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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Dafs' Pound-4-Pound Update (Part 1)

The Ring have told us "to expect major shake-ups" in their pound-4-pound ratings in the coming months, so I thought I'd weigh-in with my personal mythical rankings. I'll rank twenty-five of the world's best fighters for you to agree, or most probably disagree and wave your fists at the computer screen in anger. Three of the best is the fighter's three best victories or draws from 2007 onwards and last ranking is self-explanatory. Without further ado, here's 25-11.

#25 Devon Alexander (USA) (20-0, 13 KO) [Junior Welterweight]

Three of the best: Jesus Rodriguez KO-9; Junior Witter RTD-8; Juan Urango TKO-8;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Two impressive wins over former titlists have shot Alexander up to the top 25 and I expect Alexander's rise to continue if he keeps winning against high level opposition.

#24 Juan Manuel Lopez (PUR) (28-0, 25 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Daniel Ponce de Leon TKO-1; Rogers Mtagwa UD-12; Steven Luevano TKO-7;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Lopez enters after a solid performance against Steven Luevano. His next fight is against Bernabe Concepcion on July 10 in Juanma's first defense of his WBO title.

#23 Chris John (IND) (43-0-2, 20 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Roinet Caballero RTD-7; Hiryoki Enoki UD-12; Rocky Juarez UD-12;
Last Ranking: #22

John keeps dropping down the rankings and it's his longevity that keeps him in my top 25. He needs to face a top 10 contender to solidify his position, and his next opponent Fernando David Saucedo doesn't qualify as a legit opponent.

#22 Celestino Caballero (PAN) (33-2, 23 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Lorenzo Parra TKO-12; Steve Molitor TKO-4; Jeffrey Mathebula SD-12;
Last Ranking: #21

The third featherweight in a row, Caballero drops but is still hunting down the big guns in search of a healthy payday. He faces Daud Yordan this coming Saturday in a tough fight for the Panamanian.

#21 David Haye (GBR) (24-1, 22 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Jean Marc-Mormeck TKO-7; Nikolay Valuev MD-12; John Ruiz TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #23

Two-weight world champion Haye moves up two places following his impressive stoppage victory over John Ruiz. Hopefully, we can see Haye match-up with a Klitschko before the end of 2010.

#20 Vitali Klitschko (UKR) (38-2, 36 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Sam Peter RTD-8; Juan Carlos Gomez TKO-9; Chris Arreola RTD-10;
Last Ranking: #20

Big bro' keeps his position and his next defense is against Albert Sosnowski, which is a fight that can only damage his ranking.

#19 Miguel Cotto (PUR) (34-2, 27 KO) [Junior Middleweight]

Three of the best: Zab Judah TKO-11; Shane Mosley UD-12; Joshua Clottey SD-12;
Last Ranking: #18

Miguel Cotto drops one place because of a new entry, and his scheduled fight against Yuri Foreman will guarantee movement for the two-weight world champion.

#18 Sergio Martinez (ARG) (44-2-2, 24 KO) [Middleweight]

Three of the best: Saul Roman KO-4; Alex Bunema RTD-8; Kermit Cintron D-12;
Last Ranking: #17

Martinez could possibly enter the top 10 with a win against Kelly Pavlik in a fortnight at Atlantic City. His performance against Paul Williams is the reason he's ranked at #18.

#17 Andre Ward (USA) (21-0, 13 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Henry Buchanan UD-12; Edison Miranda UD-12; Mikkel Kessler TD-11;
Last Ranking: #16

Andre Ward is now the favourite to win the Super 6 Boxing Classic 168-pound tournament after he annihilated Mikkel Kessler to win his first world title. Allan Green is his next opponent.

#16 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (THI) (75-3-1, 39 KO) [Flyweight]

Three of the best: Daisuke Naito D-12; Julio Cesar Miranda UD-12; Koki Kameda MD-12;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Wonjongkam regained his WBC title with a victory over Koki Kameda where he also won The Ring Championship belt in the process. Plenty of big money fights on the table for Wongjongkam, and maybe he can rise further up the pound-4-pound stakes if he keeps defeating his rivals.

