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Khan-Toon Violence

December 4, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Well, now that there’s next to no chance of grabbing a ticket for tomorrow evening’s Amir Khan-Dmitriy Salita light welterweight title match in Newcastle, I’m rather predictably desperate to attend. Is the grass really always greener? I’m actually tempted to travel the 15 minutes from my house to the venue, Newcastle’s Metro Arena (just yon side of the iconic green bridge in the picture above) to seek out men I usually avoid like the plague. Dreaded ticket touts.

The city’s participants are regularly depicted as fun loving, sports mad and fond of a good old knees up and to be fair, that’d be about right. It should therefore, be a pretty raucous atmosphere which greets the fighters when they emerge into the sold out 10 000 seater arena.

When tickets for this scrap were originally released, I was in the midst of a nationwide boxing tour and rather snootily turned my nose up at the line up (Kevin Mitchell v Ricky Burns as chief support? No thank you Mr.Warren). Again, predictably, it was shuffled about and now contains what has to be the most exciting fight domestically (on paper at least) staged this year, with Dagenham’s Mitchell now taking on Columbian puncher Breidis Prescott.

Sigh.

I should really have been all over this one like a rash, Salita staying just up the road in Gateshead and running of a morning along the Tyne on Newcastle’s quayside, a regular haunt of mine. Slack work there then, which I can only blame really on a lack of enthusiasm for the chief participants.

Despite going out on PPV in the UK and being marketed as ‘the first defence’ for young Amir, in reality this is a fight between a top ten rated light welterweight and a guy who ranks somewhere between 10-20. The best fighter at 140 lbs is the incomparable Manny Pacquiao, who fights on a different plane entirely to the two boys vying for Khan’s WBA championship.

Khan’s best win to date came against the functional but unspectacular Andreas Kotelnik last time out, a fight where improvements were visible, thanks to Miami guru Freddie Roach’s influence.

Amir’s defence has tightened up considerably under Roach, with much emphasis placed on protecting his rather unreliable chin. Freddie has his young charge firing off super quick combinations, never quite committing to any real power with them, which in turn allows him to keep his chin at a distance where he can pull back out of danger when it first rears its ugly head.

From what I’ve seen of Salita, he’s an all round decent enough technician, who does everything ok and nothing great. His record demands respect 30-0 (16), however closer inspection returns…..well, not a lot really, there isn’t anyone even approaching world class on there to be frank.

Khan, 21-1 (15) will look to box, constantly peppering Salita with rapid combos. The challenger meanwhile, will be trying to grab a foothold in the fight which he can steadily build upon, hoping that his correct punching can rattle Khan and slow him down.

Whether he can do this though is debateable; word on the street is that Salita has struggled to make weight, which means he’ll likely fade down the stretch, just when he needs to be coming on strong.

Tipping Amir always comes with an asterix (a bit like the current version of Roy Jones Jr). Due to the fact he’s been buzzed by men like feather punching Willie Limond, the unremarkable Rachid Drizlane and blown up super feather Michael Gomez, his chin could let him down again at any time. I go for Khan though, probably by decision and more due to his opponent’s shortcomings really than any great faith I have in the improving speedster from Bolton.

William Hill has Khan at a too short 1/7 favourite with Salita out at 4/1.

For fans visiting Britain’s party city who are looking for the finest watering holes on offer, check out the following fantastic site, which will point you in the right direction:

http://www.theburglarsdog.co.uk/

Below: Geordies…………

Mitchell-Prescott

Now this is more like it.

In an undercard battle which intrigues far more than the main event manages to, Kevin Mitchell’s first foray into the lightweight ranks is an audacious one, tackling the man who, just over a year ago,  blitzkrieged Khan in 54 seconds.

His opponent, the rangy and lead-fisted Columbian banger, Breidis Prescott, will be looking to thrust himself back to the head of the queue for a Khan showdown in the new year with an impressive win over the former British super featherweight champion.

This one’s a pig to pick and thanks to my poor record just recently, I don’t feel confident enough to chance my arm.

Mitchell is 29-0 (22), yet the 25 year old’s career has floundered somewhat of late. The quick little banger from the capital will be hoping to gatecrash the fringes of world class with a win here. A former ABA champion at featherweight, Mitchell possesses good boxing skills, yet has too often discarded these in order to brawl with his opponents, moving into range and chopping away with meaty hooks to body and head, in a bid to remove the other man swiftly from the contest.

The knock against Mitchell has been his defence. His lack of head movement and wide swatting, leaves him susceptible to being tagged himself, especially with left hooks, something he must avoid at all costs against Prescott.

