Stats
Andre Ward
Age: 27
Hometown: Oakland, California
Nickname: S.O.G. (Son of God)
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 73"
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 24-0 (13 knockouts)
Ranking: No. 1 super middleweight; No. 9 pound for pound
Titles Held: WBA Super Middleweight (2009-present)
Carl Froch
Age: 34
Hometown: Nottingham, England
Nickname: The Cobra
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 74 1/2"
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 28-1 (20 knockouts)
Ranking: No. 2 super middleweight
Titles Held: WBC Super Middleweight (2010-present)
*Rankings from The Ring Magazine
 |
Not only are the fighters' titles at stakes, but so is the
tournament trophy, as well as The Ring super middleweight
title |
Two years ago, Ken Hershman proposed the idea of holding a boxing tournament that would bring together the best fighters in a weight class, and have them fight each other until a clear champion was crowned. Many were intrigued by the idea, and the speculation grew as to which weight-class would be chosen for this inaugural tournament. Boxing writers and analysts pondered as to which weight-class would be selected, with the welterweights and lightweights being the clear favorites. These ideas were quickly shot down as soon as Hershman revealed that this tournament would take place in the super middleweight division. Hershman's decision was quickly questioned by the media and amateur pundit's alike, as they argued about the drawing power of the seemingly barren super middleweight division. Two years after the start of the tournament however, one could hardly question Hershman's vision. Since the start of the tournament, viewers have been treated to some of the best fights ever put on by the division, while also dealing with constant injuries that plagued the initial entrants of the tournament. After two years of drama and excitement, two fighters have emerged from the tournament as they come to face off in the Super Six Final. The winner of this fight not only wins the tournament trophy, but also earns the accolades and recognition as being the best super middleweight in the world.
 |
Andre Ward (right) earns the upset over Mikkel
Kessler (left) en-route to earning his first major title. |
Andre Ward came into this tournament as one of the initial entrants, and also as a relative unknown. Although he was an Olympic gold-medalist, he never gained much exposure with the networks due to his technical and calculating style. This quickly changed after he chose to compete in the world tournament. His first fight came in November of 2009, against the tournament favorite and always tough, Mikkel Kessler (44-2). In their encounter, Ward was able to quickly overwhelm the Swede with his technical style and superior movement, eventually leading to a technical decision win for the young Californian. At first, skeptics were quick to point out that Ward would often lead in with his head, causing a seemingly constant clash of heads that could lead to cuts and other potential fight stopping injuries. Ward quickly silenced his remaining critics with dominating wins over Allan Green (31-3), Sakio Bika (28-4-2), and Arthur Abraham (32-3). With quality wins under his belt, Ward became the favorite to win the tournament and seems on his way to become the next American star. Before any of this can occur, Ward must quickly get past England's own, Carl Froch. In Froch, Ward finds his toughest opponent yet. In order to beat the Brit, he must not only stay mentally tough, but also prepare for the constant pressure that Froch applies in his fights. In previous outings, Ward was the first to come out and set the pace for the fight, but this will quickly change as Froch is always eager to meet his opponent in the middle of the ring. Ward must rely on his superior technique and his corner's instructions in order to get past the rangy Englishman. Ward's best method of victory would be to come at Froch and immediately make this an inside fight as he alternates between attacks to the head and body. This will effectively nullify Froch's reach advantage, while also forcing him to fight off of his heels in order to avoid any unnecessary exchanges. If Ward is able to pace himself while constantly applying this game plan, expect him to earn a unanimous decision victory over a very game Froch.