#15 Nonito Donaire (PHI) (23-1, 15 KO) [Junior Bantamweight]

Three of the best: Vic Darchinyan TKO-5; Raul Martinez TKO-4; Rafael Concepcion UD-12;
Last Ranking: #15

Donaire hasn't capitalised on his spectacular kayo victory over Vic Darchinyan, but an interesting rematch maybe on the cards. Can three pounds make a difference?

#14 Kelly Pavlik (USA) (36-1, 32 KO) [Middleweight]

Three of the best: Edison Miranda TKO-7; Jermain Taylor TKO-7; Marco Antonio Rubio RTD-9;
Last Ranking: #14

Pavlik would be edging near the top 5 had he not been humiliated by Bernard Hopkins, but now finds himself re-building a damaged reputation with Martinez next up.

#13 Carl Froch (GBR) (26-0, 20 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Jean Pascal UD-12; Jermain Taylor TKO-12; Andre Dirrell SD-12;
Last Ranking: #13

The highest rank Brit is at #13 and his impressive resume of opponents could feature Mikkel Kessler on April 17.

#12 Ivan Calderon (PUR) (33-0-1, 6 KO) [Junior Flyweight]

Three of the best: Nelson Dieppa UD-12; Hugo Cazares TD-7; Rodel Mayol TD-7;
Last Ranking: #12

Calderon was slated to face Brian Viloria before the 'Hawaiian Punch' lost to Carlos Tamara, and now the undefeated Calderon faces mandatory challenger Johnriel Casimero who's an up and coming dangerous Filipino.

#11 Lucian Bute (ROM) (25-0, 20 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Sakio Bika UD-12; Alejandro Berrio TKO-11; Librado Andrade KO-4;
Last Ranking: #11

The best super middleweight outside of Showtime's tournament will face Edison Miranda this month with one eye on the outcome of Pavlik-Martinez who fight in the co-feature on HBO.

UP - Devon Alexander NR to #25; Juan Manuel Lopez NR to #24; David Haye #23 to #21; Pongsaklek Wonjongkam NR to #16

DOWN - Fernando Montiel #25 to NR; Tomasz Adamek #24 to NR; Chris John #22 to #23; Celestino Caballero #21 to #22; Arthur Abraham #19 to NR; Miguel Cotto #18 to #19; Sergio Martinez #17 to #18; Andre Ward #16 to #17;

The rankings will continue tomorrow with part 2, ranging from 10-1.

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Carl Froch Dances For Charity!

Last year, we brought you Nikolay Valuev singing. This time, it's Carl Froch dancing.

As part of BBC's talent show 'Let's Dance For Sport Relief', Carl Froch and a host of other British boxing stars danced in the hope of getting through to the next stage of the competition.

The WBC super middleweight champion was supported by former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson, Olympic bronze medallist Tony Jefferies and ex-flyweight champion Duke McKenzie as they danced to 'Bad Guys' from Bugsy Malone.

Surprisingly, the boxers weren't that bad. Johnny Nelson looked like he'd been in ballet classes as he popped out with the best moves of the quartet.

Unfortunately, the boxers didn't make it through to the final of 'Let's Dance For Sport Relief', but I'm sure Mikkel Kessler is quaking in his boots after seeing the most recent footage from Carl Froch's training regime.

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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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UK Beat Report: Year Review

by Dafs117

2009 has been a magnificent year for British boxing, with three recognized belt holders and many up and coming prospects making the step from domestic to the European scene.

British boxing froze midway through 2008 and somebody came along to press the F5 button that all stream-watchers have pressed countless times during the past 12 months. It gave British boxing, and the live stream, a refresh. We had a makeover, a transformation and many passing of torches.