Breidis, currently 21-1 (18), is a big, tall and gangling lightweight with bricks for fists. The young lad’s future looked rosy after his demolition job on Khan, however he failed to build on his springboard victory. After a protracted period of contract wrangling, Prescott had been pencilled in for a nuclear war with the dynamite fisted Edwin Valero, however the fight disappointingly fell through. Worse than that, he lost his first contest last time out, via split decision against Mexican Miguel Vazquez, despite flooring his man with a jab in the opening round.

Prescott throws a devilish left hook which, despite travelling some distance, arrives with immense power, such is the way he whips in his punches. Reportedly having sparred the dynamic Yuriorkis Gamboa in the build up, Prescott has arrived into town late, bullish and seemingly unconcerned by the challenge Mitchell presents.

Vazquez illustrated the way to defeat Prescott, by boxing behind a smart jab whilst mixing in tenacious infighting in close, smothering the Columbian and not allowing him enough distance to land his booming shots. Prescott finished that fight with a badly busted left eye which hampered his vision and has noticeably been sporting a shiner this week after jumping straight off a flight from Miami (acclimatisation be damned).

This will be the blueprint Mitchell will look to follow, especially now that he is under the tutelage of the canny Jimmy Tibbs, the man who masterminded Nigel Benn’s conversion from wreckless slugger into world class boxer-puncher.

On home turf, Mitchell must have a chance, however if he loses his cool and elects to brawl with Prescott, he may find himself significantly overpowered. It should be exciting.

Hills have Prescott a slight favourite at 4/5 with Mitchell 10/11.

Posted in amir kahn, andriy kotelnik, breidis prescott, dmitriy salita, kevin mitchell | Leave a Comment »

Golden Oldies

December 1, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Tomorrow evening sees an odd mid-week double header featuring prospective opponents and future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Hopkins faces Mexican Enrique Ornelas 29-5 (19) on home turf in Philadelphia at 175 lbs, whilst his old rival Jones meanwhile, tackles Danny Green 27-3 (24) up at cruiserweight in Sydney, Australia of all places.

The plan is for the pair to rematch in March of next year, to settle a fued that has rumbled since Jones defeated Hopkins on points in May 1993.

Back then, Jones was a former amateur star on the fast track to success, whilst Hopkins, an ex-con still learning his trade, was playing catch up, thanks to his trip to the big house. Jones knew a tad too much for Bernard at this particular juncture and took a unanimous decision by four rounds on all judge’s cards.

Jones would go on to achieve superstardom, whilst Hopkins’ career languished somewhat, despite the fact that he managed to pick up a belt Jones had discarded (the IBF middleweight title) the following year. Whilst Hopkins toiled in relative obscurity against the likes of Segundo Mercado and Joe Lipsey, Jones was performing imperiously against James Toney and Mike McCallum to universal aplomb.

At this point, the question over which fighter would eventually leave the greater legacy was a no-brainer, however time changes all things (is that a song?).

Jones would continue to amaze up at light heavy against fighters such as Virgil Hill and Eric Harding. Hopkins meanwhile, finally managed to make the breakthrough (against his best efforts) into boxing’s big league in 2001 by schooling the ferocious Felix Trinidad in masterly fashion, to become undisputed ruler of the middleweights (I’m in the minority of folk who believe this is the point that his 160lb defence record should have been counted from, just as Joe Calzaghe’s 168lb defence record should be counted from the Lacy fight, anyway I digress).

Jones would once again eclipse Hopkins’ star in 2003, by outfoxing John Ruiz for an alphabet strap up at heavyweight. It wasn’t until the following year that Bernard’s career trajectory finally caught up with Jones’ and swiftly overtook it (the accountant in me wants to draw you a graph……sad….very sad….).

2004 saw Hopkins halt boxing’s ‘Golden Boy’, Oscar De la Hoya (a tried and tested route to stardom) with a body shot, whilst Jones found himself pole-axed, firstly by Antonio Tarver and then Glen Johnson.

The once unbeatable Jones has struggled to regain his equilibrium ever since, suffering further defeats to Tarver and Calzaghe to take him to 54-5 (40).

Hopkins on the other hand has gone from strength to strength in constructing one of the finest resumes ever for a fighter over the age of 35, defeating men such as William Joppy, Winky Wright, Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik. Of the three defeats he has suffered since the one Jones hung on him (he’s currently 49-5 with 32 KO’s), two were split decisions (to Jermain Taylor and Joe Calzaghe), with the other bitterly disputed (again to Taylor).

The argument over legacies is no longer an easy one.

