Amir Khan overcame the odds that threatened to derail his career ten months ago and made good on his promise to win a world title by outpointing Andreas Kotelnik over 12 rounds by scores of 118-111 (twice) and 120-108.
Khan emerged victorious by making good use of his fantastic hand speed, consistently firing off three-and-four-punch combinations through the guard of Kotelnik. The Brit also exhibited good footwork and lateral movement, frustrating the more experienced fighter and finding good angles from which to throw his own barrages.
Kotelnik attempted to stage a comeback in the later rounds, when Khan apparently began to run out of steam, but by then it was too little too late, as the Bolton-based fighter stuck to the high guard that has served him so well in the past three bouts, and shook off whatever shots managed to land through it.
The scorecards correctly indicate the British bomber's dominance; but credit also goes to Freddie Roach, who has masterminded the resurgence of Amir Khan by virtue of a totally revamped defence and a style that does not employ the overt aggressiveness that defined the 22-year-old early in his career.
The newly crowned WBA light welterweight champion, Khan, said that he will decide on his course of action over the coming weeks - although speculation is already rife that he is set to face Ricky Hatton in an all-British showdown, or else fight the un-retired Erik Morales. Certain bloggers (myself included) have been screaming for a Zab Judah match, provided that the latter gets by Matthew Hatton (Ricky's younger brother) this September.
On the undercard, Olympic middleweight gold-medallist James "Chunky" DeGale pummeled Ciaran Healey to a first-round stoppage en route to a third consecutive win to start his career, whilst former Olympian Billy Joe Saunders stopped Matt Scriven in two and Frankie Gavin beat Graham Fearn, also in tow rounds. All three youngsters are 3-0 and are tipped to become top contenders in their respective divisions.
Also on the undercard, Anthony Small pulled off an upset to beat Matthew Hall by eighth round KO for the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title in an entertaining scrap. Anthony Small turned in the performance of his career, and will now be looking for fights on the international stage.
Whilst Small was celebrating, former cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli was left to concede that his career may have come to an end, after getting comprehensively beaten for three rounds by unknown Denis Lebedev, before the ref mercifully called off the fight. Macca has now been KO'd in three of his last four fights, and the former WBO titleholder admits that he "doesn't have it anymore."
Showing posts with label WBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WBA. Show all posts
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Khan wins Kotelnik's WBA belt!
So - Amir Khan won a clear-cut unanimous decision - 120-108 and 118-112 (twice) and thus receives Kotelnik's WBA belt. It was a fairly easy night for the lad from Bolton, who used outstanding lateral movement, along with fluid combinations and a superior workrate to consistently frustrate the more experienced Ukrainian fighter.
Full analysis of the fight, as well as the undercard, coming soon!
Full analysis of the fight, as well as the undercard, coming soon!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Kotelnik vs. Khan - Preview
MATCH: Andreas Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs) vs. Amir Khan (20-1-0, 15 KOs).
DATE: Saturday, July 18 2009.
WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.
TITLES: Kotelnik's WBA belt.
LOCATION: M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK
TV INFO: Not televised in the USA, SkySports in the UK.
UNDERCARD:
Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Denis Lebedev
James DeGale vs. Ciaran Healey
Kotelnik's Advantages:
Kotelnik simply outdoes Khan in every department pertaining to experience and ring awareness. The Ukrainian-native has boxed 244 rounds in his career, compared to Khan's 82. Kotelnik holds notable wins over Marcos Maidana (an impressive feat, looking back on the Argentinian's defeat of highly-touted Victor Ortiz), talented William Gonzalez and then-undefeated Gavin Rees. He has a good set of whiskers, having never been KO'd, or even knocked down, in his career.
Whilst not heavy-handed, Kotelnik is accustomed to fighting 12 rounds, having done so nine times in his career, and has consistent force from beginning to end - increasing the probability that Khan will get caught by something at some point.
Arguably the greatest advantage that the Hamburg-based fighter will invoke on Saturday was best describbed by Junior Witter - who holds a unanimous decision win over Kotelnik - in an interview with ringtv.com last week: "Kotelnik is a very decepive fighter. He's easy to underestimate because there's nothing flashy about what he does, but ... he's solid all the way through!"
