While arguments can be made for either fighter winning, the fact is that neither man really distinguished himself in this fight. Dirrell showed us that he is possessed of fast feet and hands, but was unable to parlay that into periods of sustained dominance. Questions linger about his abilities to take a punch, and if he can fight with greater fluidity. Andre did prove his doubters wrong by proving that he is able to compete at the world level, despite not having fought the best opposition. As it stands he will have to learn how to take more chances if he hopes to move on to the next round.
Froch, once again, showed that he is the very definition of a blue-collar fighter. He is not particularly fast, nor is he particularly coordinated, but he is tough and determined. However tough and determined only get you so far. Froch’s power and will have bailed him out before, most notably against Jermain Taylor, but it is hard to imagine someone so easy to hit will make it to the final. His next two fights are against Kessler and Abraham, and, if Kessler is still the same fighter that beat Librado Andrade, expect to see Mikkel put a similar beating on Froch. As for a fight with Abraham, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you are there to be hit Abraham will knock you out. Carl can prove the odds makers wrong, but thus far he has not shown us anything to suggest he can win out.
On the same night as Froch vs. Dirrell, we were treated to Arthur Abraham’s (31-0 25 KOs) dismantling of fellow former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (28-4-1 17 KOs). This fight was typical Abraham, a few rounds of getting to know your opponent, followed by machinelike execution. Never in Jermain’s career had he been so thoroughly dominated, and never in his three knockout losses had he been stopped so brutally. What did we learn from all of this?
Well for starters we learned that Jermain actually can fight for twelve rounds. Despite the loss Jermain was relatively composed throughout the fight, and fought smartly. Yes he was hurt a couple of times, and yes he was unable to solve Abraham’s peek-a-boo defense, but he did manage to conserve his energy and find some openings. The problem is that Jermain was in against a better fighter, and given the brutal nature of the loss combined with his recent resume one most seriously ask if Jermain should continue in this tournament. It is hard for me to see him winning this tournament, and at this point concerns regarding his long term health must be raised.
Regarding Abraham we learned that he was able to carry his punch up to 168, and may have even seen his power increase. He does not fight all three minutes of every round, but his activity level improved from his last few fights at middleweight. He showed that he might be the most complete fighter in this tournament, with the best combination of physical and technical tools. He picks his spots well, does not waste punches, and has a near impenetrable defense. Right now he looks like a favorite to make it to the final as it is hard to see Dirrell’s strategy against Froch, or Froch’s strategy against Dirrell beating his combination of airtight defense and explosive offense.
Finally we have the fight Saturday. Both men have identical height and reach, and both are possessed of excellent skill sets. Kessler is, without a doubt, the more experienced of the two, and the most experienced fighter in the tournament. With wins over Librado Andrade, Manny Siaca, Markus Beyer, and Anthony Mundine no one matches his resume at 168. His lone loss came at the hands of arguably the greatest super middleweight in history, Joe Calzaghe, something there is no shame in.
Ward, while not as experienced as a professional, was a top notch amateur, who represented the United States at the Olympics, and came home with a gold medal. Since turning pro he has fought steadily better opposition, with his best win to date coming against the hard-hitting Edison Miranda. Ward has fast hands, but against Miranda he failed to impress as he won a clear but workmanlike decision.
This fight is taking place in Andre’s hometown, and while there are some doubts as to whether Mikkel is still the fighter to beat at 168, I do not think Ward will be the one to beat him. Kessler has fought the very best at this weight, and has proven more often than not that he is a winner. While he is a little slower than Ward, he has a better technical base and better power. Ward also showed an ability to get bogged down against Miranda, and while Edison was unable to take advantage of that, Mikkel has shown ability to beat fighters that give him opportunities on the inside. Give me Kessler by decision or late TKO in an entertaining fight for the Dane.