Despite Hopkins being 44 and Jones 40, I fully expect both to triumph tomorrow evening. Hopkins looks to have a gimme on his hands against Ornelas, who has nothing on his record to give me any inkling he has even a remote chance. Hopkins will do as he has explained in pre-fight interviews and dismantle his man round after round, possibly halting him just after half way with hard rights.

Jones it seems has a live opponent in Green, who can punch and has sturdy whiskers. Green will also be coming to give it a real go in front of what should be boisterous home support. I’ll admit to not having put in my usual research with regard to the Aussie, however what I have seen leaves me of the opinion that Jones will be far too swift for him and can box to a comfortable decision, soaking up Green’s best attacks along the ropes on his arms, as is his way. Hopkins will be hoping that he isn’t left to sweat over his future opponent’s performance as he did on the night  De la Hoya struggled mightily with Felix Sturm before being gifted a decision, which managed to keep their prospective clash alive. 

No luck then for ‘The Green Machine’ as Danny calls himself, however another will crank into life as soon as Wednesday’s fighting is done. There will still be plenty of cash and interest in the ‘battle of the legends’ as the Jones-Hopkins showdown will undoubtedly be labelled, which should pad the pension funds of both quite nicely (see link which explains how the idea of a rematch caught fire: http://safesideoftheropes.com/2009/08/24/jones-hopkins-a-reversal-of-fortunes/ ).

Don’t be fooled however into thinking the winner will simply ride off into the Canastota sunset with a bag of cash. Hopkins has alluded to a crack at WBA heavyweight titlist David Haye in the fall of 2010 (you wondered why GBP had been schmoozing the big Brit so?). If Jones can top Hopkins again in March, who’s to say he won’t be the guy on Haye’s dance card?

Golden oldies indeed.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Random Ramblings, Funk and Turkeys

November 29, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

I should be reporting on last night’s happenings, which include Bute’s astonishing stoppage of Andrade and the reportedly shocking decision in the Funeka-Guzman scrap but I’m in a bit of a funk regarding all things fistic at present. I knew from the get go that my quest to make it as a boxing writer was going to be tough, however it’s proving to be even more difficult than that, it’s Librado Andrade tough (can I still use that expression after Bute’s beat down?).

I very nearly cried ‘No Mas’ this week. You have to be plenty secure in your abilities to take the repeated knock backs and not feel like one of those deluded X Factor hopefuls who pollute my television. Justifying the amount of time required is also proving tricky, I feel a tad like Sisyphus rolling that damn rock up and down his hill, only my fingers aren’t quite as grubby and my back admittedly doesn’t pain me as much as his however I’m probably just as mardy.

After a long, hard think, I summoned the spirit of men like Gene Hatcher and Steve Robinson, dudes who must have wondered why the hell they were bothering to get up at 3.30 am to run at times. I sucked it up, gave myself a slap and drew up a plan of attack. Next year (in the best traditions of Del Trotter) I’m going to go for it and if I’m still labouring for attention and affection in 12 months, I’ll assess whether or not to follow Marvellous Marv and retire full of ire……admittedly leaving slightly less of a trace on the sport…..ahem…..

Touch too self indulgent? Well it is a blog after all and it could be worse, I could be writing about how I’m developing shoulder hair and have an intolerance to aubergine, both of which are true yet are unlikely to keep you entertained overly. So instead, I’ll have a quick random ramble about the sport (which is probably why you’re reading) which will hopefully blow away the cobwebs and I can then go back to working on an article for eastside which will hopefully surface some time during the week (warning, this ramble could go anywhere).

  • Manny Pacquiao seems to have started a trend for handing out Xmas turkeys. There’s Oscar doling out bird….and Money May……and Yuri Foreman……err and B’Hop. It’s all very commendable and an obvious PR exercise, however no-one likes affluent dudes who do their bit for charity and then brag about it (told you I was mardy). Seriously though, it’s good to see fighters giving back, they’re a different breed to other sport stars.
  • As blog readers will know, I attended a fair few promotions throughout October, a couple of which were provided by Frank Warren. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing his crop of Olympians and amateur stars such as James DeGale, Frankie Gavin (my favourite of Britain’s young hopefuls alongside George Groves) and BJ Saunders strutting their stuff, however the matches were less than competitive. I’m taking my life in my hands with that statement, Warren having banned Danny Flexen from Boxing News recently from attending his bills thanks to a similar remark. Thankfully, I’m irrelevant as far as FW is concerned, so I should be fine.

Anyway, due to this, along with the fact the Khan-Salita fight looks a grade A dud, I neglected to purchase fight tickets for the now sold out event, even though the fight is in Newcastle, which is my neck of the woods. I’m starting to rue my decision however, thanks to the addition of a really intriguing battle between Khan conqueror Breidis Prescott and Dagenham hotshot Kevin Mitchell.

