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.”

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.

Carl Froch reclaimed the WBC Super Middleweight title with an easier then expected unanimous decision over former Middleweight champion Arthur Abraham as part of the Super Six world Boxing Classic in Helsinki, Finland.

Froch was much more active early as he threw combination’s behind his jab and worked the body of the normally slow starting Abraham. Abraham lived up to that billing as he offensive attempts were few and far between as it was Frpch who dictated the action throughout the bout. Froch closed out the first half of the fight strongly as he worked the sides of Abraham underneath the German’s high guard. In round six, Froch’s jab began to knock Abraham back and even caused swelling wound Abraham’s’ eyes.

Froch was very consistent with his brief flurries as he never let Abraham get into any rhythm as Froch not only led but was effective with the counter punching. By round eleven, Abraham had a resounding look of resignation on his face as Froch continued to pound Abraham with combination’s to the head and body. Abraham showed slightly more desperation in the final stanza but his punches were wide and Froch’s movement and enough jabbing had him winning the frame much like the previous eleven.

Froch, 116 3/4 lbs of Nottingham, England won by scores of 120-108; 119-109; 119-109 to raise his record to 27-1. Abraham, 167 3/4 lbs of Berlin, Germany is now 31-2.

With a tournament record of 2-1, Froch earned two points for the win for a total of four and will face Glen Johnson in the Semifinals. Johnson and Abraham are tied with three points but Johnson wins the judges’ scorecard tiebreak to grab the third seed. That leaves Abraham in fourth and a Semifinal date with tournament point leader Andre Ward.

“He’s an old wise fox,” Froch said of the 41-year-old Johnson. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s a great, great fighter. If Glen Johnson is watching I just want to say I look forward to that fight.”

The standings after the Group Stages are as follows:

FINAL GROUP STAGE SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record Fighter Points

3-0 Andre Ward 6

2-1 Carl Froch 4

1-0, 1 KO Glen Johnson* 3

1-2, 1 KO Arthur Abraham 3

* Johnson wins tiebreaker based on total judges’ scorecard points.

SHOWTIME play-by-play announcer Steve Albert was duly impressed by Froch’s performance. “This has been a stunning display by Froch,” he said, after which analyst Steve Farhood replied. “And this has been a stunningly flat display by Abraham.”

“I knew I was going to be this dominating,” Froch told Farhood and the SHOWTIME viewers after the fight. “There were so many times I wanted to put my punches together and put my shots together but I just listened to my corner and they kept saying stand back and let him come. So that’s what I did.

“There were a few times when it got into a bit of a brawl but I didn’t want that. That would have been too dangerous and silly because Arthur Abraham is a big puncher and a very strong man. He knows what he’s doing. I knew if I executed my game plan it would be an easy night’s work and I proved that tonight. “He landed a few stiff jabs in there. He tried to get a little dirty but the ref did a great job stopping that. I had some great sparring with (ShoBox alum) Edwin Rodriguez. That really helped me.”

Abraham was contrite and short following the bout. “I’m not sure what happened,” he said. “Nothing worked tonight. He was the better man tonight and he won. Everything I meant to do did not work.”

Former world champions “King” Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO’s) of Germany and Carl “The Cobra” Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) of England both made weight Friday for their eagerly awaited fight tomorrow/Saturday, Nov. 27, on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, same-day-delay) from Helsinki, Finland.

The 12-round fight will be the final Group Stage 3 bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic and for the vacant WBC 168-pound championship.

Abraham weighed 167.2 pounds; Froch 166.76 …

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The October 2nd Super six Super Middleweight showdown between Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch will be postponed due to an Injury to Froch.

“We were informed [Monday] morning of a back injury that prohibits him to fight on Oct. 2, but that would allow him a fight about seven or eight weeks later,” Chris Meyer of Sauerland Event, Abraham’s promoter, told ESPN.com.

There is no new date set for the fight, however. Sauerland Event and Froch promoter Mick Hennessy need to huddle with Showtime as well as with their European broadcast partners to figure out a new date.

