Reasons for the many controversies of 2011 are plentiful. Pick one. Pick a handful. In part, however, it appears to be symptomatic of a passing generation. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have only each other to fight and nobody seems to know today anything more than they did two years ago about whether that will ever happen. The bad blood of the last few years is getting old and tired. Maybe, it’s time to just move on to another name, a fresh face for the sagging game.

Andre Ward has the look of somebody who could fill that frame, although his chances of doing so hinge in large part on his Super Six finale Saturday night against dangerous Carl Froch in the climax of Showtime’s super-middleweight tournament.

Ward has been hanging around the fringes of the pound-for-pound debate for at least a year. Depending on the ranking, Ward is in the second five, poised to make a real claim on a spot that Pacquiao and Mayweather have exchanged, argued over, yet never fought for. Maybe, they will fight in 2012. Yeah, maybe Donald Trump and Barack Obama will be running mates.

No matter what does or doesn’t transpire, Ward figures to do what he has always done: Stay busy in the proud, workmanlike fashion of a personality that often sounds aloof, yet remains thoroughly intriguing for a consistency defined by 14 years without a loss, amateur and pro.

Luck? Maybe But everybody gets blindsided once, twice or thrice over the course of nearly a decade-and-a-half. There are cheap shots, head butts, unseen punches and judges who see what they want to see. Ward has managed to beat them all. If you’re seeking luck, buy a lotto ticket. Ward seeks victory with an unerring eye for detail.

There have been questions about whether he will be able to deal with Froch’s strength, especially on the inside where the Brit is lethal. But Ward trainer Virgil Hunter counters that the 2004 Olympic gold medalist knows how to fighht in the physical, head-banging style he might encounter Saturday in Atlantic City.
“Before Andre was a boxer he was a fighter,” said Hunter, who predicts Ward will win by knockout. “He would fight his way to victory. If you’re going to win a gold medal in the Olympics, you’re going to have to adapt to the amateur and point system and learn to win that way. He’s had to adapt through training and repetition. But the fighting never left him. And I think that is one thing that surprises people about his fighting ability.

“Carl has said Andre hasn’t fought in any exciting fights. Well, it takes two to make an exciting fight. When one guy is dominating, it’s not going to be exciting. When you’ve got two guys busting each other up beside the head, yes, from the fans’ perspective and the media’s perspective, that’s exciting. His fighting ability has always been there. The power of that fighting ability is that he knows when to use that strength against you and he knows when to use his opponents’ strength against him. That’s what makes up Andre.’’

Translation: There’s a lot more to Ward than anybody, even Froch, knows. At the Athens Olympics, few saw him on the Games’ final day when he won America’s only gold. Media and fans already were gathered at the Stadium for closing ceremonies when he stood on the victory stand’s top pedestal. Britain’s Amir Khan, the Game’s designated star, had already won silver. The international media had moved on or gone home. Even promoters didn’t seem to care much. Ward signed for a reported $100,000. Twelve years earlier, gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya signed for seven figures.

Ward’s patient emergence since then might help restore value to Olympic gold. Ward has never said so, but the absence of big offers in 2004 was valuable for the motivation. Repeatedly, Ward talks about how he fights to prove people wrong. He personalizes it without demonizing his critics.

“You don’t just win these types of fights; you’ve got to take them,’’ Ward says in a tone that includes a lesson about respect.

Mayweather cries about getting enough of it; Ward commands it.

But Ward’s search for it starts with the fighter he sees every day, staring back at him from the mirror, while he shadow-boxes. Respect is just a meaningless golden oldie if not preceded by self.

“I’ve set out from day one to do things that I’ve been raised to do,’’ Ward said. “I’m not going to change for anybody. I’m going to be myself. You’d be surprised how many people outside of boxing have come up to me and said, ‘Hey, I appreciate the way you carry yourself. I’m going to have my son or daughter look to you as an example.’ That kind of stuff right there means a lot more to mean than gaining a few more fans or writers saying, ‘Hey, this guy is crazy and we love him.’

“If you look at a guy like Ricardo Mayorga, for example, he was a shooting star. He came in and made some noise. Then, he was gone. People take shots at him and say he’s ignorant. Then when you have a fighter who comes in and tries to carry himself the right way — not as a front or an act but just has a clean lifestyle, then that’s not accepted either.’’

Years from now, Ward says he wants his family to remember a fighter who makes them proud.

“When it’s all said and done, my children are going to look back on my career and I want to be able to point to my career and say, ‘Follow your dad. Do it the way he did it,’ ‘’ Ward said. “Once this is all done and I hang them up, the legacy that is there will be there forever. So that more important to me than a few pats on the back or for people to say you’re exciting outside of the ring.

“When you tell people you’re a fighter, they expect you to be ignorant and to act a certain way.’’

But not Ward, who has his own expectations and perhaps his own way at a pound-for-pound shuffle.

AZ Notes
The last fighter to beat Ward was Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales. They were both 14-years-old then. Gonzales, who was known then as Ernie, was considered a better prospect than Ward, who once said he’s like to avenge the loss. The once-beaten Gonzales, who struggles to find fights, would love to give him that chance.

Phoenix junior-welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. continues to feel some pain in his right wrist, which was strained on Nov. 12 in a victory on the undercard of Pacquiao’s controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. But the lingering pain is not expected to keep from the main event on Feb. 3 at Wild Horse Pass Resort & Casino in Chandler. The card was formally announced Wednesday at a news conference in downtown Phoenix.

And Showdown Promotions and Top Rank are planning a ShoBox card on March 9 for Casino del Sol in Tucson. The card promises to be one of several in an Arizona market that is on the rebound since the immigration controversy over proposed state legislation, SB1070, subsides.

Former 140 pound world champion Paulie Malignaggi talks Khan – Peterson; Froch-Ward and and a possible title shoy againsy Vyacheslav Sanchenko

There is a conditional clause still in place on the Boxing Writers Association of America’s 2011 ballot for Fighter of the Year. It reads: “Winner Ward-Froch.” That box already has my checkmark. If Andre Ward beats Carl Froch Saturday, he will be the 2011 Fighter of the Year. If Froch prevails, he will win the honor. If there’s a draw, I’ll vote for both of them.

The BWAA does not have a Fighter of the Last Two Years category, but if it did, the winner of Froch-Ward would deserve that honor too.

Whichever man wins Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City – to claim Showtime’s inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic championship – will have done something unprecedented among modern prizefighters at the championship level. He will have spent two years in the same weight class with five equals and outlasted each of them. The winner of Ward-Froch will have accomplished more in the years 2009-2011 than Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather combined.

That is something to consider when the eulogistic throat-clearing grows this week. As every treatment of Saturday’s final begins with “After two years of cancellations and postponements and withdrawals, when the ill-conceived Super Six finally, finally, finally crowns a winner . . .” you’ll be well advised to ignore it. Anyone who watches Saturday already knows the Super Six’s history and is familiar with the misfortunes that visited the tournament. He also knows the two men fighting for its title are original members who’ve outlasted all comers.

It demeans what Froch and Ward have done to dwell on those who made questionable withdrawals from the Super Six. Those three men – the Americans Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell, and the Dane Mikkel Kessler – are all either back in the prizefighting ring or planning a return. Their withdrawals, then, should be treated as simple eliminations.

Since neither of the replacement fighters brought in on short notice made his way to the finals, we needn’t dwell either on Jamaican Glen Johnson or American Allan Green.

That leaves Armenian Arthur Abraham, whose legacy as an indestructible force suffered mightily in his matches with Froch and Ward. For having made it to every match he was assigned, though, Abraham retains the respect of aficionados who appreciate what durability he showed.

Durability, after all, proved to be the tournament’s most important quality. At the beginning of the Super Six, who thought England’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch would be a finalist? And whatever handful of Brits that was got halved after Froch’s odd victory over Dirrell. Yet, here he is – unbowed if still unheralded.

While the more heralded Brit Amir Khan, to choose a timely example, was beating up light-hitting Paulie Malignaggi and running from Marcos Maidana, Froch chased the reluctant Dirrell and made one of the best fights of 2010 with Kessler – a scrap brutal enough to eliminate Kessler from the Super Six. While Khan was blowing through someone named Paul McCloskey and a spent Zab Judah, Froch outboxed Abraham and outworked Johnson. And while Khan was making his tangle-footed retreat from an 8-1 underdog named Lamont Peterson on Saturday, Froch was readying to go chest-to-chest with a fighter every bit special as he is.

For American Andre “S.O.G. (Son of God)” Ward is now a proven-to-be-special entity. Or as Ward recently put it, “I won an Olympic gold medal and am undefeated in 23 fights as a professional, so we must be doing something right.”

Compare that dignity to the brashness young Floyd Mayweather, an Olympic bronze medalist, exhibited in 2000, when he was 23-0. Within that delta, actually, lies part of the charm of Saturday’s fight: It does not play to stereotypes.

Froch, the light-skinned European, is the flamboyant one in Saturday’s match. He is the man likely to drop his hands and show-up an opponent. Froch is the one who does not hesitate to discuss his hypothetical greatness.

Ward, meanwhile, the black American from Oakland, is the soft-spoken, serious man in Saturday’s finals. He cares little how he looks while winning. Ward is the one who employs measured language, comporting himself as a picture of accountability.

This was clearest in Showtime’s recent “Staredown” program. Though unoriginal in a copyright-infringement kind of way, “Staredown” nevertheless proved much better than the recent HBO spectacle of a Puerto Rican speaking English to a Mexican. For being in their native language at least, Froch and Ward offered revelatory tidbits and were much better than cliché-tossing avatars.

Ward surprised Froch by candidly saying he was hurt in his seventh professional fight by Darnell Boone, a man whose name Froch could not recall but Ward quickly did. Froch then surprised Ward by agreeing that having one’s chin compared to granite – as Froch’s now is – is often the result of poor choices.

Then Froch inadvertently predicted the likely outcome of Saturday’s match.

“I’m telling you now, categorically, you cannot render me unconscious,” Froch said. “I can knock you out with either hand.”

Both men believe that. Ward is quite certain Froch can knock him out. He also knows a knockout of Froch is improbable. And that is why Ward will probably win the Super Six championship.

Ward will not relent. He will not come off Froch’s chest. He will not rely on a punch to change the fight’s path but hundreds of punches. He will not be prone to mental lapses – like what Froch suffered after staggering Kessler – and he will not wonder if his attire befits the world’s best super middleweight, the way such considerations seem occasionally to wrap gauze round Froch’s otherwise clear thinking.

There’s no telling how this match will end. Everything everyone has predicted about this tournament has been wrong often enough for every prognosticator to be humbled.

That written, I’ll take Ward, SD-12, and be certain Saturday’s winner is Fighter of the Last Two Years.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Witness all the drama surrounding WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward and his sparring injury that forced the postponement of the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final. which captures Ward in his gym in Oakland and joins the champ on his urgent trip to Los Angeles to meet world-renowned surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace and learn the extent of his injury.

NEW YORK (Sept. 27, 2011) – The Super Six World Boxing Classic Final between super middleweight world champions Andre Ward and Carl Froch has been rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The SHOWTIME® telecast will air LIVE at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The announcement was made jointly today by Ward’s promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, Froch’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, and Ken Hershman of SHOWTIME Sports®.

The fight, originally scheduled for Oct. 29 at Boardwalk Hall, was postponed late last week after Ward sustained a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22. (Photos attached by FIGHT CAMP 360)

Tickets for the fight are currently on sale at the Boardwalk Hall box office or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com. All tickets purchased for the original event date will be honored on Dec. 17. If ticket holders are not able to attend on Dec. 17, refunds are available at the point of purchase.

Tickets are priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 with the non-televised undercard beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Matchroom Sport and Antonio Leonard Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona.

The live Super Six World Boxing Classic Final will lead into the live STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) telecast headlined by STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez defending his title against Jorge Masvidal and the return of Cris Cyborg at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, on SHOWTIME (delayed on the West Coast).

PROGRAMING NOTES: With a new date for the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final, SHOWTIME Sports® has altered the network’s schedule of programing leading up to the highly anticipated match between super middleweight champions Andre Ward and Carl Froch.

– The next episode of FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside the Super Six World Boxing Classic has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®, immediately following Inside the NFL.

– A FIGHT CAMP 360°: Bonus Feature will reveal the drama surrounding the sparring cut that forced Andre Ward to postpone the Final. The short-form program will air on SHOWTIME in the immediate future. Scheduling information will be released in the coming days.

– Staredown: Ward vs. Froch – An intimate confrontation between the Super Six Finalists, moderated by Emmy® Award-winning reporter Jim Gray, has been rescheduled to follow the Dec. 3 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast headlined by Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko II.