Bugger.

I’ve now left myself at the mercy of the online ticket touts, with the cheapest ticket ready to sting my pocket for 90 odd beans. I’ll be struggling with whether to attend all week hmmmmmmm…..

  • Sticking to the subject, is it me or does Salita look less like a prize fighter than anyone ever has…..ever? I’m not one to judge a fighter on how he looks but a quick gander at footage of him, leaves me wondering how he got the gig. He looks awful which is good news for Amir and FW.
  • Although is it? Rumours are rife that Khan is ready to fly the Warren coup just as Hatton and Calzaghe did towards the end of their pretty poor alphabet title tenures (back when Ricky was the mighty WBU champ). If the whispers hold water, Khan better be prepared for some scorn in Warren’s tabloid column, worse even than that which he currently pours upon Hatton, Froch and Haye.
  • This week’s Hopkins-Jones showcase threw me earlier, I hadn’t connected the 2nd December to Wednesday, do the Aussies always watch fights mid week? Incidentally, does anyone give Green a chance? I’m thinking he has one here, albeit slight.
  • It was good to see Frank Bruno looking well and featuring in a BBC snippet on sports stars battling depression. Big Frank has had it tough since hanging up the gloves, yet was able to discuss his problems in his usual candid and affable manner. It reminded me why we loved him so much on these Isles; it was the big guy’s heart more than his fighting prowess (which looks better with each passing year thanks to the absolute dross fighting in his old division). I’d take Bruno over big Wlad no problem if they ever build that boxing time machine (just how far along are they with that thing anyway?).
  • The prospective Pac-Money mega match reminds me of the Oscar-Tito showdown back in ’99 in terms of magnitude and the personalities involved. Let’s hope this one doesn’t stink as bad as its historical relative, although I see a similar fight strangely.
  • Anyone who hasn’t yet purchased the Boxing News special centenary edition should do forthwith. It’s invaluable for boxing buffs. Nice to see Lennox Lewis getting props as our best since 1970 however I was surprised Roy Jones placed ahead of Whitaker, Hagler and Monzon as the 4th best fighter of the modern era (which included Ali at number one).
  • Former prospect watch subject Trevor ‘Wrecking’ Crewe is in action this afternoon, hoping for his third successive win. I’ll update on the result and will be following both Crewe and Gary Sykes as long as I haven’t cursed them unduly by tipping them for the top.
  • Incidentally, Gary may profit from Kevin Mitchell’s departure from super featherweight with a pop at the British title. Stay tuned.
  • How much potential does Joe Murray have by the way? No-one who looks that young should be able to fight in that manner.

And I think that’s it. There, I’m feeling happier and I’ve worked the funk off, which should really have been a James Brown song.

Right, now where can I get me one of these turkeys?

Posted in amir kahn, bernard hopkins, billy joe saunders, breidis prescott, david haye, felix trinidad, floyd mayweather, frank warren, frankie gavin, gary sykes, george groves, james degale, joe calzaghe, kevin mitchell, librado andrade, lucien bute, manny pacquiao, marvelous marvin hagler, ricky hatton, roy jones jr, trevor crewe, yuri foreman | 8 Comments »

Andrade-Bute II Picks

November 28, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Graham Houston (fightwriter.com/Boxing Monthly magazine)

“Bute should win again — he should be savvy enough to improve on his performance in the first bout and box his way to a clear points victory. The path will be strewn with danger, though, and while I am expecting a win for Bute I have the sense that Andrade will be in with a chance for the duration of the contest”.

Tim Starks (queensberryrules.com)

“Hitting Andrade isn’t the problem. That will happen in spades. Hurting Andrade is out of the question; it hasn’t happened in a long time, and until it does, I won’t believe it’s possible. Outboxing Andrade is a given. Mikkel Kessler — whose boxing skills have been called into question after the beating Andre Ward laid on him Saturday — did it, and Bute did it, too. I think he’ll do it again. Bute by unanimous decision”.

Doug Fischer (ringtv.com)

“Spurred on by a wildly supportive hometown crowd, Bute will alternately box and trade with Andrade in the final two rounds. He will get rocked by Andrade’s uppercuts and chopping right hands but he will hold on during the rough spots and make it to the final bell with a slight lead on the scorecards”.

James Slater (eastsideboxing.com)

I see Andrade getting to Bute by the halfway stage of the fight and hitting and hurting him enough to discourage the champion, and making him have flashbacks of that awful 12th-round in the first fight. Hurt like never before in his career, Bute knows he was “gone,” and that he was very lucky not to have been KO’d. This time, though Andrade will once again be behind on points at the time, Bute will get stopped. I go for Andrade by 9th or 10th-round TKO.

