Super 6 World Boxing Classic

[Guest]

SHOWTIME Sports® Super Six World Boxing Classic, the groundbreaking six-man super middleweight tournament announced last week, will debut with two Group Stage 1 matchups on Saturday, Oct. 17, with the third Group Stage 1 bout taking place on Saturday, Nov. 21. All three world-class matches will air on SHOWTIME®.

The initial dates in the unprecedented, celebrated tournament were formally announced Tuesday by Ken Hershman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. Venues will be announced soon. The Super Six World Boxing Classic will be contested on both American and European continents.

In a battle of unbeatens on Oct. 17, Carl “The Cobra” Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, England, will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) title against 2004 Olympic Games medalist Andre “The Matrix’’ Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich.

On the same night, undefeated former middleweight champion “King” Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) of Berlin, Germany, will face former undisputed middleweight titleholder Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) of Little Rock, Ark.

The third fight in Group Stage 1 competition will take place on Nov. 21 when Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) of Copenhagen, Denmark, risks his World Boxing Association (WBA) belt* against unbeaten 2004 Olympic Games gold medalist Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) of Oakland, Calif.

*Kessler will face WBA mandatory challenger Gusmyl Perdomo (16-2, 10 KOs) on Saturday, Sept. 12 for the title.

The tournament will continue in 2010 with Group Stages 2 and 3 with Semi-Finals and Finals in spring 2011.

[swerb]

Odds ...

Froch -145
Dirrell +115

Abraham -250
Taylor +190

No odds yet on Kessler/Ward as, per the Fight Fans, both appear set to have tune up fights in early Sept ... just two months before their Nov fight. My guess is Kessler will be a slight favorite ... maybe -150/-175?

[Guest]

SOG

SHOWTIME Sports, in conjunction with NFL Films, is producing a new reality series that will give fight fans unprecedented access into the lives of the participants in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Dubbed FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, the series will focus a powerful spotlight on the groundbreaking tournament from the kickoff press conference in July 2009 through the Final tournament bout slated for 2011.

The series premieres on Saturday, Oct. 10 on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT).

The tournament format, created by SHOWTIME Sports in association with five world-class boxing promoters, is a unique concept to boxing and one that has been lauded by industry experts and the sports media since its announcement. Likewise, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic is unlike any other reality program in boxing.

There will be six episodes following the fighters not just in training camp, but during the intense moments leading up to their respective fights, in their corners during each bout and in the aftermath of every win, loss, or draw as the fighters recede from the limelight and begin to prepare for their next bout.

“The round-robin nature of this tournament lends itself to a story arc and fight progression that has never before been seen in boxing,” said SHOWTIME Sports General Manager Ken Hershman. “This series will set itself apart by chronicling each man through that progression. No one knows where each story will lead, but our cameras will be there every step of the way.”

“Add in NFL Films breadth of experience and its trademark storytelling ability, and this series becomes exponentially more unique and compelling,” said Hershman.

The debut episode of FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic will also take viewers behind the intrigue and the politics to reveal how the unprecedented boxing tournament came together.

The series is voiced by Bill St. James with music by NFL Films award-winning composer David Robidoux.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Super Six World Boxing Classic kicks off with Group Stage 1 bouts between Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell (SHOWTIME, 8 p.m. ET/PT). Group Stage 1 continues on Saturday, Nov. 21 with Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward.

Below are the air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360° -- Episode 1:
Saturday, Oct. 10 - 10:30 p.m. SHO (premiere)
Monday, Oct. 12 - 11:30 p.m. SHO2
Tuesday, Oct. 13 – 10 p.m. SHO2
Wednesday, Oct. 14 – 11 p.m. SHO2
Thursday, Oct. 15 – 10 p.m. SHO2
Thursday, Oct. 15 – 10:40 p.m. SHO
Friday, Oct. 16 – Midnight SHO
Saturday, Oct. 17 – 6:40 p.m. SHO
Note: all times ET/PT
Episode 1 will be available at SHOWTIME On Demand beginning Oct. 12.

For more information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic including exclusive videos, photography, expert analysis from Al Bernstein and Steve Farhood, and much more please visit www.WorldBoxingClassic.com.

[swerb]

Nice

[Guest]

Double header on Saturday to get this going.
Dirrell vs Froch
Taylor vs Abraham

Then November 21st:
Andre "SOG" Ward vs Kessler

[swerb]

Danny Sheridans odds

Abraham 1-1
Kessler 1-1
Froch 2-1
Dirrell 5-2
Ward 5-2
Taylor 10-1

[swerb]

Prediction time ...

Here's how I got this thing finishing

1. Kessler
2. Ward
3. Froch
4. Abraham
5. Taylor
6. Dirrell

Tonight, got Froch knocking out Dirrell in the 8th rd. And have Taylor winning the fight against Sir Arthur, but losing a close decision in Germany.

[swerb]

Don't understand why people don't go to the body on Abraham with that goofy defense.

[swerb]

Taylor up 30-27 on my card. German judges prolly have it 29-28 Abraham.

[swerb]

Abraham coming on, Taylor starting to fade. Typical for both fighters.