The type of grit that the Ukrainian displays is a potent weapon against any young, talented but inexperienced boxer - and, having been angered by his "underdog" status and the Brit's forward-looking nature, Kotelnik has promised to punish Khan severely come Saturday night. In truth, it wouldn't be a major upset if he did!
Kotelnik's Disadvantages:
A more cynical, glass-half-empty approach to Kotelnik's style and career is that he is neither strong, nor fast, nor particularly difficult to deal with. As orthodox a boxer as ever there was, the Ukrainian can be labeled as predictable and repetitive. He fails to pull the proverbial bunny out of the hat, which is almost always required when fighting champions.
Although well-rounded as a fighter, Kotelnik does not excel in any one area of the sport and can hence hold no significant advantage over Khan in any single area. Oh - and somebody's gotta mention it - the champ postponed the fight for three weeks due to suffering from toothache. As anyone who has ever had trouble in that area knows, a decent punch will hurt waaaaaay more if there's still any lingering effects. Let's hope - for Kotelnik's sake - that he has recovered fully.
Khan's Advantages:
Nobody can doubt that Khan is extremely talented. I think that he is considerably more advanced than either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Zab Judah were at his age - and that's saying something! The speed and accuracy of Khan's punches is awe-inspiring, and it has been on display every single time he has stepped in the ring - making it a virtual certainty that we will see it again on Saturday!
Also a powerful puncher, the Brit can inflict heavy damage on his opponents and make them even more vulnerable to his quick hands. Khan will have an advantage in both height and reach - three inches - and be the more nimble on his feet. Additionally, Khan's straight-up style is excellent from a defensive standpoint - I see Kotelnik having a hard time catching Khan with anything.
Besides the boxing factors, the Olympic silver-medalist will also have a vocal crowd cheering him forth and the best trainer that money can buy - Freddie Roach, who transformed Khan from a gifted-but-vulnerable contender into a solid fighter who is now widely tipped to win his first world title at the M.E.N. tomorrow night.
Khan's Disadvantages:
Breidis Prescott, anyone? The Columbian contender knocked Khan out in 54-seconds a mere ten months ago. True, Prescott could wobble a horse just by feigning a right, but accusations of a glass jaw have been haunting the Brit for a while. And they won't go away either - despite the fact that he took a couple of healthy shots from a bloodied Marco Antonio Barrera in his last outing; despite the fact that he reinvented his defense; despite the fact that he now tucks his chin in. Truth is, if Khan is nailed properly during the twelve-rounder we are likely to experience, he will lose.
Being inexperienced (remember those 82 pro rounds?) means that the Bolton-native will have a hard time adjusting, should he run into any difficulty. Roach will help, no doubt, but a question mark remains over Khan's versatility and courage in the face of adversity.
Outcome Prediction:
Call me crazy, or intuitive, or prophetic (not to be confused with pathetic). I think this one will go the distance, and I think it may be fairly close. Khan's speed and power will diminish slightly as the fight goes on, whilst Kotelnik will be fairly consistent, as has always been the case. The styles indicate that it will be a reasonably cautious fight, but I'm predicting that, between his God-given talent and top-notch corner, Khan will squeeze out a close decision, somewhere around 115-113.
Undercard Analysis:
As is almost always the case with Brits, they put on interesting undercards - often featuring popular up-and-comers, or already-accomplished fighters. This one, fortunately, includes both: the former in the form of James DeGale, Olympic gold-medalist, who is fighting professionally for only the third time, and the latter being Enzo Maccarinelli, former cruiserweight world champion, who is looking to rebound from a shock loss to Ola Afolabi earlier this year.
Enzo Maccarinelli (29-3-0, 22 KOs) vs. Denis Lebedev (17-0-0, 12 KOs)
Macca has shifted a lot of personal factors around since losing to Afolabi - he parted ways with Enzo Calzaghe and instead hired Karl Ince as his trainer, switching up a few things in his training camps in order to be better prepared to last the distance (he was ahead against Afolabi but ran out of steam). He is a former world champ, and is more experienced than his Russian counterpart.