Joe Calzaghe retired, and opened the door to Carl Froch. The first major passing of the torch in British boxing over the course of the year. Froch won the WBC Super Middleweight title in a scrap against Jean Pascal, before travelling to the States to stop Jermain Taylor late, and defending his title for the second time in the Super 6 Boxing Classic tournament, against Andre Dirrell, winning via close split decision.

Ricky Hatton’s retirement is inevitable. He might come back to be stopped by either Marquez or Cotto in a one sided affair, but he will leave a fan-base behind. Ricky Hatton passed his smouldering flame to King Amir Khan, who went 3-0 with wins over a one-eyed Marco Antonio Barrera, former paper champion Andreas Kotelnik and previously unbeaten Dimitry Salita.

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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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Super Ward Tears Kessler to Shreds

Andre Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) outclassed and outfought defending WBA Super Middleweight Champ, Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) to finally put the American portion of the Super 6 Tourney on the leader-board via Technical Decision with scores of 97-93, 98-92, 98-92 (The BTBC also had it scored 98-92).

Every round seemed similar as Ward's speed and reflexes seemed too much for the game, but stiff defending champion. Ward, fighting in his hometown of Oakland, CA, employed a distinct strategy of tying Kessler up on the inside and using his hand speed to potshot Kessler from the outside.

Kessler, on his part, never adapted and seemed a step behind the entire night.

Several headbutts occurred along the way with Ward rushing forward and Kessler slow to react and, ultimately, it was one of those butts that resulted in the fight being waved off and sent to the scorecards in the eleventh.

Up next in the tournament for Ward is a bout with Jermain Taylor, while Kessler will take on Carl Froch.

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UK Beat Report (11/2/09)

by Dafs117

In the most detailed UK Beat Report to date, the November edition takes a look back over the great domestic battle last month, plenty of news analysis and a look at the action packed month that awaits us.

We’ll begin at the top, the heavyweights. David Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) heavily hyped quest for heavyweight supremacy finally heats up this month as he challenges 7ft giant Nikolay Valuev (50-1, 34 KOs) on November 7. In a bout that’s touted David vs. Goliath for obvious reasons, the Russian giant will defend his WBA crown for the second time in his second reign as champion. He returns to a venue where he outpointed former WBO titlist Sergei Lyakhovic (23-3, 14 KOs) in 2008 in a lethargic WBA Eliminator. The Nuernberg Arena should be full of 10,000 fight fanatics come November 7.

Questions will always rise about Haye’s size disadvantage and china chin at heavyweight, but can he be the first Brit since Lennox Lewis in 2003 to capture a heavyweight trinket? Tune in on Sky Box Office on November 7.

Last month saw the year’s most anticipated event kick-off, Showtime’s Super 6 Boxing Classic. The unique tournament features are very own Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) in his journey for 168 pound supremacy. He and speedy American switch-hitter Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) split the judges at the Trent FM Arena. Luckily, with some home-cooking, Froch emerged thewinner and collects precious two points into the next stage of the tournament, where he will face Calzaghe foe Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs) in a possible unification bout if the Dane defeats unbeaten Olympian Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) on November 21.
Ryan Rhodes (43-4, 29 KOs) and Jamie Moore (32-4, 23 KOs) gave us a cracking light middleweight contest and proved the winner duly merited a crack at the WBC title. Moore was defending his European belt for the second time after impressively winning the belt against former world titlist Michele Piccirillo (50-5, 29 KOs). Moore won the first four rounds before the slow starting Rhodes gained confidence and began to counter effecitively in the fifth. Moore’s weight problems were on show in the sixth as he ran out of gas. In a thrilling seventh round, Rhodes stopped Moore to clinch the European belt and most importantly he’s involved in a WBC eliminator with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (40-0-1, 30 KOs) and belt-holder Sergio Gabriel Martinez (44-1-2, 24 KOs).