Boxing News magazine.

“Good, mobile boxer Bute managed to keep Andrade at bay for most of the first fight without hurting him and can hang on a bit longer this time to win on points”.

Result: Bute 4 Andrade 1

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First Round Evaluation:What it means for the Super Six

November 24, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Whoever put this together knew what they were doing.

The Super Six is proving to be everything Showtime’s bigwigs were hoping it would be, especially after Andre Ward’s startling weekend victory over tournament favourite Mikkel Kessler. As the dust begins to settle on the first round of matches, we are perhaps better placed to assess each man’s chances heading into the second stage of the tournament, with implications and permutations abound……..(read more below)

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=22016&more=1

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Andre the Giant

November 22, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Wow.

Andre Ward breathed life into Showtime’s Super Six tournament last night, putting on a paint job in victory over the top ranked fighter at 168lbs, Mikkel Kessler.

Kessler was not only a prohibitive favourite in Oakland, he was the bookmaker’s favourite to win the entire tournament, however he found himself completely dominated by Ward, who produced one of the finest breakthrough performances in living memory.

In the build up to the fight, Ward summoned previous examples of US amateur starlets utilising their edge in speed to overcome experience, to illustrate why he, as the underdog, would triumph. He talked of Floyd Mayweather’s trumping of Genaro Hernandez in just his 18th fight in Vegas in ’98, Cassius Clay bamboozling the fearsome Sonny Liston back in ’64 and the wonderful Sugar Ray Leonard outfinessing the masterful Wilfredo Benitez.

For many realists, it seemed fanciful that Ward could emulate those feats, in making the giant leap from whacking out the Shelby Pudwills of this world to battling a hardy championship veteran such as Kessler.

Ward always believed though. A man of great faith, he showed scary resolve. The hullabaloo of big fight week was taken easily in his stride; he had an air of confidence about him which had an authenticity to it. Whereas the tournament’s other Andre, Mr. Dirrell, appeared to be whistling in the dark when he finally came nose to nose with the more experienced Carl Froch at their final presser, Ward looked to have total tunnel vision.

As the bell sounded for round one, we witnessed for the third weekend running just how crucial speed is to a prize fighter. I remember reading an article once, which asked a gaggle of top trainers which asset above all others they looked for in a prospect. It’s a question I’ve often pondered, what would you yourself go for: speed, power, chin, mental toughness, athleticism, ring smarts? Ward’s display had a bit of everything; however his quickness opened everything up for him.

I ruined my recent good picking record by going against Ward at the last minute, after deciding that his pawing jab would lead to his downfall, Kessler nailing him straight down the pipe when he rushed in winging hooks. In the event, Ward made this work for him. After establishing his power from the off with wicked left hooks, Kessler became hesitant to throw punches, the pawing becoming something of a feint which totally wrecked the Dane’s rhythm.

Ward had his man right where he wanted him. Kessler, waiting too long on the outside, allowed the younger man to dictate with hard jabs and thumping hooks, clueless as to what was coming his way next. It looked like a cakewalk but I can’t explain how difficult it is to control someone of Kessler’s class in this way, it was sublime boxing.

Ward’s composure was awe inspiring, boxing smoothly from the southpaw stance for the most part (which also messed Kessler about brilliantly) his versatility allowed him to switch back to orthodox as he pleased, making it appear effortlessly smooth and seamless.

From the footage I managed to grab (slightly less than HD quality), Ward at times resembled Roy Jones, his speed, athleticism and effective hooking comparable with that of the former pound for pound king in his pomp.

I’m confident that if Ward had the mindset of say a Floyd Mayweather, he’d have been content to coast home, however one had a sense that he had come to fight his heart out, and the fact that his sweet boxing allowed him complete control of the bout, wasn’t going to stop him from fighting Kessler.

Ward went inside to batter his man and in doing so, there were several head clashes which resulted in the various cuts and lesions over Kessler’s eyes and on his right cheek which eventually led to the fight’s conclusion. After a horrible gash opened up over the Dane’s right eyelid, referee Jack Reiss consulted the ringside physician who terminated proceedings, the fight then going to the judge’s cards.

All three returned Ward as the victor, however quite where Mikael Hook found three rounds for Kessler is beyond me. Ward took every session.

It was a wonderful performance, one which suggests Ward belongs alongside the very best fighters in the sport and one which Showtime’s bigwigs must be clapping their hands over. A decisive Kessler win here would have severely dented US interest and would probably have hurt the tournament overall, with the odds in all likelihood shortening on Messrs Abraham and Kessler becoming eventual finalists.