Career defining six rounds coming up here for Jermain.

[swerb]

Taylor's just a stupid fighter. Dumb as a box of rocks. Its about over for him. Tonight, and for his career. Worst finisher of any fighter with championship caliber that I've seen in my career.

[swerb]

4 rounds apiece, Abraham up 1 point due to the Taylor low blow deduction.

[swerb]

Damn. New level of respect for Abraham. Dude is so hard to hit. Violent KO with 10 seconds left for the extra point in the tournament.

Taylor's career is officially over. Wasted talent.

[Guest]

Froch wins? How?
Horrible.
Boxing is such a joke.
That fight wasn't even close.
Froch is a dirty bitch and landed hardly anything.

[swerb]

Horse shit decision. Dirrell fought a great fight. Great defensive fight, was active, landed the harder punches, and was hit less. Dirrell should have not been penalized a point, Froch should have been for repeated hitting behind the head. At least the point deduction didn't cost Dirrell.

Earned a lot of respect for Dirrell tonight. He got jobbed. Close fight, but he won it. 7 rounds to 5 on my card. Even with the bull shit point deduction, he shoulda won.

[Guest]

All 3 of Ward's fight will be in the US so he will win all 3 of those.

GROUP STAGE 2

ANDRE DIRRELL vs. ARTHUR ABRAHAM

MIKKEL KESSLER vs. CARL FROCH

JERMAIN TAYLOR vs. ANDRE WARD


GROUP STAGE 3

ANDRE DIRRELL vs. ANDRE WARD

CARL FROCH vs. ARTHUR ABRAHAM

MIKKEL KESSLER vs. JERMAIN TAYLOR

[bustedknuckles]

Assuming JT is replaced/or drops out, who is the pick for his replacement?

1) Allan Green (When first announced I thought he should have made the field instead of King Arthur)

2) Pavlik/Williams winner

3) Bute/Andrade winner

4) Other

Discuss.

[bustedknuckles]

Scatch #2, Pavlik/Williams ppd again...hand still not healing properly.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/oct/21/p ... ?newswatch

Maybe he should just have it cut off and fight one-handed from here on out.

[Guest]

It'll be Green.
He has been bad mouthing Andre Ward for awhile and it so happens that Ward's second fight is set to be vs Taylor.

[Guest]

Ward destroys Green by the way.
He's not in the same league as any of the those guys, and that includes JT.

[swerb]

Ward destroys Green by the way.
He's not in the same league as any of the those guys, and that includes JT.

Yeah. I agree. Dudes never impressed me.

Winner of Bute/Andrade, not only more deserving than Green, but you could argue both guys more deserving than Taylor/Dirrell.

[swerb]

DiBella pulls out as Taylor's promoter after Jermain decides to continue on with the Super Six:

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing ... id=4735549

[swerb]

Arthur Abraham/Andre Dirrel tonight on Showtime. Free preview weekend too ... so non-Showtime subscribers can see this one.

Gonna be tough for him to beat Abraham, just got a feeling this one could be an upset special tonight though. Dirrel won't lose a close decision in his hometown like he did to Froch.

[swerb]

Great start to this one. 39-36 Dirrel through 5 ... knocks Abraham down for first time in his career. Fight of the year potential if this one keeps up at this pace. Come on Andre ...

[swerb]

Great stuff so far from Andre. Looks strong, focused, in great shape, punching harder than I've ever seen him punch. Winning this fight handily through 6. Abraham needs a near sweep of the last 6 rounds. Got it 59-54 Andre thus far.

[swerb]

What a fight. Dirrel just needs to survive these last two rounds and hes got him. No bravado. Survive.

[swerb]

Crazy finish. Cheap shot from that punk Abraham. And a shame Andre couldn't win this one officially.

But he won this fight. Beat Abraham's ass. Great fight.

[pup]

Bush league all the way. And I hope that cat is OK, but I did get a chuckle out of him thinking he lost while talking to Jim Gray.

"He is an actor, not a fighter"

~Arthur Abrum...Stay classy Germany.

[bustedknuckles]

Only in boxing, and yet I come back week after week for this...nonsense. This really had the feel of a WWE event,expecially Abraham's interview with Jim Gray...so basically what he is saying is that in the split second after he gets drilled but before the referee has stepped in and ruled anything, let alone a DQ, Dirrel decides to fake it hoping to get a DQ out of a fight he is easily winning...nice try Arthur but who is really acting here!

[swerb]

Only in boxing, and yet I come back week after week for this...nonsense. This really had the feel of a WWE event,expecially Abraham's interview with Jim Gray...so basically what he is saying is that in the split second after he gets drilled but before the referee has stepped in and ruled anything, let alone a DQ, Dirrel decides to fake it hoping to get a DQ out of a fight he is easily winning...nice try Arthur but who is really acting here!

I thought all hell was going to break loose. All the components for a riot were there. And yes, Abraham's comments after the fight were bush league. Not going to help King Arthur desire to become a big American star.

Abraham just seemed to be in shock all night. Unable to process the fact he was losing. Dude seems real full of himself. Beautiful thing to see that goose egg go away in the loss column for him.