The Way I See It 08.27.10: Super Six Disaster

Posted by Joe Roche on 08.27.2010

411's Joe Roche discusses whether the Super Six World Boxing Classic will go down as a disaster or not now that Mikkel Kessler has had to withdraw in this week's The Way I See It!

Ladies and gentlemen I am here to tell you that Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic is over. Oh sure technically it's not over, Showtime has assured the boxing public that they will crown a champion, but on Wednesday morning when news broke that Mikkel Kessler was being forced to withdraw from the competition due to an eye injury that has derailed his preparation for a Sept. 25th bout with Allan Green, the Super Six essentially died with Kessler's chances of unifying the super middleweight division.



The rumor making the rounds, which seems to be backed up by Lou DiBella's press release on behalf of Team Allan Green, is that Showtime will not replace Kessler in the tournament but will instead rocket ahead to the semi-finals with Ward-Dirrell for the WBA super middleweight crown, and Froch-Abraham for the (soon to be) vacant WBC super middleweight crown. The winner fighters will then meet in the Super Four (Formerly Super Six) World Boxing Classic finals to unify the WBC and WBA super middleweight titles.

Here's the problem.

As it stood on Tuesday night here was the Super Six World Boxing Classic leaderboard:

Andre Ward (2-0, 4 points) – WBA super middleweight champion
Arthur Abraham (1-1, 3 points)
Andre Dirrell (1-1, 2 points)
Mikkel Kessler (1-1, 2 points) – WBC super-middleweight champion
Carl Froch (1-1, 2 points)
Allan Green (0-1, 0 points)
Jermain Taylor (0-1, 0 points) – retired from tournament following loss to Abraham



The Way I See It: How exactly can Showtime proclaim that the individual who is ultimately crowned champion of the Super Six World Boxing Classic was the definitive champion? Is it likely that Allan Green was going to upset the apple cart? No. Then again simply because something is unlikely (notice I didn't say impossible) does that mean that you shouldn't be allowed to try?

This season in the NFL the Cleveland Browns will not win the Super Bowl – does that mean that they should just disband?

As it stands while writing this column the Boston Red Sox are 5.0 games out of a playoff spot, so should the doors at Fenway Park close until next April?

Let us assume for one second the following outcomes:

Allan Green KO's Kessler Replacement X

Andre Ward UD over Andre Dirrell

Arthur Abraham UD over Carl Froch

Is anyone going to say that none of those possible outcomes out take place? If that happened here is how the final Super Six Group Stage standings would work out:

Andre Ward (3-0, 6 points)
Arthur Abraham (2-1, 5 points)
Allan Green (1-1, 3 points)
Mikkel Kessler (1-1, 2 points)
Carl Froch (1-2, 2 points)
Andre Dirrell (1-2, 2 points)
Jermain Taylor (0-1, 0 points)
Kessler Replacement X (0-1, 0 points)



In a tiebreaker situation you'd have to take out Kessler who is no longer in the tournament and you'd be left with Froch and/or Dirrell. In terms of common opposition this one is simple Froch beat Dirrell already so he's in, Dirrell is out and we move on to a second round that looks like this:

Andre Ward v. Carl Froch – WBA super middleweight title

Arthur Abraham v. Allan Green – WBC super middleweight title

Now contrast that with what we've got right now:

Andre Ward v. Andre Dirrell – WBA super middleweight title

Arthur Abraham v. Carl Froch – WBC super middleweight title

So for the sake of argument the potential outcome should Allan Green be allowed to continue in the tournament would eliminate one of the current semi-finalists and put Green into the semi-finals with a shot to win the whole damn thing --- how do we justify just throwing him out?

Because there is no quality opponent left?

That seems like a weak argument. If Showtime wanted to come up with the money they could find someone who was worthy of the shot – not to mention the fact that they could potentially put someone into the semi-finals (with a KO) who isn't even in the tournament right now. Kessler Replacement X could be a world beater – we have no idea, and we won't have a chance to find out.



At the end of the day doesn't it feel like this entire turn of events takes some of the luster off the Super Six, and that doesn't even take into account the fact that we may have seen the end of three great careers.

Jermain Taylor is likely done – and if he does fight again it'll be sadder than it is triumphant.



Mikkel Kessler told reporters on Wednesday morning that he sees double and everything is blurry unless he closes one eye. That doesn't sound like a world class fighter to me, it sounds like someone on the long road to retirement.

Andre Dirrell was BRUTALLY knocked out after being knocked down by Arthur Abraham to the point where he was having convulsions in the ring and couldn't identify where he was following the fight.



It is very possible that we've seen the end of Taylor, Kessler and Dirrell (at least as top level competitors), which means at the end of the day we may be left with a very sour taste in our mouths about the Super Six.

If the purpose of the Super Six was to create a mega-star in the super middleweight division can we honestly say that has happened? If anyone other than Andre Ward wins the tournament then I can unequivocally say that the purpose of the Super Six failed. If Ward wins then it *may* be a success but with all of the surrounding issues pertaining to the tournament it seems unlikely that people will be able to get over the mountain of bad to create something positive.

I was a huge proponent of the Super Six when it was announced, and I've been an advocate ever since but we may have learned from this tournament that only fighting top level competition in a relatively short window is hazardous to your long term health. I know Showtime is set to run a similar competition with cruiserweights, and there is a single elimination tournament set to begin in the lower weight classes which is great – and I will still support the format, but I think that this inaugural run of the Super Six World Boxing Classic has shown us that the idea does have some very real flaws, and nobody knows that better than the seven men who have put their careers on the line in pursuit of that trophy.