In the British Super Bantamweight title contest, Nottingham’s Jason Booth (34-5, 14 KOs) was eventually much “2 Smooth” for his challenger Michael Hunter (29-2-1, 13 KOs) Hartlepool, who retired after the fifth round of their contest in Sunderland. Booth could move on to the European stage in 2010.

The Olympians made another successful return beginning with light heavyweight bronze medallist Tony Jeffries (4-0, 3 KOs) who outpointed Artem Solomko (10-18, 3 KOs) in four rounds. Heavyweight David Price (3-0, 2 KOs) made up for his previous inactivity by stopping previously unbeaten Liridon Memishi (0-1-1, 0 KOs) and outboxing Bulgarian Yavor Marinchev (5-16, 3 KOs) the following week to a four round points victory. Frankie Gavin (4-0, 4 KOs) successfully stopped Steve Saville (19-7, 8 KOs) in the second round of their contest. James De Gale (4-0, 3 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten Ally Morrison (2-0-1, 0 KOs) in three rounds. 3 time ABA champion Tony Bellew (11-0, 8 KOs) stopped journeyman in the first round Jindrich Velecky (16-7, 15 KOs). Michael Jennings (36-2, 17 KOs) made the most of a late replacement in the shape of Laszlo Komjathi (35-27-2, 13 KOs) winning every round of their eight round fight.

Paul Smith (28-1, 15 KOs) narrowly defeated Tony Quigley (13-2, 6 KOs) by split decision in a derby fight to win Quigley’s British Super Middleweight belt. A rematch is a certain. Welterweight prospect Jamie Cox (13-0, 8 KOs) retired Manoocha Salari (4-10-3, 3 KOs) in the third round.

Welterweight prospect Adnan Amar (23-1, 7 KOs) won the vacant English welterweight title by stopping Jon Thaxton conqueror Tom Glover (9-7-3, 0 KOs) in the fifth round. Glover had a broken nose in the third.

Aberdeen’s Lee McAllister (30-2, 7 KOs) continued his rise from the flames after his defeat to unbeaten star John Murray (28-0, 16 KOs) by defending his Commonwealth lightweight crown against Charlie Paul King (15-2, 0 KOs) by stopping him in the seventh round with a crushing overhand right.

Slickster Ian Napa (19-7, 1 KO) scraped past Gary Davies (9-3-1, 7 KOs) and stole his British bantamweight belt via a majority decision victory. Mongolian born Shinny Bayaar (14-4-1, 4 KOs) survived a nasty cut over his right eye to win the British flyweight title against Chris Edwards (13-14-3, 4 KOs) by split decision. Unbeaten light middleweight Brian Rose (14-0, 4 KOs) stopped Jason Rushton (18-10, 2 KOs) in the tenth round. Shortly after the fight, Rushton collapsed in the changing room and slipped into a coma. Thankfully the 26 year-old is out of the coma and on the road to recovery.

In the news last month, Danny Williams (41-8, 31 KOs) is allowed to keep his British belt despite his humiliating points defeat to Carl Baker (9-4, 6 KOs) in the most recent edition of Prizefighter. This news has put a spark in his step and he won’t retire from the sport.

Amir Khan (21-1, 15 KOs) will defend his WBA crown against Dimitri Salita (30-0-1, 16 KOs) on December 12, at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. It’s a massive date for the 140 pound division as WBO titleholder Timothy Bradley (24-0, 11 KOs) also defends against his mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson (27-0, 13 KOs) and on the same card Juan Diaz (35-2, 17 KOs) and Paulie Malignaggi (26-3, 5 KOs) will fight in a rematch of their controversially scored fight in August. Khan and Salita are adamant that race and religion will not be a topic discussed in their pre-fight interviews.

Kell Brook (20-0, 13 KOs) had to pull out of his welterweight contest with Chorley’s Michael Jennings (35-2, 17 KOs) due to a viral infection. The bout is likely to be re-scheduled.

