411 Roundtable Preview: The Super Six Tournament
Posted by Matt Knowles on 10.16.2009
This Saturday on Showtime, the biggest boxing tournament in years gets underway with two blockbuster bouts featuring four of the best super middleweights on the planet!
Welcome back to the Prizefight Preview – Roundtable Edition!
This week the 411mania boxing crew will be analyzing the opening round bouts of Showtime's Super Six tournament that will take place this Saturday night. The double main event will consist of two great bouts from two locations in Europe. WBC super middleweight champ Carl "The Cobra" Froch will be defending his title against unbeaten US Olympian Andre "The Matrix" Dirrell in Nottingham, England, while former middleweight champs Arthur Abraham and Jermain Taylor will lock-up in Berlin, Germany. Both fights are expected to be all-action, highly-competitive affairs, so make sure to have your DVR/TiVo dialed-in & ready for some highlight reel moments!
Let's get to it everybody!
1. Which will be a bigger factor: Arthur Abraham's pure power, or Jermain Taylor 's speed and athleticism?
Patrick Mullin: - I have to say Taylor's speed and athleticism. People tend to not give enough credit to Jermain's beard because of his high profile KO losses to Pavlik and Froch. I know Arthur can hit, but I'm positive he doesn't hit harder than Kelly and I'm not sure about the power differential between he and Carl Froch. Taylor is going to be the best fighter Abraham has ever fought, while Abraham will be far from that distinction against Jermain. I don't think Arthur has seen a guy with Jermain's athletic ability or speedy 1-2 and its going to trouble him.
Michael Payne -Early on I see Taylor having the upper hand, using his speed and experience to dominate. Abraham will do enough to take it to the second half of the fight, from there I either see an Abraham stoppage or a very close decision for either man.
Igor Frank -I believe that Taylor's speed and athleticism might play a bigger factor in this fight. Taylor had problems with aggressive fighters like Pavlik and Froch. Taylor did really well early with both guys, but could not maintain the pace set by his hard- hitting and busy opponents, but he did a lot better in two fights with Bernard Hopkins, because he was not pushed to maintain a fast pace. Abraham is not an aggressive fighter; he takes his time using his high guard defense and strikes periodically with heavy power, but he will not push a fast pace. If Taylor can pace himself, which he will be allowed to do, and be careful not to catch anything big on the chin, he has a very good chance of outworking and out-pointing King Arthur.
Ali Shakoor -Taylor will likely build a nice lead, and fall to Abraham's power late. However, I doubt if it takes Arthur until the final round like it did Froch. For Taylor to win, he'll have to catch Arthur early...like he did against Pavlik and Froch. Only this time, he'll have to finish the job.
Ryan the Rhino -Taylor's athleticism will be the biggest factor. Yes, Abraham has power, but so does Jermain Taylor. JT also has speed. The athleticism though will be the key, for better or for worse. On point, JT can steamroll through twelve rounds, make it look easy, and still have time for a pick-up basketball game with some of the U. of Arkansas Razorbacks he loves. On the flip-side, if he comes in any less than 100%, it's usually his athleticism and conditioning that falter, as evidence in the fateful last round with other Super-Sixer Carl Froch. Let's see which JT shows up.
Joe Roche -I actually think the biggest factor in this fight is going to be how King Arthur starts. Abraham has a very real tendency to start slow. He has a great defensive posture (although his gloves are too close to his head) and during his last fight with Mahir Oral he tucked his chin and stayed defensive for a good portion of the early rounds. Taylor is too good to punch himself out and giving him rounds early may keep him fresh late so it'll be important for Abraham to not get too comfortable defensively and stay on offense against Taylor. If Abraham stays active his power will be too much for JT.
Jonathan Yaghoubi -Taylor will do what he always does and use his speed early and keep distance from Abraham to keep him unbalance. However, I feel the bigger factor will be Abraham's pure power. I am not sure he is going to have the same power at 168 then he had at 160. King Arthur may not have truly elite speed, but he's been able to turn back all challengers to this point by taking several rounds to study them, then dishing out punishment once he sees openings. That seems like a very good chance of that happening.
Ramon - That's a tough one because both will be their keys to victory. I think Taylor's speed and athleticism will allow him to get an early jump on Abraham but I wonder if he will be able to keep him off him for the entire night. My gut tells me no and Abraham's power will eventually be the biggest factor of the night.
FJ Parlan -If the answer to this question answers who will win the fight, it is a very difficult question. One of the best things about this tournament is that all the competitors literally have a shot to win. Not just in the cliché way that everything is possible, but in one way or another each boxer has something in his favor for his legitimate chances. In this one, it's no different. I think Arthur Abraham's pure power will give Jermain Taylor a lot of problems, maybe as much or even more than Carl Froch did. I think the factor to consider is Taylor's stamina, an issue that he has to resolve in order to win this fight, the speed and athleticism is still there (he outboxed Froch for the first 11 round, remember?), but Abraham is more than just pure power.