“Froch claims he has a back injury and the promoters are talking to [Showtime’s] Ken [Hershman] about a new date,” Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio told ESPN.com

Thus far, the Super Six World Boxing Classic has lived up to both its hype and intentions. Every match-up has produced a solid, if not exciting, fight. Outside of a draw, just about every possible outcome of a professional bout has occurred once. Some controversy, some thrills and some upsets. Other than Arthur Abraham, who scored the only knockout in the tournament to this point, every fighter involved is still at risk of being eliminated after Group Stage 3. The idealistic concept has turned into a reality. However, surely the main purpose when this whole thing began was to create one, if not more than one, boxing megastar. If that goal does come to fruition, the Super Six could truly be deemed a success. After only five fights, if you were to pick one fighter that could turn that objective into reality, that one fighter would be Andre Ward, the pride of Oakland, California, who takes on Allan Green tonight on Showtime.

This writer came to choose Ward as the potential “breakout star” of the tournament for many reasons, some obvious and some not. Let us start with the obvious. Andre Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) is the sole remaining undefeated fighter left in the Super Six. While often times too much weight is placed on that “O,” it does seem to mean a lot to the casual fan and the casual fan is the one a breakthrough star needs to attract. The diehard fans can decipher an undefeated record that is built up and one that has been earned. Ward has earned his undefeated record, most especially by supplanting Mikkel Kessler as the WBA Super Middleweight Champion and the top gun at 168-pounds last November.

Ward’s rise to the super middleweight throne was the realization of promise, and the disproving of doubt and it is that road which enriches his back-story. As one would expect for any Olympic Gold Medalist, the highest of hopes were held for Ward when he turned professional in 2004. However, shortly after he entered the paid ranks with an HBO-televised win, whispers started circling Ward. After getting buzzed by Kenny Kost in his second pro bout, and hitting the canvas in his seventh against Darnell Boone, the pundits began questioning his chin. When injuries to his hands or his knees stalled his career, some wondered if he would ever be physically able to reach the upper levels of the sport.

Much like the skinny-legged, junior lightweight version of Oscar De La Hoya who hit the canvas in the early stages of his career only to prove to have a sturdy chin, Ward seemingly did the same when he moved up from middleweight to 168-pounds in 2007. And while injuries can creep up at anytime, the fact that Ward healed quickly enough from a recent setback with one of his knees to make this weekend’s fight against Allan Green is a good sign for his future. Nothing can endear a fighter more to his fans than the ability to overcome, and Ward has proven he can do that.

Ward has an opportunity to take another leap towards superstardom when he defends his WBA title against Allan Green before his rapidly growing fan base at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Just as styles make fights, differing personalities can add an intriguing side story to a prizefight. Ward has been a breath of fresh air for a sport that too often showcases fighters as they turn up their braggadocio to the nth degree. A modest, deeply spiritual family man that likes to let his fists do his talking, Ward shies away from boasting about his accomplishments at nearly any cost. Allan Green in many ways is the anti-Ward, a cocky trash-talker if there ever was one. This contrast, which has been played up to some degree by the Fight Camp 360° documentary series on Showtime, adds a second layer to an already intriguing fight. Should Ward win, it could be perceived by some, unfairly perhaps, as a victory of good over evil.

The general sporting public is always a sucker for a good human interest story and over the years boxing has provided many. When a fighter allows light to be shed on an emotional personal story it can go a long way in connecting them with fight fans. In recent weeks, some in the media have pointed out that Ward will defending his title, for the first time, on Father’s Day weekend. Frank Ward, Andre’s father, a former amateur fighter himself, introduced his son to boxing before passing away suddenly in 2002.

Andre never saw his father fight, since home video cameras had not yet made their way into widespread use, but that did not stop Frank from inspiring his son to pick up the sport he loved. “Listening to my dad, he was the ultimate competitor, like I feel I am,” Ward told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s Greg Papa earlier this week. “And he did not like to lose. That being said, all I had to hear was some of my dad’s old war stories, and that was enough to introduce me and get me to want to start boxing. Just hearing his stories alone, and how passionate he was about preparing for fights and fighting in general, that was enough to make me want to become a boxer.”