Ward’s emergence (and what an emergence) not only installs him as a likely winner, it makes a Kessler-Froch fight in the second round appear far more competitive. I’ll explore just what the first round of bouts means for the tournament in great detail in the coming days. For now Andre Ward deserves all of the limelight.

Wow.

Posted in andre dirrell, andre ward, arthur abraham, carl froch, floyd mayweather, mikkel kessler, muhammad ali, showtime tournament, sonny liston, super six world boxing classic | Leave a Comment »

Kessler 167 Ward 166.5

November 21, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

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Experts Smell an Upset: Kessler-Ward Picks

November 20, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Safe Side Of The Ropes welcomes a new feature this week, shining the spotlight on a selection of the sport’s scribes and their predictions on upcoming  major bouts. Thanks to the information super highway, every man and his pet labrador seems to have an opinion on boxing’s big nights these days, however not all are as informed as the following dudes are.

I’ll keep a close eye on their form and update the list as required, in an attempt to formulate the quintessential gang of fistic clairvoyants, who fans can hang their hats on when looking for a winner. In a two horse race, one which will usually feature a handy favourite, it should be a pretty risk free business, however boxing remains the most unpredictable of sports. Anyone with two hands and a pulse can be just a millisecond away from victory, it’s one of the reasons we love it.

Graham Houston (fightwriter.com/Boxing Monthly magazine)

“I’m going to swim against the current on this one with a lean towards Ward finding the way to box, move and fight his way through 12 rounds and emerge with the win in this, the most difficult and dangerous fight of his life”.

Tim Starks (queensberryrules.com)

“I like Ward to pull off this upset, and I think he’ll do it much like Calzaghe did, with a pretty close fight early as each fighter adjusts to the other (Kessler’s pretty smart his damn self) before Ward dials it in and pulls out the decision late by virtue of being able to fight in more ways than one”.

Ted Sares (eastsideboxing.com)

“The thing is, Kessler can knock Andre out, but Andre cannot knock Kessler out. Ward will be the runner and Kessler will be the chaser. Sooner or later, he will catch his prey and finish matters decisively”.

Doug Fischer (ringtv.com)

“I don’t think Kessler will get Andre Ward out of there, but I see him winning a 116-112, or a 115-113 type of decision”.

William Dettloff (ringtv.com)

“I think it will be too (a great fight), right up until the time comes late in the fight when Kessler’s class takes over and Ward, a good fighter but not ready yet for one as accomplished as Kessler, finds that sometimes even great speed isn’t enough”.

Steve Farhood, (Showtime boxing analyst)

“I’m picking Andre Ward in an upset. I believe that the tiger will come out in him. Being aggressive and making it an inside fight will be his ticket to victory. I’m going with Ward, to win in 12”.

Kevin Iole (Yahoo! Sports Boxing)

“Ward is my pick to win the Super Six. He’s a star in waiting, and this is going to be his stage to show the world his talent. Ward’s quickness, defensive savvy and work rate will lead him to a tough win”.

Tim Smith (New York Daily News)

“I think Andre Ward now knows what it takes to get the job done. I think he’ll take the next step against Kessler, though I think Kessler is a tougher guy. So I’m picking Ward by decision”.

Bert Sugar (boxing historian)

“Mikkel Kessler by decision. Kessler can hit, and I think that he’s technically better than Ward. I think Ward, who is excellent, is not there yet”.

Danny Flexen (Boxing News magazine)

“I go for Ward to use movement and potshotting on the outside, plus plenty of holding when Kessler gets close, to eke out a narrow, and possibly controversial decision, perhaps having survived a knockdown along the way”.

Result: Ward 6 Kessler 4

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Kessler Raids Oakland in Super Six

November 18, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

It’s good to be a fight fan right now.

For the third successive weekend, we have a fabulously intriguing fight to look forward to as Showtime’s Super Six tournament lurches back into life. In a bout which will close out the flagship super middleweight tournament’s first round of matches, Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler tackles Andre Ward in the American’s back yard. Kessler will be looking to put some points up on the leaderboard here, which would in turn ensure an opening round clean sweep for the Europeans.

A quick recap: on October 17th in Berlin, Arthur Abraham obliterated Jermain Taylor in the closing seconds of their bout, whilst on the same evening, just over the English channel, Carl Froch outpointed Andre Dirrell in what was seen by many as a contentious decision (a quick round up can be seen at the beginning of the latest Fight Camp 360 episode, which you can find via the tab at the top of my homepage). Abraham leads the tournament with 3 points from Froch on 2, with Dirrell and Taylor yet to score.