Light welterweight prospect Chris Evangelou, wanted by many promotional companies across the pond, has decided to sign his services to Calzaghe Promotions. He’s the biggest prospect so far to sign under the Calzaghe banner. He’ll make his debut on November 20 in Newport.

The newest line-up of Prizefighter has been released with the light welterweights taking the stage on December 4. The competition is headlined by former WBA champion Gavin Rees (28-1, 14 KOs) and also features former European titlists Ted Bami (26-5, 13 KOs), Colin Lynes (31-6, 12 KOs) and Jason Cook (25-2, 12 KOs) in another star studded and competitive field promoted by Barry Hearn.

Undefeated light heavyweight student Nathan Cleverly (18-0, 8 KOs) will have to travel to Italy to face his opponent Antonio Brancalion (32-7-2, 8 KOs) for the vacant European light heavyweight title. A date and venue has not been announced.

Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs) hinted on Soccer AM that he will make his comeback to training in the New Year and that he would love another crack at Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs).

Joe Calzaghe is off out TV screens when he was booted off BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing losing out to actress Zoe Lucker in a dance off. Not to worry, as a new TV show Calzaghe Clan has hit our TV screens in Wales.

And to round-up the news, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard made a brief visit to Wales last month.

In a bout that could possibly be ignored by Sky, the heavily anticipated rematch between Irish cab driver Martin Rogan (12-1, 6 KOs) and Norwich’s Sam Sexton (12-1, 5 KOs) will take place on the 6th of November at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast. In the first fight, Sexton was out on his feet when the doctor stopped the fight due to excessive swelling on Rogan’s left eye. He’ll be trying to re-capture his Commonwealth belt. On the undercard, Scotland’s Alex Arthur (27-2, 20 KOs) will continue his run at lightweight against an unnamed opponent.

On the same night, Paul McCloskey (19-0, 9 KOs) fights Daniel Rasilla (15-2, 4 KOs) for the European light welterweight belt also in Northern Ireland. On the undercard, Martin Lindsay (14-0, 6 KOs) will fight against an unknown opponent and Steve Williams (8-0, 3 KOs) and Michael Grant (12-0-1, 1 KO) will compete for the vacant English light welterweight title.

Hopefully on a lucky Friday the 13th, Matthew Hatton (37-4-1, 14 KOs) will challenge against Lovermore N’Dou (47-11-1, 31 KOs) for the IBO light welterweight belt. Robert Norton (31-4-1, 19 KOs) will defend his Commonwealth cruiserweight title.

Rendall Munroe (19-1, 8 KOs) will defend his European Super Bantamweight title for the fifth time against Simone Maludrottu (30-2, 11 KOs) in Nottingham on the 20th. Olympian Tony Jeffries (4-0, 3 KOs) and heavyweight prospect Tom Dallas (7-0, 5 KOs) fight on the undercard.

Bradley Pryce (28-7, 17 KOs) tops the show in Newport on the same night as Munroe’s defence. Pryce will fight journeyman Sergejs Savrinovics (7-15-1, 4 KOs) in a stay busy fight. Welterweight Tony Doherty (21-1, 9 KOs) will fight for the first time in 20 months as the chief support. Prospects Chris Evangelou and Lee Lewis will make their debuts on the same bill.

Charismatic light middleweight Anthony Small (22-1, 16 KOs) defends his British and Commonwealth belts in Wigan on Friday 27 against Thomas McDonagh (34-2-3, 7 KOs). In the neighbour county, Curtis Woodhouse (10-1, 5 KOs) makes his comeback fights since his shock points defeat to Jay Morris (11-14, 3 KOs) and will face lightweight brawler Graham Earl (26-4, 12 KOs) in Hull.

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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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The UK Beat Report (10/14/09)

by Dafs117

Welcome to the second UK Beat Report, a monthly wrap-up of the fight scene in the United Kingdom.