2. Let's ask a similar question for the other bout: will Froch's dynamite punches be enough to trump Dirrell's switch-hitting ability?
Joe Roche -In a word - no. Froch has good power but Dirrell is incredibly fast and is stronger then Taylor. I think that Froch will want to slow this fight down and try to make it his fight, but if Dirrell stays on the outside, switches up his approach to keep Froch on his toes and uses his speed then he should be able to dictate the pace of this fight and stay away from The Cobra's KO power.
Patrick Mullin: They could be. Let's not forget that a guy like Anthony Hanshaw was able to hurt Dirrell very badly early on in their fight by employing a style similar to what Carl is going to try to do. Dirrell however greatly neutralized the effectiveness of Hanshaw's game by switching to southpaw and constantly landing a powerful straight left hand. Froch CAN trump Dirrell's switch hitting prowess, I just don't think he will.
Ali Shakoor -Froch is a very tough cat. He'll take Dirrell into deep waters like he hasn't really dealt with yet. The switch-hitting won't frustrate Froch too much. He'll be patient and plug away until he lands something good.
Ryan the Rhino -Negative. Can Froch bang? Yes he can. But what people are overlooking is that Froch can bang, but he can also BE banged, and often too. Although the least-experienced of the six, Dirrell is nicely balanced between speed and power that he'll be able to hit Froch, hit him hard, and hit him often.
Igor Frank -Froch is a proven warrior who has demonstrated his ability to dig deep and to use his fundamental skills, power and stamina to win fights. However I believe that Dirrell, even though untested in elite level pro ranks, will be too fast, too athletic and too confusing for the British champion. In order slow down Dirrell, Froch needs to hit him, which will not be an easy task. Dirrell is very fluid in the ring. He has an advantage in speed, reach and height. I believe he is in the best shape of his life, training in Arrowhead Mountains in high elevation and will be prepared for twelve fast paced rounds to win a clear cut decision.
Michael Payne -I have seen a fair bit of both men in the build up to this one. Dirrell I didnt have a great deal of experience watching previously and Froch I have seen a hell of a lot of him. Although i have been impressed with Dirrell, I cannot get away from my early prediction that Froch will be too strong, too powerful and too stubborn for Dirrell to prevail. But i do anticipate this being a VERY good battle.
Jonathan Yaghoubi -Froch can anticipate a tough fight with Dirrell when the two square-off this weekend in his native land. I feel Froch's has an unorthodox style and it will prove to be troublesome for Dirrell. Don't get me wrong, Dirrell, who captured the middleweight bronze gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, is absolutely a spectacular talent in the ring.Unfortunately for Dirrell, he is likely too young at this stage in his career to defeat a seasoned professional like Froch in front of his legions of supporters. Dirrell may win many battles and rounds. But, ultimately, Froch will win the war and preserve his unblemished record.
Ramon - For this particular fight, I'll say Dirrell's switch-hitting and just flat out boxing technique will cause Froch problems. Froch had issues with Taylor when he boxed and Dirrell will likely do the same. This time around though Froch's opponent won't gas out.
FJ Parlan -There are many questions that only the tournament itself will answer, and this one is pick-'em fight that you would rather see in the ring. But I gotta go with the veteran here and Froch's dynamite punches. In line with what I said above, Andre Dirrell has a legit shot to win this tournament, but there are more questions with Dirrell's lesser experience than Froch's, so as a boxing writer, one has to go with the former. But Dirrell's speed and ability is something to watch for in this tournament, and perhaps as exciting as his chances to win.
3. Considering how hometown fighters have fared over the past few months (pluses and minuses alike), which of the four combatants has the biggest advantage, in regards to being the "home" or "away" fighter?
Patrick Mullin: Carl is still trying to prove himself to the U.K. fans and break out of the shadow of Joe Calzaghe. Fighting in front of a crowd that still has yet to accept him is really going to put the pressure on him to succeed in impressive fashion. Andre is far away from home fighting in front of a crowd he's not likely to see again. No pressure for him, allowing him to go out and fight a relaxed and confident fight.
Igor Frank -In my view Abraham gets a home cooking advantage, because if he does not score a knock out, Taylor will throw more punches than the Armenian born, German champion and when the fight goes to the score cards local judges will favor the power of Abraham, not Taylor's activity.
Ali Shakoor -Taylor may have an advantage. He's had some outside the ring troubles in recent years, and hasn't always been in the best condition. Maybe being on foreign soil will decrease some distractions. Who knows? I'm just throwing it out there.