So to Kessler-Ward a fight which pits a seasoned titlist in the Dane, against a relatively green prospect in Ward.

Ward 20-0 (13) is a 2004 Olympic champion whose progress since hitting the paid ranks has been slow to say the least. After becoming America’s first boxing gold medallist since 1996 (when he defeated Belarusian Magomed Aripgadjiev by 20 points to 13 in the light heavyweight gold medal match),Ward inked with Roy Jones and Dan Goossen and was expected to lead the charge to replace ageing compatriots such as the aforementioned Jones and Oscar De la Hoya.

After a few early scares which saw him buzzed by the likes of Kenny Kost and Darnell Boone (Boone dropped him in round four) his brain trust slammed on the brakes and have only recently eased back onto the gas. Ward belatedly arrived onto the world stage in May with a unanimous decision victory over the powder keg punching Edison Miranda in his hometown of Oakland.

Despite being cut in the opening session, Ward outboxed the rough and tumble Colombian slugger handily, in a bout which was trumpeted as his official coming out party.

Kessler meanwhile, has notched over double the amount of fights his 25 year old opponent has accumulated thus far. The Dane is currently 42-1 (32) and is enjoying his second tenure as a super middleweight titlist, after rebounding from the sole loss Joe Calzaghe hung on him in 2007. Calzaghe edged a highly competitive row in one of the division’s most important battles since it’s inception in 1984.

Kessler is a fearsome prospect. Tall and rangy, he has textbook technique, with a telescopic left hand and a piston like right and is already rated as one of the best men ever to have campaigned at 168lbs.

Whilst doing my research (I do try) I replayed the Calzaghe fight and had underestimated just how well ‘The Viking Warrior’ had performed that night in Cardiff. In front of 50 000 predominately hostile fans, Kessler managed to hurt the iron chinned Welshman on numerous occasions whilst only really encountering bother once himself, when winded by body shots in the eighth.

It was only Calzaghe’s wealth of experience, superb engine and improvisational genius which saw him through in that one, fighting through right hand bombs which would have flattened lesser men. Kessler fought like the devil and was looking for the knockout right up unto the final bell, outhustled on points but very much unbowed.

What impressed me most about the Scandinavian that night, was his commitment to technique, never wavering amidst Calzaghe’s herky, jerky assaults whilst showing a steely nerve in holding his position to fire back with straight and accurate shots. Pretty awesome stuff.

Studying footage of Ward leaves me rather concerned for his chances in this one. Although undoubtedly swift of hand and foot, he tends to paw with his lead hand (Ward switches stance regularly) before using his foot speed to close the distance on his foe, in order to shoot in quick and hefty hooks. That’s pretty basic technique to be taking into the ring with one so schooled as Kessler.

Ward will probably be best served if he picks and pecks at his man here, staying out of harms way for long periods and looking to nick a decision in his hometown. I’m dubious as to whether he can however, despite having an aura about him in the build up which indicates he’s highly tuned and ready to seize his big moment.

I initially favoured Ward to edge past Kessler due to his speed and relative freshness (Kessler’s career has stalled somewhat of late which will probably cost him here early). Watching footage of both men however has altered my perception. Slowly but surely, I venture Kessler will find his way into the fight utilising his far superior technique and once he starts finding Ward with his deadly right, the young man could be in trouble.

I have an inkling Kessler can get Ward out of there, yet I’ll venture that he will instead settle for a decision. It should be a highly technical battle which sees Ward boxing brightly early, before coming apart somewhat late in the fight. Ward is desperate to make a statement in this tournament, he just may have to wait until the second round before doing so.

Kessler is quoted by William Hill as a 2/5 favourite, with Ward a prohibitive underdog at 7/4. Primetime in the UK screens.

Posted in andre dirrell, andre ward, arthur abraham, carl froch, jermain taylor, joe calzaghe, mikkel kessler, super six world boxing classic | Leave a Comment »

Pacquiao Shows His Greatness: How High Can He Climb?

November 15, 2009 by Andrew Harrison

Manny Pacquiao ascended into rare air in the wee small hours of this morning, rising in weight and above logic and doubt, to assume his place amongst the pantheon of legendary men who have punched for money within the confines of a roped square.

Much will be made of the Filipino’s seventh ‘world title’ claim in his seventh weight division, a trivia piece which is of relatively little importance such is the spurious nature of world titles in the year 2009. As the years pass, reverence will be reserved instead for the exhibition the current king of boxing graced us with, in disassembling Miguel Cotto, himself one of the more fearsome and accomplished fighters of recent vintage.