The month was marred by the death of Darren Sutherland (4-0, 4 KOs). The Irish bronze medallist was found dead by his promoter Frank Maloney in the boxer’s flat. Sutherland was a talented fighter and definitely one for the future.

September started off with a bang as a featherweight duel took place in the north-east. There was a decent crowd at Middlesbrough watching the highly anticipated featherweight rematch between John Simpson (20-6, 8 KOs) and Paul Truscott (13-2, 1 KO). Simpson stopped Truscott early on in the 10th on cuts.

Tyson Fury (9-0, 7 KOs) scored a controversial points victory over John McDermott (25-6, 16 KO) at Brentwood Centre, Essex. The contest was for ‘Big Bad’ John’s English Heavyweight Title. Terry O’Connor scored the fight 98-92 to Fury, while others at ringside had it 4 rounds to McDermott. The BBBofC have announced that they want the rematch to take place in the next 90 days. Another lanky heavyweight, Tom Dallas (7-0, 5 KOs) stopped Hungarian journeyman Mihaly Nemet (12-16-1, 4 KOs) in superb style in the first round. Dallas, who’s 6’6’’ and weighed only 229 lbs, knocked Nemet down 3 times and the bout was stopped 01:14 in Dallas’ quickest stoppage yet. Ashley Sexton (8-0, 4 KOs) also continued his rise with a first round technical knockout victory over Darli Gonvalves Pires (17-8-1, 8 KOs).

Clinton Woods has announced his retirement from the sport. He recently dropped a unanimous decision to Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs) for the vacant IBF light-heavyweight title. Junior Witter (37-3-2, 22 KOs) will carry on despite calls for him to retire. He will move up to challenge at welterweight.

Ricky Hatton’s first promotion night couldn’t have gone any better with Matthew Macklin (25-2, 18 KOs) scored a stunning first round knockout over world level Finnish fighter Amin Asikainen (26-3, 17 KOs). Featherweight prospect Joe Murray (4-0, 1 KO) continued his rise through the domestic scene with a first round stoppage victory over Delroy Spencer (11-88-3, 1 KO).

Bernard Dunne’s (28-2, 15 KOs) reign of the WBA title in a very deep junior featherweight division and his first defence didn’t last more than three rounds against Thai Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (39-1, 28 KOs). He was in line for a major pay-day against Celestino Caballero (33-2, 23 KOs). Tyson Fury (9-0, 7 KOs) fought to a points victory on the undercard.

David Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) was ringside at McDermott-Fury and said that his preparation for his upcoming title tilt against Nikolay Valuev (50-1, 34 KOs) is going according to plan. Adam Booth, Haye’s trainer, said it was likely that Haye would weigh around 230 lbs in the Valuev fight on the 7th of November in Germany. Haye is looking to spar with Tyson Fury ahead of his fight at Nurenburg. The long-awaited rematch between Sam Sexton (12-1, 5 KOs) and Martin Rogan (12-1, 6 KOs) has been postponed due to a back injury suffered by challenger Rogan. Their first bout got stopped by a mouse under Rogan’s left eye when it appeared that Sexton was out on his feet. The bout will take place at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast on the 6th of November.

Nathan Cleverly (18-0, 8 KOs) headlined at York Hall against lanky Englishman Courtney Fry (13-3, 5 KOs) on October the 9th. He won by 8th round stoppage over former Commenwealth Games champion Fry. Cleverly has been nominated to fight for the vacant European light heavyweight title against Antonio Brancalion and the fight could take place on December the 5th. On the undercard, Derek Chisora (11-0, 6 KOs) fought for the first time since his biting ban last March and won by thir round stoppage. The Heavyweight Prizefighter III draw was made by a certain ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. Mike Holden (10-9-1, 6 KOs) was pulled out of the competition as he was floored by Tomas Mzarek (4-22-5, 3 KOs) in the third round of their scheduled four round bout. Michael Sprott (31-14, 16 KOs) also pulled out after the tragic death of his sister.