# # #

Photo Captions:
Ward Cut – Super Six Finalist Andre Ward suffered a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22, postponing the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final scheduled for Oct. 29 on SHOWTIME. After sustaining the cut at his gym in Oakland, Calif., Ward immediately flew to Los Angeles where, pictured here, he awaited medical attention.

Ward Stitched – World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward shortly after receiving seven stitches from leading plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace in Los Angeles to close a cut above his right eye.

Ward Bloody Towel – Trainer Virgil Hunter applies pressure to the bloodied eye of 168-pound champion Andre Ward who suffered a cut during a sparring session at his Bay Area gym on Thursday, Sept. 22.

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

NEW YORK (Sept. 23, 2011) – Andre Ward, the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion and Super Six finalist, sustained a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22. As a result, the Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament Final and world title unification fight with fellow Finalist and WBC World Champion Carl Froch has been postponed. The announcement was made jointly today by Ward’s promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, Froch’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, and Ken Hershman of SHOWTIME Sports®.

The Final was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29 in Atlantic City, NJ. The promoters and Hershman are working together to identify a new date for the significant matchup.

The SHOWTIME Sports documentary film crew FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic was filming for the next episodes of the acclaimed series at the time of the incident at Ward’s gym in Oakland, Calif. The camera crew joined Ward on an impromptu flight from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where Ward received seven stitches from leading plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace to close the cut. Ward was informed by Wallace that he would be unable to fight as scheduled on October 29 and that he will remove the stitches next Thursday, Sept. 29. The next episode of FIGHT CAMP 360° is scheduled for Oct. 8, 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®.

Ward said: “I’m extremely disappointed about this cut. We used every precaution, including headgear with a face bar and it was just a fluke situation. My sparring partner and I were involved in an exchange inside and the next thing I knew, I was bleeding. That is the most frustrating thing about this—I don’t have an explanation for how it happened.

“This is very frustrating for my camp and I, and I knew that if the shoe was on the other foot and Froch suffered an injury, I would be extremely disappointed.

“We were in full camp and counting down the days until October 29. At this point, I’m looking forward to healing up and getting a new date to finish what I started and become the Super Six Champion.”

Ward continued, “I’d like to express my apologies to SHOWTIME, the fans and the Froch camp, but this is part of boxing. Ward and Froch will still get it on but, unfortunately, the date just has to be pushed back.”

“This is absurd and unprofessional. Ward needs to get his act together,” said Froch shortly after hearing the news. “Of course, you’ve got to take the medical advice seriously, but for a cut to put you out of a fight a full five weeks before the event is ludicrous. If it were two weeks out from the fight, maybe I’d understand. But he’s got 35 days to deal with it. To me, he’s showing his weakness. Nothing changes for me. I’ll be ready if and when he shows up.”

“Not much you can say,” said Goossen. “Andre was cut, he got stitched up, and he’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Injuries in boxing are inevitable at this, the highest level of competition,” said Hershman, the man behind the groundbreaking tournament. “As we’ve done since this tournament’s inception, we’ll forge ahead. We are seeking available dates at this time and hope to have an announcement shortly. Rest assured, we will deliver this dramatic final tournament bout, one that is surely the biggest fight in this division’s history.”

Said Hearn, “Obviously it is frustrating. Carl’s camp has gone perfectly and we were ready to unify the titles on October 29. Carl is in the shape of his life but he is a true professional and will take this in his stride and be ready for victory on a date given in 2011.”

# # #

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was on hand in New York City to capture the images at the press conference to announce the much anticipated fights of the year between WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward and WBC champ Carl Froch which will be the finals of the Showtime Super 6 tournament on October 29th in Atlantic City

WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward talks about his October 29 Super 6 Final showdown with WBC Champ Carl Froch

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch discusses his Super 6 final Unification bout with WBA champion Andre Ward on October 29

Promoter Dan Goossen talks about the October 29 showdown between Andre Ward and Carl Froch plus updates Eddie Chambers, Tony Thompson and Chris Arreola

Andre Ward and Carl Froch meet the media in New York City to discuss their October 29th Super 6 Final fight that will take place in Atlantic City

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra, will close out the 2011 season from Hammond, Ind. on August 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com when undefeated junior middleweight Demetrius Andrade (13-0, 9 KOs) and Grady “Bad Boy” Brewer (28-12, 16 KOs) meet in the 10-round main event. The card is presented by Banner Promotions/HITZ Boxing.

Joe Tessitore and Andre Ward, Ring Magazine’s No.1 ranked super-middleweight, will be ringside at the Horseshoe Casino describing the action, while studio host Brian Kenny will present the latest boxing news. Ward, a 2004 Olympic Gold medalist, who will meet Carl Froch in the Super Six World Boxing Classic in late October, is sitting in for Teddy Atlas who is in Russia training Alexander Povetkin.

Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Providence RI., is coming off a second-round knockout win over Omar Bell. After the fight ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote, “It was business as usual as he (Andrade) dominated the first round and then ended it in the second. He caught Bell with a left hand to the body and Bell went down. Although he didn’t look too hurt, Bell got to a knee and took the full count from the referee at 1 minute, 31 seconds.”

Lawton Okla.’s Brewer, 2006 winner of The Contender, is coming off a June fourth-round TKO win over previously undefeated Fernando Guerrero.

After the fight Rafael wrote, “Brewer took care of another highly touted youngster in shocking fashion. He pounded Guerrero with clean right hands and uppercuts, finally sending him falling through the ropes onto the ring apron for a knockdown. Guerrero made it to his feet, but he was done. As soon as the fight resumed, Brewer was all over him again. He continued to pound him with body shots and uppercuts until Guerrero finally slumped forward and fell to the mat. A stunning finish that ranks up there with any of the biggest upsets of the year.”

Friday’s card will also feature former lightweight titlist David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) and “Hammerin’ ” Hank Lundy (20-1-1, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature. Chicago’s Diaz, is coming off a 10-round majority decision win over Rob Frankel, while Philadelphia’s Lundy is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Patrick Lopez.

NEW YORK (July 18, 2011) – The stakes couldn’t be higher, the drama more intense. On Saturday, Oct. 29, two confident reigning world champions–one from America, the other from Europe–will collide in the eagerly awaited Super Six World Boxing Classic Final, a World Championship Unification, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

When the Super Six began, neither undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight champion Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KOs), of Oakland, Calif., nor his World Boxing Council (WBC) counterpart, Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs), of Nottingham, England, were among the favorites.

But through career-defining fights and remarkable drama both in and out of the ring, Ward and Froch have persevered and emerged as prominent members of boxing’s exclusive Pound-for-Pound list and are now poised for global stardom.

The Super Six World Boxing Classic was conceived by Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, to match the best fighters in a deep, talent-laden division in a series of fights to see who would come out on top. Now, Ward and Froch are just one victory away from earning the distinction of being the undisputed No. 1 super middleweight in the world.

“I can’t think of two more deserving men than Andre and Carl to represent this tournament in the Final with a chance for one of them to hoist high the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup,” said Hershman. “The two survived the gauntlet – fighting one elite athlete after another – and rightfully deserve the division’s top billing.

“The Super Six was created to determine the No. 1 super middleweight in the world through an arduous run of championship level fights, but more importantly, to sustain conversation and piqued interest in these boxers before, during and between fights. It is clear that we have delivered that and much more.”

The winner of the 12-rounder will claim super middleweight supremacy, both world championship belts, The Ring magazine championship and the coveted Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

“Going into a fight of this magnitude, I expect the toughest fight of my career,” said Ward.

Froch echoed Ward’s comments regarding the enormity of the Super Six Final. “Not only is it for two world titles, but it’s for the tournament trophy and The Ring belt is also on the line,” said the WBC champion. “It makes this the biggest and the most prestigious fight to happen for as far back as I can remember.

“This has been a fantastic tournament. It has produced some amazing fights in our division, fights that certainly would not have happened otherwise. For the Final, we have a great fight between two superior athletes.”

Ward said, “The Super Six has given me the opportunity to fight the best and, so far, I’ve been fortunate to beat the best. It’s also given me the chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do and that’s become undisputed champion. This fight brings me closer.

“I salute SHOWTIME and everyone involved for allowing me into this tournament. We’ve all put our nose to the ground, and we’re still standing and heading to a grand finale. I’m excited to be part of it.”

The last boxer from the United States to capture an Olympic Games gold medal, the six-foot one, 27-year-old Ward won the WBA belt by upsetting Super Six co-favorite Mikkel Kessler with an impressive 11th-round technical decision in Group Stage 1. Ward retained the crown with lopsided 12-round unanimous decisions over Allan Green, Sakio Bika and, most recently, Arthur Abraham (last May 14) in a Super Six Semifinal. Ward will be making his fourth defense against Froch.

Coming into the tournament off a 12th-round TKO over Jermain Taylor, Froch took a 12-round split decision over Andre Dirrell in Group Stage 1. The 33-year-old Froch then lost the WBC belt on a close decision to Kessler in a thrilling Fight of the Year candidate in Group Stage 2, but regained it in his subsequent Super Six start when, after an eye injury sidelined Kessler and forced him to relinquish the belt, he masterfully outclassed a determined Abraham en route to a unanimous decision. Froch defended his strap and secured a berth in the Final with a convincing, hard-fought decision over Glen Johnson last June 4.

In what will be an intense, highly charged affair, Froch fully expects his power to be the difference.

“Ward is a boxer and mover who can be messy up close,’’ Froch said. “I can box when I need to and I have proven time and again that I can fight with the best of them. I have my natural fitness, a big heart, experience at the top level and the ability to take a punch.

“My punching power is far superior to Ward’s. This will prove to be the deciding factor.”

Style-wise, Froch compares Ward to an earlier Super Six victim, Dirrell. “They are similar,’’ Froch said. “Both can’t punch and both are frightened of getting hit hard.’’

It wouldn’t be a major fight involving Andre Ward without an upcoming opponent questioning his ability or legitimacy. Ward is accustomed to it. In some ways, he almost expects it and, up to now, thrives on it.

“I don’t think Froch gets the attention he deserves in his country so he tries to get it in the United States,’’ Ward said. “Fine, if it sells a few tickets. He’s certainly not the first to speak out against me and he won’t be the last. I think Froch likes to hear himself talk – except he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

“My thoughts going into this fight are plain and simple: I want to retain the WBA belt, win the WBC belt and The Ring belt and bring home that Super Six hardware. I’m a pro and locked in on that and being one of the best in the world. Froch can dominate through his tabloids; all I want is to dominate the night of the fight. What he must understand is it looks totally different on the inside of those ropes than the way it looks on the outside.

“But Froch is absolutely right (about my elusive style),” said Ward. “I don’t get paid to get hit. It’s not my job. I was taught right away not to get hit or take unnecessary punishment. I’m not in it to be Fight of the Year; I’m in it to be Fighter of the Year.”

The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard Productions and Matchroom Sport in association with Caesars Atlantic City.

Dan Goossen, of Goossen Tutor stated, “Words alone don’t do justice to describe the talent, inside and outside the ring, of Andre Ward. Outside, he is someone you want to hug and admire because of his gentleman like qualities. Inside the ropes it’s a completely different story. He is an ornery man you don’t want to mess with; a real fighter.”

“As for the SHOWTIME tournament format, it is one of the best things to happen in boxing for many, many years,” Goossen continued. “When you have the best fighting the best in every fight, it’s great for the fans and our sport. Believe me, nothing will stop Ward from beating Froch and capturing the inaugural Super Six Cup and catapulting himself to that next level.”

From Eddie Hearn, Managing Director, Matchroom Sport, ”Carl Froch epitomizes everything that is great about this sport. He puts everything on the line every time he enters the ring, in short he is the ultimate warrior. Beyond the steel determination is a sharp and bright mind who when linking up with his trainer Rob McCracken, can devise game plans to overcome anyone in this division. This is a huge fight. It’s the kind of fight that determines your legacy, a fight that you have worked your whole life towards. The Super Six Cup, two prestigious World title belts and The Ring magazine belt – Carl Froch will be Andre Ward’s worst nightmare on Oct. 29 and will NOT be denied.

“The Super Six has been a breath of fresh air in the sport of boxing. It’s almost like how boxing used to be – the best fight the best, forget the politics. It’s given us great fights, great drama and you couldn’t have a more fitting Final.”

“The history of boxing in Atlantic City is rich,” said Don Marrandino, President of Caesars AC. “Some of the greatest of all time have fought here including Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and, of course, Arturo Gatti. Our intent is to bring the biggest and the best boxing events back to our revitalized city. Andre Ward vs. Carl Froch in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final is just that. I can’t wait for Oct. 29.”

