Super Middleweight Mayhem

By: Davie T | Posted: Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 12:34 pm.

This Saturday evening marks the kick-off for the Super 6 World Boxing Classic in Germany and England. Not only has American broadcaster Showtime committed large amounts of money to the tourney, but has also assured boxing (competitive sports) fans multiple top-shelf matches. Never have so many belt holders/ex-champs or contenders commited to a tourney of this magnitude. Don King’s middleweight tournament had two top- flight champions in Felix Trinidad and eventual winner Bernard Hopkins, but was de-tuned with participating also-rans William Joppy and Keith Holmes.

One would have to go back to the WBA Heavyweight tournament (to crown a definitive champion after Muhammad Ali was stripped in 1967) to find a comparible situation. Even so, boxing politics reared its ugly head as the favoured New York State recognized champ Joe Frazier decided to pass on the process. The Super-middle tourney signed it’s Joe Frazier in favourite Mikkel Kessler, who is viewed by most as the top dog in the division. The likeable WBA titlist has met and defeated a greater caliber of opponent than the other 5 entrants, with his lone loss being to the peer-less Joe Calzaghe. Mikkel will travel to scenic Oakland Bay, California to meet under-dog native Andre Ward on November 21st. I can’t emphasize the gulf in the quality of opposition that Ward has faced as compared to Kessler. I don’t see Andre out class/point(ing), or for that matter, knocking out Mikkel in this one.

Saturday’s opening match in Germany will be a good barometer for “King” Arthur Abraham’s subsequent matches in his new weight class. Abraham displayed great amounts of defense,chin and power during his four year reign as IBF middleweight champ. I believe that Jermaine Taylor’s days as a titlist are in the past,but his experience in world title matches makes him a possible spoiler in the second round of the tourney. Abraham will provide strong pressure throughout,and is an unforgiving,bludgeoning finisher if his opponent is hurt. The televised co-feature is turning into the most personal of the 3 matches. Andre Dirrell is making a lot of noise about hitting home runs and line-drives,while Carl Froch feels this is a result of nerves. Froch will have the same rabid home-fan advantage that he enjoyed in his WBC title slug fest against Montreal’s Jean Pascal,when he meets Dirrell. Froch has shown a great chin(which is available because of his habit of holding his left too low) and a proven will to win. He showed his heart in the Pascal fight, and raised it a level in the Taylor tilt. I think that if it becomes a raucus,loud swing-fest Dirrell will get knocked out. Andre’s best chance will be to try and out-speed/box Froch,and hope that the chronic low left hand will garner scoring blows en route to a split decision victory. An attractive scenario for Showtime (& boxing) would be for Dirrell,Taylor or Ward to break out and progress to the final bout. Having one of these former American Olympians in the semis would be the only way that Showtime will put any of these fights on in prime time on their parent station (CBS). Frankly,I don’t know how well they can jump but I can’t see a scenario where any of these top 3 Americans can get through the top 3 Europeans in the super middleweight class.

Bawdy Shots: First it was Golden Boy’s president getting Pac-nished,ppv partner Ricky Hatton getting crushed, prospect Ortiz getting stopped and Kirkland going to the can.Now Jorge Linares gets concussed with the first shot landed. Oscar has now been downgraded to Copper Kid…..I am still convinced that the exciting Vazquez-Marquez trilogy took a toll on both fighters. Israel looked a shell of himself in his shaky but eventual late ko win….. HBO creation JuanMa Lopez’s squeaker over Rogers Mtagwa had Bob Arum spewing excuses.I call for a rematch……Good matchup for the Pavlik-Williams undercard as welterweight Joshua Clottey meets Carlos Quintana. Quintana showed the elite welterweights how the punching rabbit(Paul Williams)can be beaten with disruption of his rhythm……Floyd Mayweather may never fight a top WELTERweight for his legacy,but his crossover appeal with the general public continues to widen with television appearances,commercials,arrests,tax department woes and WWE interactions.

CATEGORIES:Editorial