Fighting on Father’s Day weekend does add additional motivation for Ward. “Father’s Day was [my dad’s] favorite holiday,” revealed Ward. “He never wanted me and my brother to buy him a card. He always wanted us to make him a card. Father’s Day was his day, so I am going to dedicate this fight to Nick Charles, the Showtime analyst battling cancer, but also to my father because Father’s Day was his day. Those are the type of things you use as a champion, and as a challenger, to drive you and push you to victory and I am going to use that Saturday night.”

Sports athletes are often propped up as heroes or role models, and more often than not they should not be. While no one should be held to the standard of being a role model for simply making their living in sport, Ward’s character allows you to feel comfortable tagging him in that way. It is for that reason more so than any other, that Ward has a chance to be the brightest star that emerges from the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he can fight too.

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

Keep Andre Dirrell in your prayers. What happened to him Saturday is graver than a disqualification victory. It’s about Dirrell being struck with a right uppercut on the chin and then reaching for a spot over his left eye. It’s not about a breach of sportsmanship by Arthur Abraham. It’s about Dirrell needing ice eight inches from where Abraham hit him.

It’s about Dirrell’s incoherence after the fight. It’s about his crying, “I’m hurt, man!” It’s about the way he winced and scrunched the left side of his face. It’s about an ambulance ride to the hospital for a CT scan – apparently negative, thankfully.

What a terrible way to get two points in Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Saturday in Detroit, American Andre Dirrell got those two points when Armenian Arthur Abraham got disqualified for an intentional foul at 1:13 of round 11. Behind by prohibitive margins on all scorecards, Abraham landed a perfect right uppercut with Dirrell on the seat of his trunks after he slipped on a Cemex Tolteca ad on the canvas.

Abraham still leads the tournament with the three points he won in October. That’s the best that can be said after his second trip to the United States from Germany, where he resides. The rest comprises the derogatory things now being thought about him in America, a country that’s still pretty important to the prizefighting world.

In some sense both men were victims of Abraham’s concussive power Saturday. Had Abraham missed with his right hand he might have stopped Dirrell in the five minutes that remained. Dirrell was fading. Had Abraham caught Dirrell with a glancing, or anyhow less-effective, punch he would have lost a point that didn’t matter anyway – à la Marco Antonio Barrera against Juan Manuel Marquez. Instead he knocked Dirrell senseless and left referee Laurence Cole no choice but to disqualify him. His record is now blemished in more than one way.

That’s nothing compared to what Abraham’s right hand may have done to Dirrell, who was on the precipice of a career-defining victory.

Gone were so many of the bad habits that had ruined Dirrell’s last fight with Carl Froch. In Saturday’s first six rounds Dirrell damn near threw a shutout against an undefeated former world champion. He threw leveraged, scientific punches, looped correctly round Abraham’s customarily high guard. He slipped punches like he wanted to counter them, not just impress his boys back home. He did almost everything the professional way.

Almost everything. There was one glaringly amateurish trait that survived Dirrell’s training camp. It happened five or six times. It was his move to the right. It was all wrong. Hands at his waist, feet crossed, chin pointed skyward, Dirrell leaped away from Abraham’s left hook. It made Abraham look ridiculous and slow. But to learned eyes, it made Dirrell look ridiculous, too.

Guess what Dirrell was doing when he slipped in the first minute of the 11th round. Dropped in the 10th from a right cross, Dirrell began the 11th wisely intending to play Keep Away. But he unwisely switched from Andre Dirrell to “The Matrix” – the kid with too much athleticism for his own good – and began to bounce back and forth, hands low. He Matrixed rightward. His right foot landed on the ‘x’ in Cemex – the sticker wet and frictionless – and his legs splayed.

That has to be the last thing Dirrell remembers from Saturday.