Future announcements regarding the press tour, travel and ticket packages and tickets on sale date will be made shortly.

For more information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic including exclusive photos, fight highlights and interviews, plus to view all episodes of the acclaimed documentary series FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at www.WorldBoxingClassic.com.

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch talks to the media about his win over Glen Johnson and previews his clash With Andre Ward

WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward breaks down Carl Froch’s win over Glen Johnson plus previews his final round bout against Froch

Confidence, too often a bully’s mask or manufactured by insecurity, can sometimes be genuine. Thanks, Carl Froch. From Froch, it sounds like the real thing.

The British super-middleweight spoke during an international conference call Wednesday about his Super Six semifinal on June 4 against Glen Johnson with the self-assured tone of somebody certain of his destination. The scheduled 12 rounds on Showtime might prove to be bumpy, but Froch made it sound as if his victory was one segment in a longer trip. So buckle-up and enjoy the flight.

I’m not sure that Johnson won’t have plenty to say about where all of this is headed. For about 30 minutes, however, Froch had me convinced that it would end with him against Andre Ward in the finale of the longest tournament since the Thirty Years War.

The inevitable question was Ward, who already has secured his spot in the championship of the 168-pound tourney with his victory over Arthur Abraham. Froch could have passed on the question, of course. But he didn’t. I suspect the taciturn Ward would have, saying he would not think beyond the task at hand. But if the long view includes a destination that Froch sees as inevitable, hesitation could be interpreted as doubt. Froch has none.

“He’s got some skills,’’ Froch said, almost as if he knew he would be asked about Ward. “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, but having that doesn’t win world titles all the time and we’ve seen that recently. These top amateurs don’t always make top pros.

“He’s obviously won some great fights and he beat Mikkel Kessler. …But other than that, if you look at his record, I haven’t been too impressed with him as far as who he’s fought or how he’s won. Ward’s definitely a threat and someone I have to take seriously.

“But I know I can beat Ward. One thing he’s lacking is punching power. And that’s a big factor.”

Between him and Ward, there is Johnson, although Froch would have preferred Kessler, who accounts for his only loss.

“I would have rather fought Mikkel Kessler just purely for the revenge,” Froch said. “I’m a warrior myself. It’s a big thing for me to have lost that fight against Mikkel Kessler, because I’m serious about this business and that blemish on my record. I’d love to get that corrected before I retire. Someday after I hang them up, I want to be able to say I lost that decision to Kessler, but I won it back, that I avenged that defeat.’’

Froch voiced some deserved respect for Johnson, whom he called a war horse. At 42, however, Froch believes Johnson, a veteran light-heavyweight, will weaken himself in the battle to make weight.

“Going down to super-middle at his age is brutal,’’ Froch said.

Froch’s confidence also is rooted in a Johnson style that he believes will suit him. Johnson, he says, will be there, in front of him.

“The one thing about Glen Johnson is I don’t think I’ll have to go looking for him,’’ Froch said. “ I don’t think he’s going to be on his back foot looking to jab and pick me off. He doesn’t have the speed or the skill to match me. So, he’s going to come straight ahead.

“…I don’t think it would be wise for him to sit in front of me for too long. If he walks into me, he’s going to be taking on some shots. We’ll see how much the referee thinks he can take. It’s going to be brutal, if he keeps walking forward and taking shots.’’

Johnson scoffs at what Froch says of his style. Johnson says he is no Arthur Abraham, whom Froch defeated in the Super Six quarterfinals.

“People seem to think Abraham and I have a similar style,’’ he said. “We don’t. It’s not a valid comparison. That tells me that Carl Froch is not doing his homework. He’s in for a world of hurt.’’

Johnson also finds motivation in any talk about his age.

“I actually get excited when people mention my age, focus on my age,’’ Johnson said. “That means they are not focused on my skills and what I bring to the table.”

Johnson watched 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins win one against age with his historical victory for a light-heavyweight title in a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal. If Hopkins is Daddy Time Sr., Johnson has to be Father Time Jr.

For now.

If the Froch clock strikes with the inevitability he promises, that Jr. will soon turn into a Former.

Moving plans
Talks about moving Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales’ next fight, rescheduled for July 8, against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs), to the Coyotes’ NHL home, Jobbing.com Arena, in Glendale, Ariz., are underway. Gonzales’ second bout in a hometown comeback had been set for early June at Celebrity Theatre in central Phoenix. But the date was rescheduled, in part because Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) needed more healing time for a cut suffered in a victory over Dhafir Smith on May 18.

The likely move to Jobbing.com might be the first of many for boxing as arena operators and the cities that own them scramble to fill dates that could be left vacant by NFL and NBA work stoppages.

Glendale has been embroiled in a protracted and expensive battle to keep the Coyotes from leaving for Canada. The Phoenix suburb faces an even deeper financial hit if the Cardinals don’t play at nearby University of Phoenix Stadium because of the ongoing standoff between NFL owners and players, who are arguing about lot more money than Manny Pacquiao has ever made.

If NFL millionaires can’t agree on how to divvy up billions, there’s been talk that the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch could wind up at one of the league’s empty arenas, possibly Giants Stadium.
Notes, Quotes

· Any thoughts about a Margarito-Cotto rematch were on hold because Margarito had yet to heal from the nasty eye injury suffered in the one-sided loss to Pacquiao in Dallas last November. But hopes for a sequel to Margarito’s stunning upset of Cotto in 2008 were revived on May 19 when Margarito underwent cataract surgery.

· Just a guess, but former Eagles and current Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb probably wasn’t one of the 1.8 million who watched the HBO telecast of Hopkins-Pascal.

· Watching the sad spectacle of Roy Jones Jr. suffering a devastating, dangerous knockout at the unknown hands of Denis Lebedev in Moscow left me wondering when we’ll hear about plans for Jones-versus-Evander Holyfield.

· Surprising news about Oscar De La Hoya in rehab is an indication that maybe there was something to rumors he was considering a comeback. There had to be frustration in discovering he just couldn’t fight anymore. De La Hoya might have tried to drown his disappointment in substance abuse. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last, but he has already scored a victory in acknowledging the problem. Here’s wishing him the best.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward has re-signed with his co-promoters Goossen-Tutor and Antonio Leonard as well as re-inking a deal with manager James Prince.

“In Dan (Goossen), I have a very strong promoter, two promoters actually, Antonio Leonard and Dan, and a strong manager,” Ward said. “I have a great coach (Virgil Hunter), who has been with me from day one. We’ve got a strong foundation, strong stability and as we keep going to the top it’s only going to get stronger, and I am happy to say that we signed an extension to our promotional deal.

“I think it was pretty much a no brainer because not only is Dan a West Coast guy and so am I, but we have chemistry, and that’s big. So I am thankful for that today and I am proud to be announcing that news.”

“Andre is that special individual that has grown immensely inside the ring as well as outside of it,” Goossen said. “He’s someone that I am very proud to be associated with not only in business, but in life. He is somebody that shows the strength and gumption to go out there and talk the talk and walk the walk.”

Goossen said their agreement would have expired “near the end of the year.”

“Andre is a special young man because he’s a man of values and I just think he has all the talent in the world,” Goossen said. “It’s an exciting time for our company and for Andre.”

“I am living the dream right now by being a champion of the world to defend my title the way I have been defending it and just to have the team that I have behind me right now,” Ward said. “It’s a very strong team that doesn’t have a lot of problems in house and when it comes to boxing that is very rare. As a team, and as an individual, we are right where we need to be.”

Ward also signed an endorsement with Everlast.

“Andre Ward is the perfect brand ambassador for Everlast,” said Matt Cowan, vice president of marketing and products for Everlast. “He is a champion in every sense of the word . . . His accomplishments in the ring speak for themselves and aside from being a world class athlete, we consider Andre a world class human being.”

CARSON, CALIFORNIA–In the first Super Six World Boxing Classic semi-final, tournament favorite Andre Ward continued his unbeaten run through the competition with a decisive twelve-round decision over Arthur Abraham at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on Saturday night.

Abraham (32-3, 26 KOs) of Berlin, Germany by way of Yerevan, Armenia did have his moments in the early going. Ward (24-0, 14 KOs) of Oakland, California did not appear to be comfortable in rounds one and two. Abraham, 167, kept Ward, 168, out of his rhythm while making the former Olympian fight his fight.

The fight got rough and ugly in the third, as Abraham, the WBO #1/WBA #3 ranked super middleweight, got on the inside and smothered Ward. Not much was accomplished, but it was Abraham that landed the only clean blows in the round.

Incredibly after winning all of the first three rounds on this writer’s unofficial card, Abraham reverted back to his shell defense of previous fights to start the fourth. Slowly as the round progressed, Ward began to open up offensively, while Abraham remained defensive. Just before the end of the round, Ward began to break through Abraham’s guard. A heated exchange to close the fourth woke up the crowd.

Each fighter had their moments in a back-and-forth fifth. Two rights for Ward stunned Abraham. The Germany-based, Armenian-born crowd favorite managed to catch Ward while chasing the champion into a corner. After a warning from referee Luis Pabon for holding, Abraham landed a solid left near the end of the round.

In the sixth, Ward began to find a home for his one-two combinations. The jab forced Abraham to cover up, but Ward would place his follow-ups where he could find openings. Abraham’s body also became a more available target once Ward began utilizing his jab. Before round’s end, Ward landed a clean uppercut followed by a hard right hand. Again, Abraham just covered up and offered nothing in return.

Rounds seven, eight and nine were near mirror images of each other. Abraham remained defensive and Ward found success boxing and moving his hands. Not everything landed clean, but even when Ward hit Abraham’s gloves it took an effect on his face, which was hiding behind them. In the tenth, a now ultra-confident Ward turned southpaw for the longest stretch in the fight and pounded away at Abraham while facing no consequences.

After making little visible effort to win from the middle rounds of the fight, Abraham made a somewhat spirited attempt at making something happen in the final round. It would be far too little too late. Ward weathered the brief on rush was out in front again by the end of the round. The scoring was academic, as judge Ingo Barrabas had it 118-110, James Jen-Kin, 118-111, and judge Stanley Christodoulou, 120-108.

Given the large Armenian community in Southern California, Ward had the crowd against him for the first time in a long time Saturday night. It was something Ward, who has received criticism from pundits as well as opponents’ promoters for fighting at home in recent bouts, welcomed with open arms.

“I told people before, who said they thought he might have more fans, ‘He might have more fans but it’ll be fun.’ That’s what it was, because you have to prove you as a champion that you can win under different circumstances,” said Ward at the post-fight presser. “I know that I can perform under any circumstances, but it was good to let the people know I can perform under any circumstances.”

With the victory, Ward retained his WBA 168-pound title and moves on to the tournament finals where he will meet the winner of the June 4th clash between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson, which takes place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Froch is currently the WBC Super Middleweight ruler, and a unification bout is something Ward looks forward to. “I want that green belt,” said Ward, citing its historical relevance as the reason.

While Ward does not discount Johnson’s chances in the bout, he expects Froch to come out victorious and move into the finals. It is a fight that Ward eagerly anticipates, should it come to fruition. “He’s been calling for it,” said Ward of Froch. “We want to give the fans what they want. It is going to be an action-packed fight. It’ll be a live atmosphere like it was tonight.”

Chris Arreola (31-2, 27 KOs) of Riverside, California came in shape, but fought a risky fight en route to a third-round knockout over Nagy Aguilera (16-6, 11 KOs) of Newburgh, New York. Arreola, 234, landed a right hand that staggered Aguilera, 238, early in the first. With Aguilera in the ropes Arreola opened up, but left himself open to a right hand counter that looked good. But Arreola did not flinch and kept coming before rocking Aguilera again.

Arreola, the WBC #3/IBF #5/WBO #12/WBA #15 ranked heavyweight, worked over Aguilera again in the second, but the New Yorker remained game. Late in the second round Arreola went for the kayo, but ended up punching himself out. Aguilera took note of Arreola’s waning energy level and opened up himself to some success.

Arreola came out swinging and wobbled Aguilera with a right in the third. As the Riverside native unloaded a combination, referee Raul Caiz Jr. almost jumped in to stop the fight. However, Aguilera would fire a wild swing every time the stoppage looked eminent. When Arreola took a break and flurried again, Caiz decided Aguilera had taken enough. Right when Caiz leaped in, Aguilera fired a wild shot. While Aguilera was coherent and angry over the stoppage, Caiz made the right call. Time of the stoppage was 1:58 of round three.