Pacquiao performed as well as any fist fighter I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, such was his mastery of Cotto. There have been fighters who have performed with greater flourish and panache when faced with overmatched opposition for sure, however rarely does one brilliant fighter obliterate another in the manner Pacquiao managed in Vegas.

Going in there were two schools of thought. The first believed that Pacquiao’s recent run of blistering form was something of a con trick, owing to shrewd and cosmetically enhanced matchmaking. The feeling here was that in facing Cotto, a fully fledged welterweight wrecking machine, an untruth would be exposed and the streaking phenom would come unstuck.

The other camp, firmly behind Pacquiao’s genius, understood that the challenge ahead was illogical. They understood that a man who began fighting at 106 lbs should not, by the laws of boxing, have a hope of defeating a stand out fighter in the 147 lb class. They believed in Manny’s magic however, in his greatness and that he was special enough to explode boundaries which even legendary men have failed to throughout history.

The magic won out and we were fortunate enough to witness a master craftsman at work.

_46730454_pac_cotto766In my preview I had described Cotto as a ‘faded force, perhaps more so mentally then physically’ based on the crushing loss he suffered at the hands of Antonio Margarito.

Physically, he proved to be as good as he’s ever been and had much success, especially when working behind his jab, before cracking in left and right handers to Pacquiao’s body.

He showed plenty of mental fortitude also, always trying to adjust and find a way back into the fight in the face of a quite devastating attacking force. There were doubts however etched all over the Puerto Rican’s face as he emerged into the auditorium. When an intimidator such as Cotto is taken apart as brutally as he was by Margarito, they lose part of their repertoire, which can mean the difference between success and failure when duelling at the level Cotto and Pacquiao throw hands at.

Cotto can feel justifiably proud of his efforts. He will be crushed of course, yet the world will empathise with what he was in the ring with. This loss leaves no questions; Miguel just met his, along with most mortal men’s match.

As for Pacquiao, there are even greater challenges available to him. Fans in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena called for reluctant warrior Floyd Mayweather, a man capable of matching Pacquiao’s stunning verve without alas, having yet displayed his character and courage.

Oscar+De+La+Hoya+v+Manny+Pacquiao+-PcMc-hZ9pJlBoxing’s hardcore fringe will be salivating over a possible clash with fellow hall of famer ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, a former dominant lightweight champion who holds two victories over Oscar De la Hoya and was the man who blasted Cotto’s tormentor, the dishonoured Margarito to defeat.

Team Pacquiao may have other plans meanwhile, with noises emanating from camp indicating that old scores may now be settled with the great Juan Manuel Marquez down at 140lbs.

Whatever his path, Pacquiao’s legacy is secure. All that remains is how much farther he chooses to challenge himself; how much higher he can raise the bar and how close he can get to boxing’s holy trinity of Robinson, Ali and Armstrong.

I am a staunch believer that legacies may only be evaluated once a fighter hangs them up and sufficient dust has settled after their departure. Rash analysis in the aftermath of a great performance is unfair to men who retired long ago and whose best nights are less fresh in the memory.

We can however take a stab at tentatively positioning the Filipino hero amongst fighters he now belongs with.

Here follows a list of the top 20 fighters from the last 80 years as published by Ring Magazine in 2002:

1. Sugar Ray Robinson 2. Henry Armstrong 3. Muhammad Ali 4. Joe Louis 5. Roberto Duran 6. Willie Pep 7. Harry Greb 8. Benny Leonard 9. Sugar Ray Leonard 10. Pernell Whitaker 11. Carlos Monzon 12. Rocky Marciano 13. Ezzard Charles 14. Archie Moore 15. Sandy Saddler 16. Jack Dempsey 17. Marvin Hagler 18. Julio Cesar Chavez 19. Eder Jofre 20. Alexis Arguello.

I’d be willing to place Pacquiao in the last quarter of that list (although I’d be loathe to displace the fabulous Arguello in doing so).

If including fighters pre-1922 however, men such as Jack Johnson, Sam Langford and Joe Gans would come into the argument, squeezing Pacquiao out, for me at least.

If we instead pluck the top men post Ali, we’d end up with something along the lines of: 1. Roberto Duran 2. Sugar Ray Leonard 3. Pernell Whitaker 4. Marvin Hagler 5. Julio Cesar Chavez.

I no longer feel it’s blasphemy to state that Pacquiao now belongs to this majestic gang of legends. The bell has not yet tolled on his career however, meaning he has the rare opportunity to grow his legend further and vie with Duran and Leonard for the title of top man of the modern era.

There’s that word again, ‘rare’. Enjoy him while you can.

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