His hands on the canvas, Dirrell looked at Abraham’s onrushing right fist. The punch landed on the left side of his chin. Dirrell appeared disappointed, betrayed. Then the left side of his face contorted. Dirrell closed his left eye and brought his left glove to his forehead. He did not rub where he’d been struck. Rather he rubbed the place his jarred brain would have struck its protective shell. He rolled on his back. His legs began to shake involuntarily. It was ugly and frightening.

Abraham stood to the side, believing Dirrell was being theatrical – a belief he confirmed afterwards – and disbelieving he was about to lose by disqualification. What Abraham did was intentional. He deserved the result he got. But what Abraham did was not premeditated. That must be remembered.

Imagine you are Arthur Abraham. Like any man in the 31st minute of a championship prizefight, you’re more than a little buzzed from your opponent’s punches. You are desperate to sink your knuckles in the other man’s flesh. He has hit you repeatedly. He has taunted you. He has also been to the canvas minutes before. He is weakened and slowing. You have to render him unconscious or you lose.

For a half hour, he has evaded you with unorthodox moves. He drops his hands, changes levels and swoops away. You have cornered him. He struck the top of your chest with a jab after his head dropped oddly away. Now his hands are down. He is absolutely defenseless. That is a green light for you, not a red one. You throw the right hand you have cocked. You finish the defenseless man because that’s your job.

Moral judgments on Abraham need not apply here. Within the relative world of prizefighting, Abraham broke the rules and received a proper punishment. Had Dirrell been just as defenseless while standing, though – out on his feet, hands down – we’d be applauding Abraham as a great finisher for throwing that right hand.

None of this relativity helps Dirrell – a fighter about whom many things became more serious Saturday in Joe Louis Arena. If he is able to return to previous form, if subsequent tests come back negative, that is, expect the last vestiges of “The Matrix” to go away. Expect a far less playful guy in the ring. Expect a man who uses his athleticism to hurt other men. Expect some resentment at the end of those punches.

Expect that everything about Andre Dirrell just got a lot more serious.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry

Andre Dirrell fought the most polished fight of his career and and even had the most satisfying result but he deserved to win with the flare that he demonstrated over the balance of his eleven beat down of Arthur Abraham as Dirrell was awarded the victory via disqualification as Abraham knocked Dirrell out cold while Dirrell was on the ground during the eleventh round of their Super Middleweight clash at The Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Dirrell was brilliant throughout as he befuddled Abraham with quick combinations to the body and head. Dirrell kept up the boxing skills that Abraham had no answer for as the German contined to come in with his hands up eating punches. In round four, Dirrell landed a left off the ropes that sent the former IBF Middleweight champion to the canvas for the first time in his career. Abraham shook it off and sporadically would get through with one shot at a time.

Every time it seemed that Abraham was changing momentum, Dirrell would use his athleticism to land some solid combionations on Abraham. In round seven, a nasty cut opened over the right eye brow of Abraham which seemed to spur the visitor on.

In round ten, Abraham landed a big right that sent Dirrell to the canvas for which referee Laurence Cole ruled that it was a slip as the fighters’ feet were close but replays showed that it should have been ruled a knockdown. That was a foreshadow of the craziness to come.

In round eleven, Abraham landed a big right that was combined with Dirrell slipping on the ring and Dirrell went to his knee. While Dirrell was prone on the ground, Abraham wound him and drilled Dirrell with a vicious right that knocked Dirrell out with Dirrell’s legs beginning to tremble and Cole waved the fight off immediately at 1:13 of round eleven.

“He did not go down. I shouldn’t be DQ’d for this,’’ the favored Abraham told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray in the ring afterward.

Later, at the post-fight press conference, Abraham added, “I was not looking at his feet. I was looking at his eyes.

“If you are a professional boxer, you look for every opportunity to knock out your opponent. You do not wait for him to recover. But I wish Andre Dirrell well and hope he is OK.’’

After order was restored in the ring, Dirrell believed he was knocked out and therefore he left the ring and to the hospital while Abraham thought Dirrell was acting.

Dirrell of Flint, Michigan is now 19-1. Abraham of Berlin is now 31-1.