Shawn Estrada (12-0, 11 KOs) of East Los Angeles, California did what he was supposed to in knocking out Joseph Gardner (7-3-1, 1 KO) of Woonsocket, Rhode Island early into round one. Estrada, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, was the much bigger man in the fight and it showed. Estrada, 174, landed a right hook, left hook combination to drop Gardner, 166, in the first round. The referee immediately waved off the bout at 1:27 of the first.

In Gardner’s two previous losses it took former world title challenger Elvin Ayala four full rounds to get a stoppage and prospect Vladine Biosse only managed a four-round decision. Given that information, Estrada’s performance looks pretty impressive on paper. However, much of the praise he would have received for outshining Gardner’s previous foes will not come due to the fact that Estrada, a middleweight as an Olympian, came in several pounds over the contracted weight on Friday. At the scales Estrada outweighed Gardner by eight pounds, a differential that was likely increased by first bell.

Goossen Tutor Promotions’ Javier Molina (6-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California scored a four-round unanimous decision over durable Danny Figueroa (3-2, 2 KOs) of Hastings, Minnesota. Molina, 148, was clearly the more technically sound boxer and used those skills to outbox the determined Figueroa, 148. After four-rounds, Molina, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, had scored a shutout on all three cards, 40-36. Molina will get a quick turnaround with a fight already scheduled for May 27th at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Molina is slated to take on David Lopez in a swing bout that may be his initial foray into the six-round scheduled distance.

Dominik Britsch (23-0, 8 KOs) of Neckarsulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany stopped Delray Raines (18-10-1, 13 KOs) of Paris, Arkansas in the fifth-round of a bout that was put together at the last possible minute. Britsch, who had his opponent switched several times in the last month, scored one knockdown each in the second thru fifth rounds. Most of them looked brutual enough to warrant the stoppage. The one that did it in the end was a right that sent the journeyman down in a heap. Referee Ray Balewicz had finally seen enough at 2:21 of the round.

Armen Ovsepyan (11-1, 9 KOs) knocked out Arturo Brambila (9-15, 4 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in the first round of a scheduled four-rounder. A two-punch combo started with the left dropped Brambila to the canvas and referee Raul Caiz Jr. opted not to begin a count. Time of the stoppage was 2:44 of the first.

Rising bantamweight prospect Matt Villanueva (6-0, 5 KOs) of Van Nuys, Caifornia overpowered young journeyman Frank Gutierrez (2-10-2, 1 KO) of Highland, California in an impressive first-round knockout. Gutierrez, 118, was game us usual, but also outgunned as usual. Villanueva, 117, went swing for swing with Gutierrez before placing a blow that looked to catch the Highland resident behind the head. However, the referee ruled it a knockdown. It was quickly downhill from there, as another right knocked Gutierrez down and out. Official time of the stoppage was 2:56 of the first.

Andrey Klimov (11-0, 6 KOs) of Van Nuys, California by way of Klimovsk, Moscow, Russia scored the most impressive win of his young career with a third-round knockout of former prospect Ty Barnett (18-2-1, 12 KOs) of Washington, DC. Klimov, 137, was in control of the fight from the outset before putting Barnett, 135, down and out in the night’s opening bout. Official time of the stoppage was 1:12 of the third round.

Bowie Tupou (21-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Nuku’alofa, Tonga battled back from some tough early rounds to stop former world ranked contender Manuel Quezada (29-7, 18 KOs) of Wasco, California in the final bout of the evening.

After a feeling out first round, Quezada, 233, turned up his aggression and took control of the fight in the second. Quezada stuck Tupou, 245, with a hard left early in the round. The shot put Tupou against the ropes and set him up for a clean right. The series put Tupou in clinch mode, which helped him get out of trouble.

After winning the third close, Quezada was got caught by a suddenly wild Tupou in the fourth. One flurry forces the Wasco native to the ropes, but Quezada managed to avoid Tupou’s fiercest bombs. After a shaky fourth, Quezada battled back in the fifth and got the better of some heated exchanges.

The fight then turned against Quezada in the sixth, as Tupou suddenly discovered his right hand. After some hard shots upstairs, Tupou landed a combo to Quezada’s body that had the former contender bending at the waist. Another right to Quezada’s body seemed to score a knockdown for Tupou, but it was waved off as a slip by referee Jerry Cantu.

Further illustrating the fact that Tupou had really scored a knockdown in the sixth, Quezada was quickly in trouble after the start of the seventh. With “El Toro” against the ropes, Tupou landed a clean left to his face that forced Quezada to his knees. Stunned with a bloody and perhaps broken nose, Quezada failed to get up off of his knees and was counted out. Official time of the knockout, the most significant win of Tupou’s career to this point, was 53 seconds of the seventh.

Photos by Stephanie Trapp/[email protected]

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — The Super Six World Boxing Classic, boxing’s version of Survivor, enters its final stages tonight as tournament favorite Andre Ward defends his WBA Super Middleweight title against early tournament front-runner Arthur Abraham at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Fighters weighed in Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Los Angeles International Airport in nearby Los Angeles.

Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, California may be just two wins away from breaking through into the superstar realm of the sport. Entering the tournament, few of boxing’s so-called experts gave Ward much chance to upset Mikkel Kessler, much less win the entire tournament outright, running the table in the process as he has done thus far. Some may be quick to point out that, due to some early fighter fallouts, Ward has only faced one of the original Super Six in his three bouts since the tournament began.

However, Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) of Berlin, Germany by way of Yerevan, Armenia is not only one of the original tournament competitors, but entering the ground-breaking experiment, “King” Arthur was one of the co-favorites alongside Kessler. Abraham finds himself in a position he probably never envisioned. After putting Jermain Taylor’s career in doubt with a last minute stoppage, the former middleweight champion was completely outboxed by Andre Dirrell before he got himself disqualified in the eleventh. In his next outing, Abraham was again outboxed, this time even more one-sidedly by Carl Froch. Abraham, ultra-confident entering the tournament, was so down that his promoter arranged a confidence-building tune-up this past February in Germany. What Abraham gained from his second-round stoppage of an overmatched Stejepan Bozic remains to be seen.

Based on their recent body of work, Ward enters tonight’s contest an overwhelming favorite and the pick of many to win the entire tournament, regardless of who triumphs in the other semi-final between Froch and late tournament entry Glen Johnson. Abraham, who enters the bout the WBO #1/WBA #3 ranked super middleweight, has left some to question his viability as a 168-pound contender with his recent performances. Should Abraham pull of the upset tonight, his recent disappointments will be quickly forgotten. Ward scaled 168 Thursday, while Abraham came in at a fit 167-pounds.

Adding some ticket-buying incentive for the local fight fans, world class heavyweight Chris Arreola (30-2, 26 KOs) of Riverside, California will continue his rebuilding process in a ten-rounder against former upset artist Nagy Aguilera (16-5, 11 KOs) of Newburgh, New York.

Arreola, the WBC #3/IBF #5/WBO #12/WBA #15 ranked heavyweight, came in at a fit-and-trim 234, shocking many of his critics. Aguilera, whose name-making victory came over former champion Oleg Maskaev, came in at 238-pounds. A motivated Arreola figures to be a hard test for Aguilera to pass. Arreola, who has routinely showed up out of shape for much bigger fights, looks to be ready to make a statement and move on to bigger things once more.

Another local favorite looks to further endear himself to the Southern California faithful, as Shawn Estrada (11-0, 10 KOs) of East Los Angeles, California will take on Joseph Gardner (7-2-1, 1 KO) of Woonsocket, Rhode Island in a six-round super middleweight attraction. Estrada got his career back on track late last year and has looked impressive against a higher caliber of opponent in recent outings. Estrada, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, dominated once-beaten Jon Schmidt this past January and will look to do the same tonight against Gardner, who has only lost to quality opposition. Unfortunately any victory Estrada comes out with tonight will likely be diminished by the lack of professionalism he displayed by coming in well over the contracted weight Thursday. Estrada did not look to be in great condition as he scaled 174-pounds to Gardner’s 166-pounds.

Javier Molina (5-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California signed a promotional agreement with Goossen Tutor Promotions at the same time his 2008 U.S. Olympic teammate Shawn Estrada did, but injuries have held Molina back at several instances in his brief career. Molina looks to accelerate his career path beginning tonight with a four-round welterweight bout against Danny Figueroa (3-1, 2 KOs) of Hastings, Minnesota. Should Molina, who scaled 148-pounds, come out unscathed, he is already scheduled to return to the ring May 27th in Reno, Nevada. Figueroa also came in at 148-pounds.

In an intriguing crossroads heavyweight clash, former world ranked contender Manuel Quezada (29-6, 18 KOs) of Wasco, California takes on untested hopeful Bowie Tupou (20-1, 15 KOs) in a ten-rounder. For tonight’s victor, big fights and big names could be right around the corner. Quezada, who is returning to the ring for the first time since a brave effort against Chris Arreola, came in at 233-pounds. Tupou, who has had a stop and start career to this point, came in at 245-pounds.

Rising bantamweight prospect Matt Villanueva (5-0, 5 KOs) of Van Nuys, California will take on young journeyman Frank Gutierrez (2-9-2, 1 KO) of Highland, California in a four-round bout. Villanueva, who has impressed his fair share of boxing pundits in his five outings, weighed in at 117-pounds Thursday. Gutierrez, who has never been matched in an easy fight, came in at the 118-pound bantamweight division limit.

Armen Ovsepyan (10-1, 8 KOs) of Yerevan, Armenia will take on longtime journeyman Arturo Brambila (9-14, 4 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in a four-round light middleweight fight. Ovsepyan, who will likely have a large and supportive Armenian crowd on hand, came in at 147 ¾-pounds on Thursday. Brambila, in the familiar role of opponent once again, scaled 149 ½-pounds at the weigh-in.

Ty Barnett (18-1-1, 12 KOs) of Washington, DC will test Andrey Klimov (10-0, 5 KOs) of Van Nuys, California by way of Klimovsk, Moscow, Russia in a six-round light welterweight bout. Barnett, who not too long ago was a well-regarded prospect himself, is by far the toughest for Klimov has shared a ring with since turning professional. Klimov, trained by Joe Goossen, came in at 137-pounds. Barnett, came in at the lightweight limit of 135.

For the last few weeks it looked as though Sauerland Event-promoted Dominik Britsch (22-0, 7 KOs) of Neckarsulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany would be left without an opponent tonight. Among the opponents that fell out were journeyman Ryan Davis and former title challenger Billy Lyell. Stepping in last minute for the six-round encounter is Delray Raines (18-9-1, 13 KOs) of Paris, Arkansas. Britsch came in at 168, while Raines came in at 167-pounds.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Ward 168
Abraham 167

Heavyweights, 10 Rounds
Arreola 234
Aguilera 238

Super Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Estrada 174
Gardner 166

Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Molina 148 ¼
Figueroa 148

Heavyweights, 10 Rounds
Quezada 233
Tupou 245

Super Flyweights, 4 Rounds
Villanueva 117
Gutierrez 118

Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Ovsepyan 147 ¾
Brambila 149 ½

Light Welterweight, 4 Rounds
Barnett 135
Klimov 137

Super Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Britsch 168
Raines 167

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]

Former world title challenger Andre Dirrell took in a night at the fights Friday at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. The fight Dirrell came to see was his brother’s, Anthony Dirrell, who moved to 21-0 with a win over journeyman Alberto Mercedes. Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs) of Flint, Michigan, who was forced to put his career on hold reportedly due to recurring neurological symptoms, told 15rounds.com he has been cleared to resume his boxing career. Dirrell also gives his take on the Andre Ward-Arhtur Abraham Super Six World Boxing Classic semi-final, which just happens to be taking place today.

With more and more of the top Heavyweights coming from Europe one man looking to snap that dominance and bring back the Heavyweight title to America is Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola. The 30 year old Californian currently sports a 30-2(26) ledger, he fights on the undercard of Andre Ward-V-Arthur Abraham at the Home Depot, Carson, Ca on the 14 May against fringe contender Nagy Aguilera. He’s looking for an impressive performance to set him up for bigger business in the second half of 2011. Currently Arreola is ranked by all four major governing bodies WBC 3, WBA 15, IBF 5, WBO 12 & The Ring 10.

Hello Chris, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You will be fighting Nagy Aguilera on the Ward-Abraham card. What are your thoughts on this fight & what are your expectations going into it?

Chris Arreola – Umm the main thing man, I’m going in there and be me. When I say me is come in there an aggressive Chris Arreola but yet smart and throwing a lot of combinations.

Anson Wainwright – Last time out you demolished Joey Abell in a round. Can you tell us about that fight?