 |
Carl Froch (right) tags Jermain Taylor (left)
before knocking out the veteran late in
the 12th. |
Carl Froch has quickly established himself as one of England's premier fighters with his crowd-pleasing style and overall toughness. Before entering the tournament, Froch was already well-known among boxing fans with his thrilling come-from-behind KO victory over Jermain Taylor (28-2-1). Upon entering the tournament, Froch was already viewed as a favorite, second only to Mikkel Kessler (44-2). His first tournament fight came against Andre Dirrell (18-1), in a fight where Froch earned a hotly debated split decision win over the young American. Froch then went on to face Mikkel Kessler in a fight that many deemed the fight of the year in 2010. Both fighters showcased glimpses of greatness as they stood toe-to-to and traded blows throughout the ring. After a hard fought twelve rounds, Kessler took the unanimous decision as Froch was handed the first loss in his career. Froch went on to fight the hard-hitting Arthur Abraham (32-3), as both were looking to rebound off of their first career losses. Surprisingly, the fight turned out to be a one sided affair, with Froch taking over from the opening bell. Froch went on to earn a lopsided decision win, while earning the very belt that he had previously lost to Kessler. In his semi-final fight, Froch defeated a shop-worn Glen Johnson (51-14-2) to earn himself a spot against Andre Ward in the tournament finals. As the fight approaches, it appears as if Froch has been largely written off as any kind of a challenge to the man whom many think will be the next super star. This is foolish considering Froch's tendency to overcome seemingly hopeless adversity. One will have to look no further than his fight with Jermain Taylor to see this. No matter how many rounds Froch may be losing, he will always be dangerous on account of his capability to end a fight regardless of how late it may be. With his "unorthodox" boxing style and reach advantage, Froch is a difficult match-up for anyone in the division. Against Ward, he must resort to both the previously mentioned attributes in order to win his tournament match-up against the hungry champion. Should Froch quickly establish range, while avoiding an invitation to brawl, expect him to frustrate the young American. Along with his jab, Froch must resort to his foot work not only to avoid any oncoming punches, but to avoid the head of Ward from crashing into his. If Froch fights a smart fight, while constantly circling and jabbing Ward, expect him to earn a split decision win.
Prediction
As the first bell rings, both fighters will waste no time in quickly trying to establish their pace. Both will meet in the center of the ring as they alternate combos from the head to the body of their opponent. Although both will have success, Ward will get the better of the exchanges due to his superior technique and movement. The round will end, with the next two following a similar pattern as the first. The two fighters will continue to try and push their opponent around the ring while unleashing furious combos with intentions to stop their opponent early. Towards the end of the third, Froch will have Ward on the ropes as he unleashes his own volley of punches. Up to the fifth, both fighters will have traded brilliant exchanges in a fight that will be seen as even up to this point. In the sixth, Ward will come out over-eager and quickly cause a clash of heads. This will be ignored by the referee and just gives Froch more reason to beat the American into submission. Froch will ignore the cut caused by the butt, and will continue in his attempts to overwhelm Ward. In the seventh and eighth rounds, both fighters will begin to show signs of exhaustion as they continue their attempts to gain a lead on their opponent. Through the ninth, the fight will stay relatively even on the cards as both fighter's corners stress to go for the finish. Towards the end of the ninth, Ward will turn up the pace by hitting Froch with a flurry of punches that will be mostly blocked by the Englishman, but will be enough to steal the round in the judges eyes. Froch's corner will begin giving the Brit the idea that he is losing the fight, causing him to come forward and impose his will on Ward. He will have Ward circling the ring until he eventually forces the American against the ropes once again. Froch will begin attacking the body, hoping to cripple the American, but Ward will survive until the bell. The fight is once again even as both fighters come out for the championship rounds. For the next two rounds, both fighters will both flash excellence as they dig deep and try to stop their constantly charging opponent. At the last minute of the fight, Froch will try to steal the round by immediately unleashing a ferocious attack against Ward. This could be enough to steal the round for Froch, but it might not be. The judges will have one hell of a time trying to score this fight as it seems fairly even on all of their score cards. Instead of ruling the fight a draw, expect the judges to score many of the close rounds for Ward in what will be viewed as a case of "home-cooking" (awarding close or even rounds to the local or home-town fighter) for the American. Froch will immediately question the decision, and rightly so. He will challenge Ward to an immediate rematch that will eventually be mandated by the major sanctioning bodies of the seemingly useless belts. Regardless of the outcomes, expect both fighters' stock to significantly increase after this tournament, as they both prepare for another confrontation should they agree to a rematch in the near future.
 |
Carl Froch (left) and Andre Ward (right) in their final face-off
before their tournament final bout. |
Pick: Andre Ward def. Carl Froch via controversial and hotly contested Split Decision (SD)