Lebedev is not well-known, but apparently packs a huge punch. He has defeated a string of low-level competitors with ease, and is deemed ready to move up the ranks.
It is noteworthy that a defeat would set both men back a considerable distance - Maccarinelli may never recover from a third loss in four bouts, whilst Lebedev may be demoted from the "contender" ranks indefinitely, should he fail to dispatch the Welshman. Therefore, we should have an interesting scrap on our hands. My prediction is that Maccarinelli will emerge victorious in an easy unanimous decision.
James DeGale (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs. Ciaran Healey (10-10-1, 2 KOs):
Okay people - let's face it. DeGale isn't in for a tough test. It's odds-on that Healey couldn't knock me out, much less the middleweight Olympic-gold-medalist! DeGale faces a man with an even record in his second outing and is hoping to further polish his skills in front of a live audience. Despite my quip, Healey is actually a worthy gatekeeper, having fought many undefeated prospects in his time. He just won't have the answer to DeGale's mix of speed, power, and ring-smarts. DeGale by KO in round 2.
Yep - this marks the end of my second ever fight preview. I will, of course, be back with a post-fight analysis. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to follow the blog, or check me out on Twitter!
Boxing banter is always welcome at: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
DATE: Saturday, July 18 2009.
WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.
TITLES: Kotelnik's WBA belt.
LOCATION: M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK
TV INFO: Not televised in the USA, SkySports in the UK.
UNDERCARD:
Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Denis Lebedev
James DeGale vs. Ciaran Healey
Kotelnik's Advantages:
Kotelnik simply outdoes Khan in every department pertaining to experience and ring awareness. The Ukrainian-native has boxed 244 rounds in his career, compared to Khan's 82. Kotelnik holds notable wins over Marcos Maidana (an impressive feat, looking back on the Argentinian's defeat of highly-touted Victor Ortiz), talented William Gonzalez and then-undefeated Gavin Rees. He has a good set of whiskers, having never been KO'd, or even knocked down, in his career.
Whilst not heavy-handed, Kotelnik is accustomed to fighting 12 rounds, having done so nine times in his career, and has consistent force from beginning to end - increasing the probability that Khan will get caught by something at some point.
Arguably the greatest advantage that the Hamburg-based fighter will invoke on Saturday was best describbed by Junior Witter - who holds a unanimous decision win over Kotelnik - in an interview with ringtv.com last week: "Kotelnik is a very decepive fighter. He's easy to underestimate because there's nothing flashy about what he does, but ... he's solid all the way through!"
The type of grit that the Ukrainian displays is a potent weapon against any young, talented but inexperienced boxer - and, having been angered by his "underdog" status and the Brit's forward-looking nature, Kotelnik has promised to punish Khan severely come Saturday night. In truth, it wouldn't be a major upset if he did!
Kotelnik's Disadvantages:
A more cynical, glass-half-empty approach to Kotelnik's style and career is that he is neither strong, nor fast, nor particularly difficult to deal with. As orthodox a boxer as ever there was, the Ukrainian can be labeled as predictable and repetitive. He fails to pull the proverbial bunny out of the hat, which is almost always required when fighting champions.
Although well-rounded as a fighter, Kotelnik does not excel in any one area of the sport and can hence hold no significant advantage over Khan in any single area. Oh - and somebody's gotta mention it - the champ postponed the fight for three weeks due to suffering from toothache. As anyone who has ever had trouble in that area knows, a decent punch will hurt waaaaaay more if there's still any lingering effects. Let's hope - for Kotelnik's sake - that he has recovered fully.
Khan's Advantages:
Nobody can doubt that Khan is extremely talented. I think that he is considerably more advanced than either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Zab Judah were at his age - and that's saying something! The speed and accuracy of Khan's punches is awe-inspiring, and it has been on display every single time he has stepped in the ring - making it a virtual certainty that we will see it again on Saturday!