Chris Arreola – Well the thing about that fight it was the first lefty I had fought in many years. It was kind of hard getting sparring to imitate him but the one thing Ronnie (Shields) kept on emphasising was when I throw my punches that I step through and follow through. I saw that he threw his left hand and would always pull back so I just timed it when he threw a jab , I countered with a right hand as he was going back and I caught him flush on his chin.

Anson Wainwright – After the fight you leant in and kissed him, can you tell us about that?

Chris Arreola – You know what; it was a spur of the moment thing I was caught up in the moment. I didn’t mean any disrespect with that. I’m sure a lot of people took it that way and I apologise for that. I’m not a poor sport or one of those guys who likes to showboat. It was spur of the moment, that was it.

Anson Wainwright – Though you won’t want to look past the Aguilera fight, what are your plans for 2011? Who are you targeting?

Chris Arreola – My main thing is staying busy man. Right after this fight staying busy, busy, busy, staying active. I want to get one of the top 10 contenders out there, one of the top 5. And prove myself, prove I’m worthy of my top 10 (ranking) with the Ring magazine and other belts (Other organisations rankings) That’s my main thing proving myself this year and by the end of the year if I keep winning I’ll probably get a title shot.

Anson Wainwright – Can you talk to us about your weight? Many people believe you are a few pounds over what would be a better fighting weight for you. How do you respond to them & what sort of weight are you looking at being for the Aguilera fight?

Chris Arreola – Umm you know what, the weight thing is gonna be answered the night I weigh in. I’m very comfortable where I’m at right now. People won’t believe the numbers I throw out there so regardless I’m coming in ready and prepared. People are gonna see a dedicated Chris Arreola. That’s main thing about this year dedication.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team; who is your manager, trainer & promoter?

Chris Arreola – My manager Al Haymon, Wes Crockett and all them. Henry Ramirez (Trainer), Dan Goossen there always behind me they believed in me more than I believe in myself. That’s part of the problem. I probably didn’t believe in myself as much as I should have. And umm now I’ve got to prove to my promoter, manager and my trainer that I am a world class fighter and come May 14th that’s what I’m going to prove everyone that believes in me right.

Anson Wainwright – Where do you train?

Chris Arreola – I train at it’s my cut man’s gym. He built a Boxing gym, It’s in his back (yard) it’s very nice. It’s like a barn type of set up. It’s very nice and there’s not kids around so I don’t have to kick them off the bags Haha

Anson Wainwright – Back in September 2009 you met Vitali Klitschko, though it wasn’t a positive experience as you were stopped in the tenth round, you showed a big heart and gained many fans from your stout performance. What are your thoughts on the fight looking back?

Chris Arreola – You know what, I recently watched the fight for the first time since the day of the fight and honestly he kicked my ass, there’s nothing to it. My trainer did the right thing by stopping it. Of course me being a fighter I am I never wanted the fight to be stopped. But Vitali Klitschko was just a better fighter than me that night. He was smarter, that’s the thing that stood out above everything. He’s such a smart fighter in the ring. I made him fight and he threw an unbelievable amount of punches because I made him throw those punches. He was smart enough to throw those punches at the right time and they kept connecting on me. My hat goes off to him that’s why he’s the champion and he came out victorious that night.

Anson Wainwright – The other loss on your record was to Tomasz Adamek a year ago, it was a very entertaining fight. You rocked him several times. What are your feelings on that fight now?

Chris Arreola – That fight I kicked my own ass! With regards that fight I probably trained 3 weeks for that fight. I was stupid and I was full of myself, I was believing the hype Chris Arreola is the next big thing. I fell into that trap of just believing the hype. Did he beat me? Yes. But the thing that beat me was his preparation and my lack of preparation. If I was prepared better like I am now that fight wouldn’t of lasted as long as it did and I hate myself for that fight it really gets me mad. The loss to Tomasz Adamek no disrespect to him, he came in and beat me because he prepared himself better , that was the bottom line to that fight.

Anson Wainwright – How do you see some of the big upcoming Heavyweight fights coming up like Wladimir Klitschko-V-David Haye how do you see that fight?

Chris Arreola – If I was a betting man, I’d put money on David Haye. David Haye is a very fast fighter, he’s a very active fighter, a hard puncher, he moves around very well. I don’t think Wladimir Klitschko has seen anyone like him. There’s a lot of times I’ve talked crap about David Haye but to me he’s earned his stripes. I believe he’ll beat Wladimir Klitschko.

Anson Wainwright – How about two men you know well Vitali Klitschko-Tomasz Adamek?

Chris Arreola – I see Vitali Klitschko beating him, there wont be much of a fight. Tomasz Adamek isn’t strong enough for someone like Vitali Klitschko. He is fast, I’ll give him that but Vitali Klitschko’s ring knowledge and the way he uses his size and his training and everything. So I’d have to give the edge to Vitali Klitschko easily.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your younger days growing up in Los Angeles, Ca were things tough for you & how did you first became interested in Boxing?

Chris Arreola – You know actually I wouldn’t say I had a tough upbringing because it wasn’t tough. I stayed in the Boxing gym since I was 7 years old. My father never gave me chance or the opportunity to be part of a gang or be a hoodlum on the streets or anything like that. My life since I was a kid revolved around Boxing. I didn’t have a silver spoon in my mouth, I’m very humble, we had beans and rice to eat. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my father which I don’t give enough of. I’m where I am because of him. My toughness in the ring is because of my father. My father used to make me spar with professionals when I was 12, 13 years old. And then If I wanted to get out of the ring he was like ‘get your butt back in there’. So all my toughness, my Boxing balls or cojones come from my preparation as a kid. My father always encouraged me to be a tough , rugged professional boxer.

Anson Wainwright – Who were your hero’s growing up?

Chris Arreola – Actually growing up it was easy to say Julio Cesar Chavez because I saw him many times, he used to come to our gym and train when he was on his tour before fights. When I was in Mexico I met him plenty of times. But the reason he was such a big hero to me was because he was an even better person outside the ring than he was inside. That’s what drew a lot of people to him, he was a real person, what you see is what you get. It’s what I try to emulate , is him inside and outside the ring.

Anson Wainwright – Who do you like to watch today?

Chris Arreola – I love watching Manny Pacquiao and the reason is because I’ve seen him a couple of times training and everything that he works at in the gym with Freddie Roach he does in the Boxing ring. It’s amazing to see someone perfect his craft so well that it translates in the ring in the Boxing fight. That’s probably one of the main reasons I like watching Manny Pacquiao.

Anson Wainwright – When you’re not Boxing, what are your hobbies and Interests?

Chris Arreola – I’m not a hobbies type of guy. I like going to the movies, I watch movies all the time. Every weekend if a new movies out I’ll go watch it. (I like) Playing video games every now and then but mainly watching movies. Like the man that I am going to the pub, going to a club, hanging out and being a man, having a couple of drinks here and there, nothing wrong with that as long as you know when to stop.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Heavyweight division?

Chris Arreola – The main thing is I’m a focused Chris Arreola . I’m coming in here, I’m coming to fight. I mean no disrespect to anyone but the Heavyweight division they better be scared. That’s it they better be scared.

Thanks for your time Chris, good luck on the 14 May.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the May 14 Super Six Super Middleweight semi-final between WBA Champion Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham is now up in the air due to Abraham’s camp being upset with the appointment of officials.

“Contrary to what has been previously agreed on, the California commission all of a sudden insists on installing a Californian judge as well as a Californian referee,” said Abraham’s promoter Wilfried Sauerland. “That is totally unacceptable. This turnaround comes as a huge and unpleasant surprise.

“Two months ago, everybody involved agreed that this tremendous fight would be served by neutral officials. We agreed to have one judge from California, one from Europe and one from neither Europe nor the U.S. The referee is supposed to be neither American nor European either. Unless this issue is sorted, King Arthur will not leave the country. We have put his flights on hold.”

“King Arthur is more than happy to challenge Ward in his backyard, but we demand neutral officials as agreed on,” Sauerland said. “We have learned our lesson from the Kessler-Ward fight. Back then the California commission insisted on having a Californian referee. His performance was, to put it mildly, a joke.

“This is not some beach bar brawl but the semifinal of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a sensational tournament that has captured global attention. It’s a shame that the clash is jeopardized just because a local commission refuses to honor existing agreements and basic rules of fair play.”

“Their accusation that California insisted on a California referee [for Ward-Abraham] is 100 percent inaccurate and, as far as I know, we have agreed to have one California official of the four officials, which is unusual to do. I don’t know how much more neutral the commission can be.”, said Dan Goossen, who promoted Ward.

“I felt the California commission bent over backward to accommodate the parties,” Goossen said. “It is out of my hands. It’s going to be up to them.”

The Super 6 has been plagued and beset by several injury’s, postponements and various other things. To Showtime’s credit they have always had an answer and managed to keep the general theme of the tournament going along. What they were hoping to achieve from the start was that one elite guy would prevail and introduce himself as a Superstar to the Mainstream possibly with crossover appeal. They are still on course for that and that star could be Andre “S.O.G” Ward. After impressively winning gold at the 2004 Olympics for America at Light Heavyweight he turned professional, initially at 160. He soon realized that wasn’t in his best interests and promptly moved up to Super Middleweight. Though he kept his unbeaten record he wasn’t particularly impressive and many believed he wouldn’t be as successful as he had in the amateurs. All this spurred Ward on, he quietly got on with his job progressing daily under the expert tutelage of trainer Virgil Hunter. Having beaten noted puncher Edison Miranda in May 2009, Ward had served notice of his intent to make a run for title glory. That chance came with the invention of Ken Hershman’s “Super 6” he was first matched with vastly more experienced Mikkel Kessler, also the pre-tournament favourite. He dually won a technical decision when the fight was stopped in the eleventh due to cuts whilst along way ahead. A Star was born that night in hometown of Oakland in Northern California since then he’s beaten both Allan Green & Sakio Bika barely losing a round. Next up is a Semi Final fight with German transplant Arthur Abraham. It remains to be seen if it will be his star that is still shining come the competion’s end next year but so far he’s certainly doing a fantastic job. Here’s what the loquacious Ward had to say.

Hello Andre, welcome to 15rounds.com

Thank you

Anson Wainwright – Firstly congratulations on your most recent win when you beat Sakio Bika. What are your thoughts on that fight and how happy were you with your performance?

Andre Ward – Well I wasn’t happy with it. But at the end of the day you want to go in there and perform. You always want to have the ideal setting, you want to look good. Everything be nice, neat and tight. But this isn’t a reality, it’s not a reality in life, it’s not a reality in Boxing. But that being said, now that I’ve had time to think about it. I’m pleased we won and we won ugly, we were able to find a way. I retained my belt and I move on in this tournament.

Anson Wainwright – You injured i believe your hand in the last fight and had a few cuts from headbutts from Bika, how are they healing up?

Andre Ward – Actually the injury happened prior to the fight, probably 2 weeks, 2 and a half weeks out. I had to take anti inflammatory. I just kept my eye on it. As I say we were 2, 2 and a half weeks from the fight so pulling out wasn’t an option. I just dealt with it. The individual who wrapped my hands Jacob Duran did a great job of making sure my hand was protected the night of the fight with the smaller gloves and everything. I had no problems the night of the fight but it is inflamed. I’m in the process of getting checked out. I’m getting an MRI. I should be doing that soon and get the results back shortly after. As far as the cuts, there fine. I think it looked worse on TV. The worst cut, was glued shut no stitches whatsoever and is healing just fine.

Anson Wainwright – Your next fight is against Arthur Abraham, what are your feelings on that fight? He hasn’t looked that impressive in his last two fights?

Andre Ward – I’ve only watched a few rounds of his fight with Carl Froch. Everybody pretty much knows the blue print on how to beat Arthur Abraham. He’s not real active, I don’t know if he’s afraid, getting tired. I don’t know. But he’s going to be the same Arthur Abraham. Having a game plan is one thing and executing it is another that’s what I have to do. I’m not taking Arthur light, he’s coming off a DQ which is disappointing. He’s coming off a loss when he could of won another title. He could of been a two division champion but he fell short so I know he’s disappointed. He’s after the WBA belt and my job is not to let him win this title. That’s all I’m focused on. His previous loses and how he looked that goes out the window because he has a fresh start and I have to make sure he stays in his place.

Anson Wainwright – Do you have a time frame for that fight?

Andre Ward – I haven’t really got a solid date. My promoter is waiting to see what happens with my hand. Hopefully in the next week we can lock something down.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us what the Super 6 has meant to you because it seems looking from outside that it has been magnificent for you really putting your name out there on the global stage?