Ryan the Rhino -The home-court advantage, as it were, will belong to Arthur Abraham. Dirrell/Froch is lining up to be a pretty clear fight, with my favor going to Dirrell. The more questionable one is Taylor/Abraham. Taylor is fighting in Abraham's backyard, and has a tougher (read: closer) fight on his hands. I'm not going to say I smell the sauerkraut cooking... yet. But as we've seen in Houston, there's always a chance for a home-cooked decision.
Jonathan Yaghoubi -I feel that Abraham has the huge advantage as the home fighter. Taylor has never fought outside the United States before while Abraham is in very familiar territory in his home away from home of Germany. They seem to love him over there every time he fights and gives Abraham's opponent no chance to shine. Jermain Taylor has a ton of pressure heading into this fight knowing that a loss here could destroy mentally for the rest of this tournament. Asking him to fight his first fight in Germany against the tough Abraham is a lot to ask for Jermain.
Ramon - To me it's Abraham. He brings in some massive crowds and is used to fighting in Germany. Sure Froch is used to fighting in England too but I just sense a bigger comfort level from Abraham.
Michael Payne -I was at the Froch vs Pascal fight and I can tell you Froch did impress there. Pascal may have been new to world title fights, as Froch was at the time, but Pascal has gone on to prove himself at world level. Froch/Pascal was a war, Froch showed how much he wanted the title and he relishes fighting at home. The Arena will be a very hostile place for a young man like Dirrell and although he is very confident in his ability I think he will be very nervous when he comes out to a wall of noise.
Joe Roche -I'm hoping that the hometown discount will not rear it's ugly head during this tournament. One of the sure fire ways to have this entire house of cards that Showtime has built fall down would be a major controversy in the early rounds. If any of the American fighters feel that they've been screwed they may bring the whole Super Six down so I think the judge's will be on their best behavior. If I had to guess though Abraham will have the best crowd in Berlin. Froch has always been the "other" guy in the super middleweight division in the UK and he never reached the popularity of Ricky Hatton so while the Nottingham crowd will be raucous and loud the German's in Berlin are going to be going bonkers for The King. I also tend to think that JT has been in some huge fights so he is best prepared to deal with the spotlight, but Dirrell was an Olympian so he will also be comfortable fighting in front of a hostile crowd on foreign soil.
FJ Parlan -Three Americans are in the tourney and the first two fights are happening in Europe. I think the Europeans have the edge. Taylor has never fought outside of America, while Froch shone against him in Froch's first fight in America. Abraham mentioned in "Fight Camp 360: Inside the Super Six World Boxing Classic" (which is, by the way, a great production by Showtime) that he is eager to make a name in America. The American fighters wouldn't be used to the environment of European fight yards, while I think Europeans are more poised to fight in the American's backyards, which takes away from the latter's hometown advantages. If I had to pick between the three European super middleweights to benefit the most in this home-away set-up, I would say Abraham, as I see Germany having an "alien" feel for it for visiting boxing opponents.
4. Regardless of who wins/loses, on Monday morning, what will the "water-cooler buzz" revolve around?
Ryan the Rhino -I have two equally good answers here, so I'm using both. One will be a great big "Hello, World!" from Andre Dirrell, who I think will make people stand up and take notice. Granted, I think he got a wee bit of luck drawing first who I consider one of the weaker of the six, but his victory over Froch will really introduce him to the boxing stage.
The other big buzz will be JT's performance. JT has a lot to prove, possibly the most out of any of the Six. He has to prove that he's still a contender outside the tourney, that he is a viable force inside the tourney, and that he's not "that guy" who always falls a little short. He is (I believe) the first fight before Dirrell/Froch, and has first crack at making an impression. He HAS to go hard.
Ali Shakoor -Taylor. If he wins, it will be a huge upset, and help his career a great deal. Another loss, particularly by KO, and we'll continue to write the epitaph on his career.
Igor Frank -Because of the structure of the tournament, where it is not just wining or losing, extra points are scored for knock outs, a fighter might be inclined to take more chances and thus we will be talking about good old days of prize fighting where you got paid for winning or knocking out your opponent, not for just getting into the ring.
Patrick Mullin: It won't. People don't discuss boxing around the water cooler or in the barbershops anymore. Bad joke aside it will likely be Jermain Taylor re-establishing himself as a contender by beating Arthur Abraham and convincingly. Taylor's probably the biggest name of all the parties involved in the U.S. so his fights are likely to have the most buzz win, lose, or draw.
Ramon - Hah, nice question there Matt....well...I'll be a little vague and say it was the action we saw from Abraham vs. Taylor
Michael Payne -I believe the talk will be of a devastating KO, either Abraham KOing Taylor or Froch KOing Dirrell. Which ever it is it will be in the second half of a hard fought fight.
Joe Roche -This question has no answer because the outcome will be the water cooler buzz. If there is a screwy judges decision, if there is an impressive KO, or perhaps a dominant performance. If I had to guess I'd say that Dirrell will be the buzz worthiest because not many people are really aware of how good this kid is. I also think King Arthur will draw some eyes because of his style, his approach to the ring and the crowd that will be behind him -- plus I think he has the best KO potential.