Also a powerful puncher, the Brit can inflict heavy damage on his opponents and make them even more vulnerable to his quick hands. Khan will have an advantage in both height and reach - three inches - and be the more nimble on his feet. Additionally, Khan's straight-up style is excellent from a defensive standpoint - I see Kotelnik having a hard time catching Khan with anything.
Besides the boxing factors, the Olympic silver-medalist will also have a vocal crowd cheering him forth and the best trainer that money can buy - Freddie Roach, who transformed Khan from a gifted-but-vulnerable contender into a solid fighter who is now widely tipped to win his first world title at the M.E.N. tomorrow night.
Khan's Disadvantages:
Breidis Prescott, anyone? The Columbian contender knocked Khan out in 54-seconds a mere ten months ago. True, Prescott could wobble a horse just by feigning a right, but accusations of a glass jaw have been haunting the Brit for a while. And they won't go away either - despite the fact that he took a couple of healthy shots from a bloodied Marco Antonio Barrera in his last outing; despite the fact that he reinvented his defense; despite the fact that he now tucks his chin in. Truth is, if Khan is nailed properly during the twelve-rounder we are likely to experience, he will lose.
Being inexperienced (remember those 82 pro rounds?) means that the Bolton-native will have a hard time adjusting, should he run into any difficulty. Roach will help, no doubt, but a question mark remains over Khan's versatility and courage in the face of adversity.
Outcome Prediction:
Call me crazy, or intuitive, or prophetic (not to be confused with pathetic). I think this one will go the distance, and I think it may be fairly close. Khan's speed and power will diminish slightly as the fight goes on, whilst Kotelnik will be fairly consistent, as has always been the case. The styles indicate that it will be a reasonably cautious fight, but I'm predicting that, between his God-given talent and top-notch corner, Khan will squeeze out a close decision, somewhere around 115-113.
Undercard Analysis:
As is almost always the case with Brits, they put on interesting undercards - often featuring popular up-and-comers, or already-accomplished fighters. This one, fortunately, includes both: the former in the form of James DeGale, Olympic gold-medalist, who is fighting professionally for only the third time, and the latter being Enzo Maccarinelli, former cruiserweight world champion, who is looking to rebound from a shock loss to Ola Afolabi earlier this year.
Enzo Maccarinelli (29-3-0, 22 KOs) vs. Denis Lebedev (17-0-0, 12 KOs)
Macca has shifted a lot of personal factors around since losing to Afolabi - he parted ways with Enzo Calzaghe and instead hired Karl Ince as his trainer, switching up a few things in his training camps in order to be better prepared to last the distance (he was ahead against Afolabi but ran out of steam). He is a former world champ, and is more experienced than his Russian counterpart.
Lebedev is not well-known, but apparently packs a huge punch. He has defeated a string of low-level competitors with ease, and is deemed ready to move up the ranks.
It is noteworthy that a defeat would set both men back a considerable distance - Maccarinelli may never recover from a third loss in four bouts, whilst Lebedev may be demoted from the "contender" ranks indefinitely, should he fail to dispatch the Welshman. Therefore, we should have an interesting scrap on our hands. My prediction is that Maccarinelli will emerge victorious in an easy unanimous decision.
James DeGale (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs. Ciaran Healey (10-10-1, 2 KOs):
Okay people - let's face it. DeGale isn't in for a tough test. It's odds-on that Healey couldn't knock me out, much less the middleweight Olympic-gold-medalist! DeGale faces a man with an even record in his second outing and is hoping to further polish his skills in front of a live audience. Despite my quip, Healey is actually a worthy gatekeeper, having fought many undefeated prospects in his time. He just won't have the answer to DeGale's mix of speed, power, and ring-smarts. DeGale by KO in round 2.
Yep - this marks the end of my second ever fight preview. I will, of course, be back with a post-fight analysis. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to follow the blog, or check me out on Twitter!
Boxing banter is always welcome at: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Andre Ward - Emerging Superstar
In a tournament involving the likes of Froch, Kessler, Abraham and Taylor, it is easy to overlook soft-spoken, quietly confident Andre Ward, despite an extensive amateur background (that includes a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics) and a hugely promising start to his pro career.
Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.
Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.
In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.
Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.
I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.
Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.
The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.
The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.
Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.
Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.
In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.
Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.
I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.
Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.
The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.
The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
World Boxing Classic - Six Man Super Middleweight Tournament is Official!
Upon hearing the news, I took a lengthy walk and inspected the state of the world. No, there was no fire raining from the sky; nor were the seas running red with blood. Now that the initial shock is wearing off, I can assume that the six-man super middleweight tournament that Showtime has been harping on about is actually happening! But - it seems paradoxical, somehow:
Could it be that six elite boxers are actually signing on to fight ... each other?
Most fighters these days are too preoccupied with protecting their win-loss ratio and conservatively calculating the risk and reward associated with every bout. They are too busy trying to negotiate finances, or else choosing to make routine title defenses against alphabet-belt mandatory challengers.
Therefore, I suggest that all of us take off our proverbial hats to the six men who have agreed to compete in World Boxing Classic - a round-robin tournament organized by Showtime, with the express purpose of crowning a divisional champ among the 168 pounders. The pugilists involved (in alphabetical order) are:
Arthur Abraham (30-0-0, 24 KOs): fighting out of Germany, the Armenian warrior who goes by King Arthur has made ten successive defenses of his IBF middleweight belt. He is vacating it in order to move up to 168 and take part in the tournament.
Andre Dirrell (18-0-0, 13 KOs): the Flint, Michigan native won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and is ready to step up to elite opposition in a tournament which will give him the chance to showcase his considerable skills.
Carl Froch (25-0-0, 20 KOs): having finally emerged from the shadow of Joe Calzaghe as the top British super middleweight, Froch made his first defense of the WBC title by knocking out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round of a hotly contested fight. He is putting his WBC strap on the line to participate.
Mikkel Kessler (41-1-0, 31 KOs): former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, his only loss is a decision to a prime Joe Calzaghe - which makes him very good, indeed! Currently WBA champ, he is scheduled to put his title on the line in order to compete.
Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs): one-time undisputed middleweight champ, he has recently suffered several setbacks, in the form of two losses to Kelly Pavlik, and one to Carl Froch. Taylor is looking to rebound by winning the tournament, dominating the super middleweight division and adding to his collection of belts.
Andre Ward (19-0-0, 12 KOs): the Olympic gold-medallist is looking to become recognized as the best 168-pounder out there. Superb boxing skills and an impressive string of victories make him a worthy challenger to the likes of Kessler and Froch.
Almost as if to prove to the world that the tourney is no hoax, Showtime gathered all six men, placed them on a podium for photographs, and announced the first-round of fights:
Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor
Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell
Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward
In case you're wondering by now, the format is as follows: there are three bouts scheduled for each fighter. At the end of it, the boxers ranked one through four, in terms of points, will face off in a semi-final, to decide who fights for the overall title. A worthy concept, if you ask me! Points are awarded thusly:
2 for a win (with a 1-point bonus for a KO/TKO)
1 for a draw
0 for a loss
So. If this tournament happens as per the schedule set forth by Showtime, we should have 12 extremely interesting fights over the next year-and-a-half - all involving prime contenders/champions!
Of course, there is a little something missing: namely, Lucian Bute, and another worthy candidate (Pavlik? Wright? Andrade? Balzsay?) that could have turned World Boxing Classic into an eight-man affair and put three or four belts on the line, thus producing a true undisputed champion. Showtime argued against this, citing an exaggerated time frame and logistical difficulties - both valid excuses. In any case, Bute is likely to be a stand-by for the tourney, in case of injury or contractual dispute amongst the other fighters, so we may yet see him in action. Regardless of this, I think all boxing fans should focus on the positive aspect of World Boxing Classic - namely, that it does the sweet science a world of good, and is the most ambitious and all-encompassing boxing endeavor of the decade. Bravo to Showtime and the six pugilists involved!