Audley Harrison (26-4, 19 KOs) won the tournament with a stoppage victory over Irish outsider Coleman Barrett (10-1, 2 KOs). Harrison still believes he could get a world title-shot next year with the help of Barry Hearn. Danny Williams (41-8, 31 KOs) was stunned by Carl Baker (9-4, 6 KOs) and will probably retire by the time of the next beat report.

The dream domestic lightweight contenst between John Murray (28-0, 16 KOs) and Jon Thaxton (34-11, 19 KOs) took place at Altincham, Chester on October 3. The bout was for the vacant British lightweight strap after Murray failed to make the weight by 1.5 oz in his previous bout against Scott Lawton (26-5-1, 5 KOs). John Murray won by fourth round stoppage and after the fight, Jon Thaxton retired from the sport.

Esham Pickering (34-9, 13 KOs) was defeated in an European featherweight title bout against Oleg Yefimovych (17-1, 11 KOs) by third round knockout. He has admitted that he will not hang up his gloves yet.

Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) will begin his quest for super middleweight domination with a fight against Andre Dirrell (19-0, 12 KOs) in a battle of skill versus will at Nottingham. The fight is on the 17th of October for Froch’s WBC super middleweight title.

Jason Booth (33-5, 13 KOs) will fight at Sunderland on October 16 against Michael Hunter (29-1-1, 13 KOs) and is hoping for an impressive performance to land a title shot at 122 lbs. A bout with Bernard Dunne (28-2, 15 KOs) or Rendall Munroe (19-1, 8 KOs) could be next.

If Jamie Moore, (32-3, 23 KOs) beats Ryan Rhodes (42-4, 28 KOs) in an all British light-middleweight contest, he would get a shot at either Sergio Gabriel Martinez (44-1-2, 24 KOs) or Cory Spinks (37-5, 11 KOs). Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (40-0-1, 30 KOs) is also a name branded about. Gary Davis (9-2-1, 7 KOs) will defend his Lonsdale belt against slickster Ian Napa (18-7, 1 KO).

The next report will be at the end of October and will concentrate on David Haye’s heavyweight challenge against giant Nikolay Valuev. The Hayemaker could be set to take the British heavyweight lead from Lennox Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs) the only modern day heavyweight champion to have beaten every opponent he has ever faced.

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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 Only Be One (Part 2)

by Simon Garner

The “Super Six” tournament has brought together some of the best fighters at 168lb. But who will win? Who will be the surprise package? And will the belts change hands in each and every fight? There are many questions that need answering and will hopefully be resolved in the next 20 months or so.

Now we look to the contenders. So who’s battling it out? And what chance do they have of winning?


Carl Froch (Current WBC Champion): 25-0 (20KO’s): 2/1F

The joint favourite to win the “Super-Six,” the Nottingham-based fighter who claimed the WBC belt last December in a war with Jean Pascal

Pros: “The Cobra” as he’s known to his fans, is the tallest are arguably the biggest puncher of the six combatants. He has recent wins over Pascal and Taylor which is superior to the other participants. He is the only one of the six to have a win over another one of the group. He comes on strong later in fights, epitomised by his KO of Taylor. His heart and mental strength are just as good as anyone in the tournament, if not just that little bit better. Arguably in his prime at 32.

Cons: In his fight with Taylor, he was out-boxed for large parts of it and his fight with Pascal was very close. His low guard can often make him vulnerable to attacks which could be a reason to bet against him in a tournament that includes more boxers than sluggers.

Next fight: vs. Andre Dirrell (October 17) (WBC Championship)

Opinion: Froch has the ability to go far in this tournament and is one of the most proven fighters here. However, if the other guys can out-box him and stay with him in the later rounds, he could be in trouble.


Mikkel Kessler (Current WBA Champion): 41-1 (31KO’s): 9/4

The most established man at 168lb is the “Viking Warrior.” He’s also previously held the WBC belt, which he lost to Joe Calzaghe in 2007.

