one awesome fighter.

Five to Watch

* Andre Ward- Olympic Gold Medalist who just outclassed Edison Miranda. He just may be the next big, American star.

* Andre Dirrell- In the same Super Middleweight division as Ward, Dirrell has a better resume at this point and has all the tools to beat anyone in and around the division.

* Rocky Juarez- No longer a prospect, but definitely someone with the skill and one-punch power to shock the world. He's blamed his recent tentative performances on an eye injury...He's a hundred percent healthy now...

* Chris Arreola- Arreola has two things lacking in the current crop of American Heavyweights: Massive power in either fist and the will to push ahead when things get rough.

* Daniel Jacobs- Still a baby in the sport, but few prospects have displayed the maturity and technique that Jacobs has shown so far against limited opposition.

So, there you have it! Cheer up America and light another bottle rocket. The world may be producing some great talents these days, but The USA is still capable of holding its own...

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Madcow's Standing 8 Count (5/24/09)

by Madcow

Welcome to a very special edition of The Standing 8 Count. Ok, not really. Actually, this is another slow news week.

So, seeing that there'll be nothing worth talking about until next week when Alfredo Angulo makes Kermit Cintron weep like a little school girl, I thought I'd share another personal list with my dozens upon dozens of loyal Mad Bovines.

Last week, I wrote about what I hated about boxing. This week I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, so I'll flip in the opposite direction and talk about what I love about boxing.

* I love the way the Super Middleweight division is shaping up: Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Librado Andrade, Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Allan Green, Jermain Taylor, Jean Pascal and in a short while Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik. I sure hope greedy promoters and cable companies don't ruin this.

* I love the blind optimism behind fans of Chris Arreola. Here's a guy who is practically obese and has ever beaten anyone tougher than a tough night club bouncer, yet some people rate this blob as the best American Heavyweight. I know the big boys aren't a deep bunch these days, but Arreola ain't the best of an entire nation.

* I love the Tecate ring card girls in Tijuana. These are the only ring card girls in the world where I know that with some elementary Spanish and a few bucks in my pocket, I can bring these chicas back to the Hotel Paraiso with me.

* I love the way Floyd Mayweather Jr. riles up both haters and nut-huggers alike. Say what you will, but it feels good to see some real emotion injected into the sport.

* I love seeing fights in Las Vegas and I love the big fight atmosphere in Sin City. Vegas is Boxing and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you don't like all night Blackjack binges in dim casinos, surrounded by whores and bad, bad people after a big prize fight I seriously question your manhood. Boxing shouldn't be a "bring the whole family" event like the Ice Capades.

* I love fighters who actually take the time to learn the art of professions prize fighting. These are the guys who know how to walk properly, they know how to cut off the ring, they know how to properly set up their punches, and they know a little something called "defense."

* I love my old fight films.

* I love what Showtime has been doing with their matchmaking lately.

* I love Denise Tarver and Jin Mosley and the crazy night we've had in my imagination.

* I love the back and forth struggles of an evenly-matched bout.

* I love the intenet for allowing me to be able to see even more boxing than I could imagine.

* I love when an undeserving bum of a fighter like Margarito gets what's coming to him and publicly flogged by the entire boxing world.

* I love to get hateful e-mails from Manny Pacquiao fans: P4P, Boxing's goofiest goof balls.

* I love the idea of Rick Hatton fans having to get back on the plane for the long ride home knowing that they just came to see Hatton mugged once again.

* I love that if this blog takes off, I'm gonna start getting paid!

Alright, enough with the happy thoughts. Next week I'll be back with my regular rage and whiskey- filled column.

Until next Sunday, keep your friends close and your bribe money closer.

So long, ladies.

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