Andre Ward – I think it’s been great, I mean Showtime has done an exceptional job with the tournament it’s self, dealing with adverse situations with injuries and so on an so forth as well as just the promotion of the Super 6, Fight camp 360, you name it. They’ve done a tremendous job and I take my hat of to them. Some people have had some negative things to say about the Super 6, we all want things neat and tidy in order all the time but things happen it’s a reality of life guys get hurt and pull out but there ability to bounce back and deal with this stuff and I’m talking about Showtime is incredible. As well as the promoters involved. Personally the further I get into the tournament, the deeper I go I’m appreciating the Super 6 more and more. From the stand point of the promotion people who don’t really watch Boxing have watched Fight camp 360 and that’s caused them to want to watch the fight and just to get the reaction from the fans and not even Boxing fans just regular people who come up and say I saw you on Fight camp with your family and I’m pulling for you. It means a lot. Obviously the winner of the Super 6 and I want that to be myself, this is going to catapult their career to another level. It’s been an awesome thing to a part of. There’s still work to be done, a lot of work to be done but thus far I’m very pleased with this.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve been with your trainer Virgil Hunter ever since you first became involved in Boxing. Could you tell us a little about the relationship you have?

Andre Ward – Virg is awesome, from a trainer stand point he’s very innovative, he thinks outside the box and he’s just got an innate ability to motivate, just through his hard work, his faith. He produces winners, he had several fighters that were winners before I came along and he’s done a great job you can’t argue with a guy who’s a gold medalist and world titlist. I’m pleased with Virg, he’s more than just a coach to me he’s my godfather and I’m just thankful to have a guy like that in my corner. Especially in this day in age when you know fighters and trainers they don’t necessarily mesh all the time. Sometimes there switching trainers every couple of years. For me to have a strong foundation like a Virgil Hunter is just an awesome thing. I know that it benefits my career all around.

Anson Wainwright – You won a Gold medal for America at the 2004 Olympics that must of been a tremendous honour, could you describe what it was like to achieve that goal?

Andre Ward – You know what winning a world title is awesome, tremendous thing to do to accomplish but it’s a business in the professional ranks. But representing your country on a stage like the Olympic games. Nothing will ever surpass that, it will always be in my life, in my heart. Everyone can relate to the Olympics, everyone may not relate or understand professional ranking and professional Boxing. The Olympic games is something that always gets people’s attention. Not only did I compete but I won the highest prize. I don’t think anything I accomplish as a pro with surpass that or be dear to my heart as that. I’m just thankful I had the opportunity, I’m thankful I have the opportunity to tell my kids and share that experience with them, it’s really surreal. In that category in Olympic style Boxing I’m in the record books with the likes of Cassius Clay and some other tremendous people, Hall of Famers in professional sports. I’m just thankful to be a part of it.

Anson Wainwright – In Late 2009 you beat Mikkel Kessler as an underdog, to win the WBA Super Middleweight title how did winning that fight compare to winning the Olympic gold medal?

Andre Ward – Like I just mentioned the Olympics is a special place for that but there’s also a place for winning my title. It’s one thing to be a gold medalist but you know how it is people will think I can’t do it as a professional. Can he adjust his style and win a world title. So to do it against a guy like Mikkel Kessler that meant the world to me. It’s one thing to win a vacant belt, it’s one thing to beat a guy who’s not supposed to be champion but to beat a seasoned guy who’s the real deal like Mikkel Kessler that just made me a better fighter. I know I belong at the top of the class of the 168 division and in the world.

Anson Wainwright – If you win your next fight with Abraham you will meet either Carl Froch or Glen Johnson in a unification fight. What goals do you have in Boxing?

Andre Ward – I want all the belts at 168 and I’m prepared to put in the work to go get it. It’s going to be a lot of work. There’s still a lot of work in the division but I’ve always wanted to be a multi division champion and after the Super 6 and possibly a Bute match, I’d love to go to Light Heavyweight and conquer some new things and win some titles at Light Heavyweight and even Heavyweight. I know it sounds crazy, I’m at Super Middle but I think at the right time, right scenario later in my career 31, 32 like a Roy Jones build yourself up, put 25 pounds of muscle on. I think it could be done but it would be a one time deal. There’s no way I could consider fighting at Heavyweight (Long term) that’s just not reality. But in the right situation later in my career my body can fill out and I’m able to put some extra muscle and end my career on that note.

Anson Wainwright – What weight do you walk around at between fights?

Andre Ward – I can’t tell you that! Ha-ha I can’t reveal. I don’t talk about my weight or what I walk around. I’m comfortable at this weight. I have no problem coming down to 168 at this point.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us about the rest of your amateur career, what other titles and honours did you win? What was your amateur record?

Andre Ward – My amateur record was 115-5, before I was an open Senior I won multiple National titles, Silver Gloves, Junior Olympics titles. Once I became an open senior, you turn 17 and you can basically fight anyone 17-35. That’s the real deal when you turn 17, when I became an open class fighter I won the US Championships in Colorado Springs and that was a big boost for me because I wasn’t seeded, I wasn’t a big name at the time as an amateur. I drew one top seed after another, night in and night out and I was able to overcome each night and looked up and I was in the finals on ESPN and I was able to win. That was like my first National Title. That gave me a lot of confidence to go on and progress and win another US men’s National Title. At the same time Virg and I were very strategic. We didn’t want to burn ourselves out over a three year span. There’s a lot of guys who had three, four hundred fights and it may work for them but we always felt like we want to be fresh for when the Olympic trials came around. That’s why I only had 120 fights in a ten year career. We were very strategic what tournaments we went to leading up to the Olympic trials and even after we won it was just imperative we didn’t burn ourselves out. We didn’t want to fight guys 3 or 4 times over that 3 year span, we were going to have to face in the trials. We wanted to beat them guys one time for all the marbles. That was our strategy and it worked out, if it didn’t people would of said we were crazy, but fortunately it worked out. We got it done at the Olympics.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like do with your time away from Boxing? What are you hobbies & Interests?

Andre Ward – I spend a lot of time with my family, right now I’m on a field trip with my son. These are things I love to do, spend time with my wife, 2 boys and my daughter. Just taking trips, traveling. My Church, the Christian community is important to me and my wife. We worship, we pray our god we serve, I have great family and friends there. I try to watch as many fights up close and personal as I can. I’m a football fan, I’m a Basketball fan. I always support the hometown teams. We have the 49er’s and the Raiders and I like both, that’s kind of an oxymoron. Technically I’m not supposed to do that! I like the Golden State Warriors they play in the arena I fight in when I’m home the Oracle Arena. I know several of the guys on the team. I support the San Francisco Giants & Oakland A. I’m a sports fanatic.

Anson Wainwright – The Bay area in Northern California is doing very well at the moment along side you there are Nonito Donaire & Robert Guerrero. What are your thoughts on the scene at the moment?

Andre Ward – Those guys are doing great. I take my hat off to them. Robert is a three time world champion and Nonito, the best is yet to come. He gets better and better. I’m just happy I’m able to pull my weight cos those guys are really good fighters. When all is said and done there going to be great fighters. I’m happy to be in there company. It’s kind of cool that the world can see the talent we have in Northern California. We will continue to do this because we all work hard and are humble men and family men that’s a big part of it.

Anson Wainwright – Who was your Boxing hero growing up?

Andre Ward – Roy Jones Jnr. He’s the guy I respected, I love to watch him even as a young man 9,10 years old I loved the way he was outside the ring and how he took care of business inside it. He was unorthodox, I appreciate there was something different about Roy. His career may be on the downside but he still has my support I love the guy. He’s one of my hero’s.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans out there?

Andre Ward – Continue to stay tuned. I don’t take my fans lightly, I want to continue to give you my all fight in and fight out.

Thanks for your time Andre, much appreciated.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Weekend Musings – Well so much for Amir Khan not having a chin, he proved that not only does he have a chin but he has a huge heart, he was running on empty from the tenth. It remains to be seen if that fight with bring him on further as a fighter or if that showed some of the frailties in his game. I mean Maidana though he’s a heavy handed guy and very tough, he’s not a top draw fighter. That’s what it’ll take to beat Khan though at this stage. Khan verses the winner of Bradley-Alexander would be great in the second half of 2011. As for Maidana I’m sure he’ll be given the chance to perform again after that Herculean effort…Not sure what to make of Victor Ortiz he had his fight with Lamont Peterson won in the third, he took his foot of the gas and didn’t seem to know what to do…Mmm there’s a surprise Joan Guzman missed weight again, what’s so frustrating is that he’s undoubtedly a very talented guy he just doesn’t have the discipline that he needs…Showtime’s Bantamweight tournament got of to a good start with Abner Mares winning a split decision over Vic Darchinyan who’s not the same bad ass at 118 as he was at 112 or 115 & Joseph Agbeko readjusted and won the rematch against Yonnhy Perez…Congrats to Cristian Mijares who won the IBF 115 title, he was one of Boxing’s best little men around 2007/2008 until he ran into Darchinyan and then lost twice to Nehomar Cermeno. After going 0-3 he won 4 and got a title shot and beat Juan Alberto Rosas in Torreon…In Britain, James Degale backed up his boasts looking sensational picking apart tough as the come Paul Smith. Full credit to Degale he’s come a long way since he debuted when he looked very amateurish still, now he looks the top prospect in Boxing for my money…There were also wins for Kell Brook, Nathan Cleverly, Tony Bellew & Matthew Macklin. Brook did as he pleased with over matched Philip Kotey stopping him in the second. Hopefully he steps up, he’s ready for it in 2011, it may be a way a way but a Khan-Brook clash would be brilliant scrap. Cleverly struggled with the late change of opponent and failed to impress but still got the job done over Nadjib Mohammedi. He’s looked like he was one of Britain’s top fighters over the past year and this will likely be a good learning curve. Bellew went life and death going down twice in the first two rounds against power punching Ovill McKenzie, after stopping McKenzie in 8, Bellew hinted he may look to move up in weight. In European Middleweight action, Macklin looked ordinary and had to dig deep to get it done against useful Ruben Varon. It seems Macklin needs a really big fight that will inspire him next.

If there are any fighters you would like to hear from you can contact me on [email protected]

As Nottinghamshire’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch made his ringwalk, Saturday, Showtime commentator Steve Farhood recounted Froch’s run of super middleweight opponents since 2008 – Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham – and approvingly added, “There’s not another active fighter you can name who’s faced that caliber of competition in such a period of time.”

Farhood’s assertion went untested for about 90 minutes. Then Mexico City’s “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez made his way to a prizefighting ring on the other side of the world and took up Farhood’s challenge – naming Manny Pacquiao, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Diaz again, and Michael Katsidis.

At worst, Dynamite finishes tied with The Cobra.

But Saturday was such a celebration of what boxing should be that, for once, the only disagreements worth tracking are those conducted between the ropes. No, Saturday, Nov. 27, was not enough to keep 2010 from being a steadfastly bad year, but it was still quite something. From the Hartwall Arena of Helsinki, Finland, to Oracle Arena in Oakland, USA, then back to MGM Grand in Las Vegas, boxing did itself proud.

In the final fight of Group Stage 3, part of Showtime’s durable “Super Six World Boxing Classic” – a tournament that, one way or many others, has managed to isolate four of the world’s five best 168 pounders in its upcoming semifinals – Carl Froch dominated Germany’s Arthur Abraham in Helsinki, winning by unanimous scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 120-108.

A while later, Super Six favorite Andre “Son of God (S.O.G.)” Ward, who defeated Andre Dirrell by walkover a month ago, participated in the hardest fight of his career, against Cameroonian Sakio Bika, and prevailed by misleadingly lopsided scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 118-110.

And while Ward brawled heavy with Bika in Oakland, master craftsman Juan Manuel Marquez rose from a knockdown to stop Australian Michael Katsidis at 2:14 of round 9 and remain the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, in Nevada.

Three completely different fights with six markedly different fighters leading to three matches that compared favorably with any Thanksgiving fare any other sport served up. Made you proud to love boxing, finally.

We start with Froch because his win was unexpected. The fight was a toss-up, really, as every fight in Showtime’s groundbreaking tournament has been. Froch was not favored. Arthur Abraham, looking to redeem himself after the year’s most notorious cheap shot, was expected to find Froch’s chin often enough to prevail. Instead, Froch borrowed Andre Dirrell’s approach and executed it better than Dirrell ever could.

Why did a man without Dirrell’s speed or class prevail over a man whom Dirrell was fading against in their March fight? Because Froch is a fighter, not merely an athlete who chose boxing because he heard you could make a lot of money doing it.