Jonathan Yaghoubi -The water cooler-buzz will be Taylor's fast fall from one of the biggest stars in boxing to a mere afterthought.
FJ Parlan -What the second round will look like, who will be matched up with whom, how would the losers deal with their losses (especially when they're still in the tourney), and stronger discussions about who will win the tournament.
5. Beyond this weekend's opening round match-ups, who do you believe will emerge as the star of the tournament?
Igor Frank - Despite of being a dark horse in this tournament, I believe that Andre Dirrell will emerge as a star, because he is the most athletically gifted fighter among the super six. He is also the fastest boxer with feet and hands. The big question remains if Dirrell can handle himself among the elite of this division and if he could handle adversity? Stay tuned.
Joe Roche -Mikkel Kessler - open and shut. The Viking Warrior speaks great English, he is a fantastic fighter who will be favored to win the whole tournament, he is a MASSIVE draw in his home country, and as a heterosexual male I can say that he is a handsome man. For the American audience I think it'll come down to Dirrell/Ward on who will steal the spotlight and become a bigger star in this country but overall this tournament may make an uber-star out of Mikkel Kessler.
Jonathan Yaghoubi -I think it's going to be Andre Ward. He seemed to have already arrived in his last fight against Edison Miranda. Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. Miranda couldn't stay up with Ward's versatility around the ring. Ward is waiting to explode ever since he became the first American to win the gold medal in the Olympics in eight years back in 2004. I think he's going to really roll over Kessler and will be the most impressive fighter after the opening round.
Patrick Mullin: I'd have to say Mikkel Kessler. I don't see anyone in this tournament being able to beat him and he'll likely look extremely impressive by beating all five of the other entrants. The one thing Kessler hasn't done is beat a well known American on U.S. soil and once he does it he'll have really arrived in the United States and emerge as a pound for pound candidate.
Ramon - I've said it before and unless the opening round changes my mind drastically, I'll say it will be Mikkel Kessler. He's established and is a monster at 168 pounds. He'll be tough to beat and I see him taking the tourney when it's all said and done. Don't sleep on Ward though!
Ali Shakoor -Froch is too limited in every way. I think Abraham will win this thing, but I don't see a non-American setting the world on fire afterwards. I agree that the winner of Kessler-Ward will get lots of postiive buzz and will be showcased, especially a polite, classy, American Olympian like Ward. Dirrell has the least experience so he can gain a lot from the tournament with a solid showing, but I'm not sold on him quite yet. If Dirrell does win, he's the brightest American star in boxing not named Mayweather. Taylor is likely finished, so if he resurrects his career and miraculously wins this thing, it will be a huge story.
Michael Payne -I cannot see past Kessler or Froch being the star of the show. If it isn't them I see Ward coming out as the surprise package who will catapult himself from young pretender to king of the hill.
FJ Parlan -This is a real tough one (see my answer for first question), but now that I have to pick, I would say Mikkel Kessler. Again, everyone has a legitimate chance to win, but with Kessler it feels more sure. Andre Dirrell's first tests are really big here, Andre Ward had a coming-out fight against Edison Miranda, and both fighters are relatively unproven. Carl Froch's brawling and power punching can beat anyone, but as Taylor showed, he is beatable and vulnerable. We don't know if Taylor still has it, while we haven't received the returns yet on how Abraham fares with 8 more pounds added to his frame. Like I reiterate, there are many questions, and only the tournament fights will answer them best, and with Kessler, there are less questions, so I would go with that, sort of by default. One thing I can say for sure, though: the winner of this tournament will become a boxing star.
Ryan the Rhino -Everyone has something to gain from the tournament. I think the ones who stand to gain the most are JT, Dirrell, and Abraham. JT I explained in the prior question; he's just got a lot to prove and this is his venue to do it. Dirrell, as I also explained prior, has an opportunity to break into the elite of the division. But Abraham also has something to prove, and that is this: With exceptional performances throughout the tournament, anyone who was formerly pro-Kelly Pavlik, saying that he doesn't need Abraham to prove his dominance in the middleweight division, will now understand why Pavlik turned "Ghost" on any possibility to fight Abe.
Jonathan Yaghoubi -I think it's going to be Andre Ward. He seemed to have already arrived in his last fight against Edison Miranda. Ward showed he had an inside game as well as an outside game. Miranda couldn't stay up with Ward's versatility around the ring. Ward is waiting to explode ever since he became the first American to win the gold medal in the Olympics in eight years back in 2004. I think he's going to really roll over Kessler and will be the most impressive fighter after the opening round.
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Who's gonna be right? Who's gonna be wrong? Who's down-right crazy? Let us know what you think!!!