To celebrate this brave group, PureBoxingPress will be chronicling the careers of each of the fighters over the next couple of weeks (in reverse alphabetical order, just because). Therefore, please be sure to stay tuned for the piece on Andre Ward, which will be up over the next 36 hours.
I also encourage you to become a follower of the blog, or else follow me on Twitter!
Any questions, concerns or comments should be emailed to: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Boxing banter is, of course, always welcome!
Could it be that six elite boxers are actually signing on to fight ... each other?
Most fighters these days are too preoccupied with protecting their win-loss ratio and conservatively calculating the risk and reward associated with every bout. They are too busy trying to negotiate finances, or else choosing to make routine title defenses against alphabet-belt mandatory challengers.
Therefore, I suggest that all of us take off our proverbial hats to the six men who have agreed to compete in World Boxing Classic - a round-robin tournament organized by Showtime, with the express purpose of crowning a divisional champ among the 168 pounders. The pugilists involved (in alphabetical order) are:
Arthur Abraham (30-0-0, 24 KOs): fighting out of Germany, the Armenian warrior who goes by King Arthur has made ten successive defenses of his IBF middleweight belt. He is vacating it in order to move up to 168 and take part in the tournament.
Andre Dirrell (18-0-0, 13 KOs): the Flint, Michigan native won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and is ready to step up to elite opposition in a tournament which will give him the chance to showcase his considerable skills.
Carl Froch (25-0-0, 20 KOs): having finally emerged from the shadow of Joe Calzaghe as the top British super middleweight, Froch made his first defense of the WBC title by knocking out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round of a hotly contested fight. He is putting his WBC strap on the line to participate.
Mikkel Kessler (41-1-0, 31 KOs): former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, his only loss is a decision to a prime Joe Calzaghe - which makes him very good, indeed! Currently WBA champ, he is scheduled to put his title on the line in order to compete.
Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs): one-time undisputed middleweight champ, he has recently suffered several setbacks, in the form of two losses to Kelly Pavlik, and one to Carl Froch. Taylor is looking to rebound by winning the tournament, dominating the super middleweight division and adding to his collection of belts.
Andre Ward (19-0-0, 12 KOs): the Olympic gold-medallist is looking to become recognized as the best 168-pounder out there. Superb boxing skills and an impressive string of victories make him a worthy challenger to the likes of Kessler and Froch.
Almost as if to prove to the world that the tourney is no hoax, Showtime gathered all six men, placed them on a podium for photographs, and announced the first-round of fights:
Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor
Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell
Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward
In case you're wondering by now, the format is as follows: there are three bouts scheduled for each fighter. At the end of it, the boxers ranked one through four, in terms of points, will face off in a semi-final, to decide who fights for the overall title. A worthy concept, if you ask me! Points are awarded thusly:
2 for a win (with a 1-point bonus for a KO/TKO)
1 for a draw
0 for a loss
So. If this tournament happens as per the schedule set forth by Showtime, we should have 12 extremely interesting fights over the next year-and-a-half - all involving prime contenders/champions!
Of course, there is a little something missing: namely, Lucian Bute, and another worthy candidate (Pavlik? Wright? Andrade? Balzsay?) that could have turned World Boxing Classic into an eight-man affair and put three or four belts on the line, thus producing a true undisputed champion. Showtime argued against this, citing an exaggerated time frame and logistical difficulties - both valid excuses. In any case, Bute is likely to be a stand-by for the tourney, in case of injury or contractual dispute amongst the other fighters, so we may yet see him in action. Regardless of this, I think all boxing fans should focus on the positive aspect of World Boxing Classic - namely, that it does the sweet science a world of good, and is the most ambitious and all-encompassing boxing endeavor of the decade. Bravo to Showtime and the six pugilists involved!
To celebrate this brave group, PureBoxingPress will be chronicling the careers of each of the fighters over the next couple of weeks (in reverse alphabetical order, just because). Therefore, please be sure to stay tuned for the piece on Andre Ward, which will be up over the next 36 hours.
I also encourage you to become a follower of the blog, or else follow me on Twitter!
Any questions, concerns or comments should be emailed to: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Boxing banter is, of course, always welcome!
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