Remember for a moment the end of Dirrell-Abraham – with Dirrell on his trunks after a slip, legs splayed, chin in the air, hands on the mat, perfectly defenseless – when Abraham blasted him with a punch that merited immediate disqualification, rendering Dirrell unable to continue. Now see if you can imagine Froch in that same position.

You can’t. The idea of Froch helpless after an inanely showy move that dropped him on the canvas can’t be conjured. Froch has quirks, but expecting sportsmanship to stand between him and violence in a prizefighting ring is not one of them.

Froch did to Abraham what Manny Pacquiao did to Joshua Clottey. He determined his opponent would not punch so long as he was being punched, and he kept punching. The few times Froch was tagged by Abraham, like in the fifth round, Froch dropped his chin to his chest with a thud, then glared at Abraham from the tops of his eyes.

And in the 11th, when a borderline blow to Abraham’s beltline made the former middleweight champion a thespian, Froch had none of it. He went directly at Abraham, smacking him with three more body shots in a way that said: “This is a fight actually, you wanker, so have some more.”

Writing of fighting, how about that Andre Ward? A mollycoddled Olympian no more. The last American to win a gold medal looked like nothing so much as a prizefighter, Saturday. He went foul-for-foul with a crafty, rugged professional and beat him right. That’s no indictment of Bika, though. Bika made every Super Six fan wonder how Allan Green ever got an invitation to substitute for Jermain Taylor.

Froch and Ward both impressed, yes, but neither was in a fight impressive as Juan Manuel Marquez’s, Saturday. Froch and Ward are excellent champions working towards greatness. But Marquez is a legend.

In round 3 of his championship match with Katsidis, Marquez slipped under a spell of his own offensive arsenal, as he’s wont to do, and got blasted with a left hook while cocking one. Marquez went down almost too hard. The back of his head kissed the canvas. Had the canvas been but two inches higher, not even Marquez would have risen to do what he did.

And that was plant his feet and engage a younger man in a desperate exchange of fire. Just as he had done against a younger man named Juan Diaz in Houston, Marquez made the purist’s calculation: My short straight punches tell more than your looped leveraged ones do. Six rounds later, Katsidis was in need of rescue, and referee Kenny Bayless provided it.

Now we look forward. Sometime in the next six months, Froch will make an entertaining scrap with Glen Johnson. Round that time, Ward will battle the remnants of Arthur Abraham’s pride. Anything could happen. But Froch and Ward have to be the favorites to meet in the finale of the Super Six. And what a spectacle that’ll be.

Now if only we could find an opponent for Juan Manual Marquez . . .

Bart Barry can be reached at [email protected]. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA — Andre Ward successfully defended his WBA Super Middleweight title with a hard-fought twelve-round decision over WBA #13 ranked Sakio Bika before a crowd of 4,120 Saturday night at the Oracle Arena to set up a Super Six showdown with Arthur Abraham sometime in the first quarter of 2011.

Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland may have left the ring with the most bruises of his professional career, but showed his class in a lopsided decision win over the rough and rugged Bika (28-5-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon.

The fight was a wrestling match at the outset in an ugly first round, as the two tangled up for the most part. Bika, 168, may have landed the one telling blow in the round before the two collided for the first of many accidental headbutts. The roughhouse tactics continued in round two, with headbutting, clinching and wrestling. Ward, 168, looked to referee Dan Stell for some help, but nothing slowed Bika’s approach.

Bika blatantly utilized his elbow in the third and Ward took to holding Bika’s left. Bika allowed the holding and began clubbing Ward with his free right. With the inside fight going Bika’s way for the most part, Ward began to find his range on the outside and implementing his superior boxing skills. The two traded to close the third, with Ward landing the best shot and Bika getting one in after the bell.

Ward landed with a left to open the fourth and continued to box well when at a distance. Ward leaped in with a flurry that rocked Bika against the ropes. Even though Bika appeared hurt by the combination and was holding on before he fell, Stell waved off the knockdown. Bika continued to hold on when the action resumed, and Ward continued to press forward. It would appear that all of Bika’s rule-bending had gotten under Ward’s skin, as the usually composed champion was opening up more freely than in fights past.

Another bad accidental headbutt started the fifth. Bika landed with a solid right over the top that had Ward covering up. Both fighters got in their licks in the round before Bika landed a good shot late and Ward jumped back with a couple of his own. Bika smiled and patted Ward on the head after the bell.

The pace of the fight slowed a bit in rounds six through eight. Bika had his moments in those rounds, as most of the action took place on the inside. At one instance, Ward complained to Stell, and Bika forearmed him right in front of the referee.

Ward came on in the ninth and hurt Bika against the ropes. With Bika holding on for dear life, the referee struggled to break up the clinching and lectured the two once they let go of each other. With the fight going Ward’s way, Bika turned to boxing and found little to no success. Bika left the round with a cut over his left eye and little hope for turning around the fight.

After Ward continued to outbox Bika in the tenth and eleventh, Bika got wild in the twelfth, but could not get much done. In the end, all three judges had it a landslide for the defending the champion. Judge Marty Sammon had it a shutout, 120-108, judges Jon Schorle and Hunter Walton both had it 118-110 all for Ward.

After the fight, Bika was asked to compare Ward and current IBF Super Middleweight titleholder Lucian Bute, who had defeated the Cameroonian back in 2007 and is regarded by most as either the number one or number two in the division. “The more difficult fighter was maybe Andre Ward,” said Bika. “Andre Ward today was stronger and threw harder, so I think Andre Ward was the tougher one.”

Now Ward can shift his focus to his Super Six World Boxing Classic semi-final opponent Arthur Abraham, who was completely outboxed in a one-sided loss to Carl Froch earlier in the evening in Helsinki, Finland. However, when pressed for his thoughts on the match-up, Ward seemed reluctant to begin that process, and was brief in speaking on the subject. “This is the perfect guy to get ready for a fight like that,” said Ward. “I’m just pleased with the win. I am going to go back do better.”

Determining fight sites has been a factor in many of the disputes and spats that have occurred between the various camps throughout much of the tournament. Ward promoter Dan Goossen mentioned a desire to hold the fight on the Caribbean resort island country Saint Lucia and made it clear he would not make the fight in Germany. Though Ward fought in Saint Lucia back in 2007, it would be considered even ground. “Sauerland [Event] will not come out here to Oakland,” said Goossen. “We have a contract that allows for both parties to have a mutual agreement on a site, and in this case, a neutral site.”

Javier Molina (5-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California was taken the distance for the first time in his professional career by journeyman Francisco Rios Gil (17-14, 12 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Huatabampo, Sonora, Mexico in the final preliminary bout before tonight’s main event.

Molina, 149, utilized his boxing skills instead of overpowering the veteran Rios Gil, 149, as he had done his previous four opponents. After four rounds, all three judges had the fight for Molina by the scores of 39-37 and 40-36 twice.

In what was more of a boxing match than the action fight most had expected, Michael Ruiz Jr. (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Fresno, California fought to a six-round split decision draw with the always tough Jonathan Alcantara (4-3-2) of Novato, California.

The fight got off to a bit of a slow start, as Ruiz, 120 ½, and Alcantara, 119, went through the feeling out process. The action began to heat up a bit to start the second, as Ruiz and Alcantara decided to exchange. As the fight progressed, Alcantara took on the role of boxer-mover and Ruiz continued to come forward. The fight would become an inside battle in spots, but for the most part was an exhibition of boxing skill. In the end, two judges had it 58-56, one for each man, while the third official scorer forced the draw with a 57-57 score.

Promising super middleweight Cornelius White (16-0, 15 KOs) of Houston, Texas continued to destroy everything put in front of him as he decimated experienced and usually durable Demetrius Davis (20-25-5, 8 KOs) of Washington, District of Columbia in one round.

White, 171 ½, seemingly hurt Davis, 166, with everything that he threw in the fight. White scored a knockdown right off the bat with a straight left jab and Davis never seemed to recover. A quick flurry with Davis leaning on the ropes scored knockdown number two. Davis got up wobbly and nearly fell through the ropes once White connected again. What could have been scored a knockdown was not, and the fight continued. Davis, getting knocked around the ring, managed to wave to the crowd and fire a quick flurry to end the round, but the ringside physician decided to call the fight before the start of the second.

Previously unheralded Khadaphi Proctor (6-6-1) of Hesperia, California scored three knockdowns en route to unceremoniously ending the undefeated run of lightweight prospect Stan Martyniouk (10-1, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California. Proctor, 135, surprisingly dropped Martyniouk, 134 ½, twice in the first and once in the third.

A right hand downed Martyniouk for the first time early in round one and a left hook scored the second minutes later. The second knockdown clearly hurt Martyniouk, who rose seconds before the end of the round. After getting beat for most of the second, Martyniouk sprung to life with two hard lefts just before the bell.

Just as it seemed Martyniouk was getting back in to the fight, he traded lefts with Proctor in the third. Unfortunately for Martyniouk, Proctor’s landed first and hardest, and prompted the third knockdown. To Martyniouk’s credit, he kept trying and clearly began to sit down on his punches with all that he could, but Proctor took them well and fired back. They traded punches after the bell to end the fifth, with Martyniouk’s landing last.

After a good round for Martyniouk to end the fight, the unanimous decision verdict was rendered in favor of Proctor. Judge Kermit Bayless scored it 56-55, while judges Marshall Walker and Michael Tate had it 58-53, all for Proctor.

Roman Andreev (10-0, 7 KOs) of the Komi Republic, Russia remained unbeaten in the opener, with a six-round decision over Manuel Del Cid (4-4, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California. Andreev, 135, got off to a rough start early in round one, but bounced back late and stalked Del Cid, 135, for most of the second stanza.

Andreev took over mid-fight with his relentless pressure en route a six-round unanimous decision. Judge Kermit Bayless had it 59-55, while judges Marshall Walker and Michael Tate both had it a 60-54 shutout for Andreev.

In the walkout bout, Matt Villanueva (4-0, 4 KOs) of Van Nuys, California scored a third-round stoppage over Adrian Aleman (6-8-3, 4 KOs) of Cathedral City, California. Villanueva, 117 ½, flashed his speed and power throughout the bout, a fight that Aleman, 117, was never really in. In the third round, Villanueva landed a combination that prompted referee Ray Balewicz to stop the fight. Official time was 43 seconds of the third.

Photo by Craig Bennett/Goossen Tutor Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached [email protected].

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA — Their fight may not be part of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, but the outcome of tonight’s Andre Ward-Sakio Bika title bout may have greater implications on the tournament than even the Carl Froch-Arthur Abraham clash which will end hours earlier. Ward is not only defending his WBA belt, but the remaining sanctity of the Super Six concept against a determined and willing challenger that was not deemed “Super” enough for whatever reasons. Their fight, to be televised live by Showtime, takes place on Ward’s home turf, the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Fighters weighed in Friday, down the road at the Hilton Oakland Airport.

Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon has been a perennial 168-pound contender since battling then-WBC ruler Markus Beyer to a technical draw in 2006. Bika’s wild career has seen him lose to Joe Calzaghe before a packed M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England on international television to fighting in relative obscurity on undercards in Australia. Bika’s biggest claim to fame was winning The Contender reality series tournament in 2007, but he did so at a time when the show had been placated to ESPN and thus the victory did not have the career-lifting effect such as it had for its initial run. However, with an upset victory tonight, Bika will have turned the division on its ear.

Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland has distanced himself from the pack in the Super Six as the clear favorite and the fighter to most likely emerge from tournament as a new boxing star. Ward knocked off the pre-tourney favorite Mikkel Kessler to claim the WBA Super Middleweight title and carried that momentum into a twelve-round drubbing of Allan Green this past June. Now Ward attempts to solidify his claim to the throne of division leader against the WBA #13 ranked Bika. Those who believe that title belongs to Lucian Bute will have some basis for a comparison once tonight’s bout is over, as Bika dropped a clear-cut decision to the reigning IBF belt-holder over three years ago. Both Ward and Bika scaled an even 168-pounds Friday.

In undercard action, 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (4-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California will take on weathered journeyman Francisco Rios Gil (17-13, 12 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Huatabampo, Sonora, Mexico in a six-round light middleweight bout. Molina, who came in at 149-pounds, takes the ring for the second time in two months after an injury-induced fourteen-month layoff. Rios Gil, who scaled 149 as well, has built up his win total in Mexico and most of his loss total against American prospects, as is the case tonight.

Lightweight prospect Stan Martyniouk (10-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California will take on Khadaphi Proctor (6-5-1) of Hesperia, California in a six-round fight. Martyniouk, who came in at 134 ½-pounds, took on renowned world class trainer Joe Goossen just before his last fight in July and gets a chance to show off what he has learned tonight in front of some of his supporters making the short trip down to Oakland from Northern California. Proctor, coming off of a pay-per-view victory over Rynell Griffin two months ago, scaled 135-pounds.