Pros: He’s been in the 168lb division far longer than the other fighters and has more experience. Showed a lot of fight and heart in defeat in his unification bout with Calzaghe. Has a strong job and punches in bunches. Probably the most physically gifted of the group and in his prime at 30.


Cons: Hasn’t been in the ring since October 2008 due to contractual problems and hasn’t fought a name fighter since Calzaghe and Andrade in 2007. Despite his fight with Calzaghe, he has few names on his resume and has never fought outside of Europe. In order to win this tournament, he will have to travel well.

Next fight: vs. Andre Ward (21 November) (WBA Championship).

Opinion: This will be a big step up in opposition for Kessler and it will be interesting to see how he copes. Most people are calling him the No. 1 seed but we’ll see how he fares come November.


Arthur Abraham: 30-0 (24 KO’s): 7/2

The former IBF Middleweight king is stepping up and will face his first real tests at 168lb during the super-six tournament.

Pros: Successfully defended his IBF Middleweight title on ten occasions, something no other competitor in the tournament can claim. He’s unbeaten and at 30 is still in his prime. Clearly a tough fighter, he battled with a broken jaw for the majority of his first fight with Miranda. Just moved up from middleweight so won’t struggle to make the 168lb limit. Raul Marquez claims Abraham’s speed bothered him more than Shane Mosley’s, a bold claim.

Cons: He’s by far the smallest guy in the tournament and will be giving up a height and reach advantage to his fellow competitors. Hasn’t fought many guys who are larger than him and is largely untested at the weight. Furthermore, he’s only fought outside of Europe once and most of his fights in the super-six will likely take place in the USA. His middleweight defences were not against the highest opposition and therefore, flatter and deceive.

Next fight: vs. Jermain Taylor (17 October 2009)

Opinion: Abraham is an unknown quantity, he’s opposition hasn’t pushed him and he’s barely fought at 168lb. I expect him to challenge but probably won’t take home the overall crown to the disappointment of his subjects.

In Part 3, I will complete a review of the remaining three fighters and conclude who I think will win the super-six tournament.

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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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UK Beat Report (9/8/09)

by Dafs117

Welcome to the first UK Beat Report, a monthly wrap-up of the fight scene in the United Kingdom.

September is quite a busy month for British boxing, especially compared to the past few months.
There was a decent crowd at Middlesbrough watching the highly anticipated featherweight rematch between John Simpson (20-6, 8 KOs) and Paul Truscott (13-2, 1 KO). Simpson won via TKO in the 10th.

Gavin Rees (36-2, 31 KOs) the former WBA Light Welterweight Titleholder made his comeback with a comfortable stoppage of Johnny Greaves (2-37, 1 KO) Rees 29, will drop down to lightweight and hopefully get a world-title tilt. Bradley Pryce (28-7, 17 KOs) also fought on the undercard and was impressive as he comfortably won a shutout decision against Michael Monaghan (18-25, 2 KOs). Pryce is hoping that Enzo Calzaghe’s new strict regime can fire him up the rankings.

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BTBC Boxing News Wire (6/12/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

Pacquiao wants Mayweather, nobody else
Mayweather demands absurd - Arum
Mayweather Jr & Marquez make a Special Invitation
Doniare-Mthalane Rematch is Unlikely To Happen
Froch poised for Pavlik fight!
Criticism of Haye is unfair
Ricky Hatton's Decision on Future is Over Due
Joshua Clottey Wants to Make it Here
Guerrero Vows a Better Ghost Story For Hometown Fans
Fernando Lumacad Plans To Test Jorge Arce's Will, Skill
Javier Castillejo retires!
ABC balks at Mercer-Silva!
Sylvester vs Simon Set For Abraham Card on 6/27
Tyson Fury Contest Scrapped Due To Back Injury
Miguel Cotto: "I'm Ready For Anything Clottey Brings"
Hatton Camp Troubles Continue To Point To Floyd Sr.

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