Promising super middleweight Cornelius White (15-0, 14 KOs) of Houston, Texas will take on the experienced Demetrius Davis (20-24-5, 8 KOs) of Washington, District of Columbia in a swing bout set for either six or eight-rounds and contracted for just over the 168-pound division limit. After a brief amateur run, White has reeled of an impressive knockout tally, but will take on by far the most durable opponent of his career to date. Davis began his career when White was just five-years-old and worked his way to a regional title try against Thomas Tate in 1998, before taking a nearly nine-year sabbatical from the sport. White came in at 171 ½-pounds, while Davis scaled 166.

There may not be a bona fide co-feature on the card, but the supporting bout of the night is expected to be the six-rounder between former national amateur standout Michael Ruiz Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) of Fresno, California and all-action fighter Jonathan Alcantara (4-3-1) of Novato, California. Ruiz, who scaled 120 ½-pounds, has torn through his competition since turning pro just over seven months ago. Alcantara, who came in at 119, has made a career out of going against former national amateur stars, posting a 2-2 record in such fights.

Bantamweight prospect Matt Villanueva (3-0, 3 KOs) of Van Nuys, California takes on six-year veteran Adrian Aleman (6-7-3, 4 KOs) of Cathedral City, California in a four-round bout. Villanueva, who came in at 117 ½-pounds, has blasted out three opponents in just under eleven combined minutes. Aleman, who scaled 117, has dropped five straight, but four came against unbeaten foes and all went the distance.

In a swing bout scheduled for either four or six-rounds, unbeaten lightweight Roman Andreev (9-0, 7 KOs) of the Komi Republic, Russia will take on Manuel Del Cid (4-3, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California. Andreev, who trained for the bout in Southern California, scaled 135-pounds. Del Cid, who also scaled 135 on Friday, has the unenviable task of taking on Andreev in his first fight since suffering a second-round knockout at the hands of Jose Benavidez Jr. just over two months ago.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Ward 168
Bika 168

Light Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Molina 149
Rios Gil 149

Lightweights, 6 Rounds
Martyniouk 134 ½
Proctor 135

Light Heavyweights, 6 or 8 Rounds
White 171 ½
Davis 166

Super Bantamweights, 6 Rounds
Ruiz Jr. 120 ½
Alcantara 119

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Villanueva 117 ½
Aleman 117

Lightweights, 4 or 6 Rounds
Andreev 135
Delcid 135

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].

The Super Six World Boxing Classic has given Andre Ward the platform to showcase his skills like never before in his professional career, but the ride has been full of surprises. When the three Group Stages were first charted out, Ward was to fight then reigning WBA kingpin Mikkel Kessler, followed by Jermain Taylor and then ultimately Andre Dirrell in the third stage. Well he fought (and dominated) Kessler to claim the title, but it has been one curveball after another since. The latest will be that he will not have a Group Stage 3 fight at all, having already qualified for the semi-finals, and will instead defend his title against rugged two-time title challenger Sakio Bika this coming Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon provides a very different challenge than Dirrell would have. A muscularly built specimen, Bika is a straight forward clubber who rarely takes a backward, or lateral, step. “I think that everybody in the boxing world knows what Bika is going to do,” stated Ward at a press conference two weeks ago. “He’s going to come full steam ahead. He’s going to swing with both arms. He’s not a really skillful guy, but he throws a lot of wild punches. I just got to have my eyes open and just continue to do what I do and that is a little bit of everything.”

As Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland proved in both his title-winning effort against Kessler and his Group Stage 2 drubbing of Allan Green, he is a fighter that can adapt mid-fight in order fight the best fight possible. “I try not to put myself in a box because adjustments in these big fights are key,” says Ward. “We didn’t plan to fight Allan Green necessarily the way we fought him the last time. We were going to get inside in spots, but it turned out to be close combat for most of the night. It just happened and I had to make that adjustment on the fly. We always have a general game plan, but we always keep the door open for adjustments that need to be made. As the fight unfolds I will know what I need to do based on what Bika is doing or based on what he is not doing.”

Bika has fought many of the top super middleweights of recent years, and though he has come up short against the very upper tier, he has never been stopped. Ward is very much aware of Bika’s solid chin. “I am not going to come outside of myself to try and prove anything,” said Ward. “I am going to do what I do, but just try to do it a little better. Sakio Bika has never been stopped and that is obviously the goal. Win the fight, but that would definitely be great to get a stoppage in this fight.”

Along with his reputation for an aggressive style and solid whiskers, Bika has been known to go outside the rules at times. The most recent example would be Bika’s disqualification loss to Jean Paul Mendy in September. Despite dominating the action and downing Mendy, Bika ended up the loser for clubbing Mendy while he was down, much in the same fashion Arthur Abraham did against Andre Dirrell earlier in the year.

In preparing for Bika, Ward has noticed the trend of fouls in his past and will likely take measures against falling victim to any similar tactics. “At the end of the day, the referee has a job to do, but I am also going to protect myself,” proclaimed Ward. “He does get very frustrated at times. I saw in the Peter Manfredo fight he got upset with the referee because he didn’t agree with a call, and push the referee. He headbutted Lucian Bute on purpose. He hits behind the head. I am not going to call him a dirty fighter, but let’s just say that he tends to do those things and we are prepared for that.”

While a bout with Dirrell would have likely provided for a scientific boxing match, the clash against Bika should instead provide for an action-packed contest. In fact, Bika could be Ward’s sternest test to date. “Bika is, in my estimation, probably the toughest guy we have fought when it comes to just pure, unadulterated toughness,” said Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter. “We have a good plan, and we plan to see that through. I think it is going to be a very entertaining and eventful night.”

With the Super Six ongoing, it would not be surprising if the tournament front runner Ward were to look past Bika this coming Saturday, and look forward to his next opponent. But with expectations higher than ever, Ward continues to say all the right things. “I have a lot of stiff competition, first with my fight on November 27, but also as the tournament moves forward into the semi-finals and finals,” said Ward. “I just want you guys to know that I am preparing, I’m dedicating myself, and putting in all the hard work. I want to do everything I can to put on a tremendous performance and outdo the last performance. I have a tough opponent in Sakio Bika. Sakio is going to bring it, but I am going to bring it too, so we should have a good fight.”

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].

Goossen Tutor Promotions hosted a press conference this past Tuesday at Ricky’s Sports Theatre & Grill in San Leandro, California to officially announce the upcoming clash between Andre Ward and Sakio Bika. Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, California will be making the second defense of his WBA Super Middleweight title November 27th at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon is best known for winning The Contender tournament in 2007 and will be vying for a world title for the third time in his career.


Watch Andre Ward Press Conference

Before Showtime had even formally announced the formation of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, shortly after the tournament’s match-ups were leaked to the press, one scheduled bout that many fight fans, especially those based in the U.S., looked forward to was the Group Stage 3 pairing of former Olympic teammates Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward. Though the fight will not happen, at least not now or anytime soon, one of these Andres did suffer a damaging loss.

Rarely does a fight have a deeper, richer storyline than a match between the two Andres would have had. Casual friends, or at least acquaintances, since crossing paths at childhood boxing tournaments, Ward and Dirrell entered the Super Six as heavy underdogs and both had outperformed expectations while rooting for each other each step of the way. Ward surprisingly dominated tourney favorite Mikkel Kessler and then Allan Green in his two bouts. Dirrell lost a closely-contested, somewhat controversial decision to Carl Froch and then outboxed Arthur Abraham before getting hit late and taking a disqualification victory.

The match would not have only pitted friends, but the only two medalists from the 2004 U.S. Olympic boxing team. Dirrell took the bronze at the weight class Ward likely would have competed at, had it not been for his cousin DonYil Livingston’s attempt to make the squad in the same division or for his trainer Virgil Hunter’s foresight that his charge would do well to not have to worry about weight during the long preparatory period leading to the Athens Games. Ward of course left Greece with the gold.

The stakes were raised slightly when Kessler went down due to an eye injury, and the WBC title which he had held was added to the pot for the Ward-Dirrell clash. Dirrell had been previously been named the mandatory for the WBC belt due to the nature of his decision loss to Froch. The take by many in the media already was that Dirrell’s style may pose tournament frontrunner Ward his toughest hurdles to date.

Even though he had been brutally bashed while on one knee in the DQ win over Abraham, Dirrell was still expected to meet Ward this past September. Immediately after Ward’s one-sided schooling of Allan Green, Dirrell and his former teammate posed for pictures to seemingly begin the build-up to their eminent clash.

Slowly things got unexpectedly complicated.

The originally announced September 25th date was quickly approaching and no announcement regarding the fight had been made. Grumbles reverberated that the two sides were arguing over the location, something Ward promoter Dan Goossen acknowledged at a press conference in San Leandro, California Tuesday. “The only obstacle that we had, that I thought was going have any effect on whether or not the fight was going happen, since it was destined to happen, was where were we going to do it,” said Goossen.

“I was pushing for Oakland. It would have sold out Oracle Arena. It would have been a great storyline, a great fight, a great event for Oakland. They wanted to go to Detroit. The problem we had with Detroit wasn’t because it was his hometown, but I just didn’t think they could generate what Andre could do out here.”

Other rumors had Dirrell or Ward or both holding out for more money. Eventually the new date for the fight was announced as November 27th, but still no location was in place. Not too much later, Dirrell’s pullout was made official over the telephone during a conference call that Andre himself was not on the line for. The reason given was that he was suffering from neurologically-related symptoms since after the Abraham fight.

Ward of course is continuing on in the tournament, and will first meet the formidable Sakio Bika on the November 27th date – the fight for which Tuesday’s press conference had been held. Expect more on that fight in this space in the coming days. But at the moment, as was evidenced by the line of questioning offered up by the local fight media for a good percentage of Tuesday’s presser, the circumstances of the delays and eventually Dirrell’s pullout are very much still on some of our minds. Many jumped right out and called Dirrell’s injury a fake in recent weeks. Recently the validity of those questions gained steam.

Just over a week ago, Showtime’s Fight Camp 360º program seemed to suggest that maybe the network’s opinion, or at least that of the show’s producers, is very much in line with the those members of the skeptical media. The recent episode cuts to a quote from Dirrell team member, Leon Lawson Jr. “It’s not a guarantee that we fight Ward next. It’s not a guarantee…If they want to dance, get that money right.” Audio from the aforementioned Showtime-hosted conference call announcing the fighter’s pullout plays minutes later in the episode. Moments later, footage rolls of a Showtime-conducted interview with the Dirrell family, who did themselves no favor with their responses to valid questioning. Highlights included Dirrell not having the name of the doctor who treated him and his grandfather Leon saying he wanted to end the interview until their lawyer could be present.

Tuesday, Ward wished Dirrell a speedy recovery, which suggests he believes his friend’s injury was in fact the cause for the cancellation. Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen had joked about Mikkel Kessler’s pullout for double vision, but continuing to drive his 80,000 dollar vehicle, both on air and again Tuesday. However, Goossen refuses to question the injuries of Dirrell or Kessler. “I will tell you what I feel about any fighter’s injuries: I will never ever question it,” said Goossen. “That doesn’t mean I can’t tell a little joke or something.” .”

Though he wished Dirrell well, Ward made clear he was never at fault for either the delay or cancellation. “A lot of things were said in the media about me and Andre Dirrell, and how people felt like we were behind the scenes trying to undo the fight,” said Ward Tuesday. “I just want to let my fans know that was never the case with me. I understood what I was getting myself into when I signed the multi-bout agreement. I was always prepared to fight.” When a reporter asked if Dirrell had contacted him, Ward smirked and replied, “No he did not call me. I haven’t talked to Dirrell since the press conference after my last fight. That is the last time I talked to him.”

Dirrell’s problems may very well be legitimate, and if so I too wish him a full and swift recovery. While I personally refuse to question him in this instance, in part because I cannot figure what Dirrell’s motivation or benefit would be, many others have. Dirrell has lost a fight he never fought, at least in the court of public opinion. If and when the day comes when Dirrell returns to the ring, those questions will likely remain. Whether they are boxing scribes, fans or colleagues, Dirrell will have his doubters until the day he meets Ward in a ring. Hopefully for his sake, and for those of us who admire the sweet science and are suckers for a good storyline, that day comes sooner or later.

Oh and by the way, Ward’s fight against Bika in a few weeks may not be accompanied by the most intriguing back story, but based on styles it could provide viewers with more entertainment than the Dirrell fight would have. But again, more on that later.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].