One More Round With Mark Lyons: Pacquiao Smashes Cotto, Kessler vs Ward...

Mark Lyons is back with his take on some recent and upcoming fights.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Another bone breaking performance by Manny Pacquiao was the main course last week, although the appetizer was another hideous under-card from Top Rank. Coming up this week is the final, and in my opinion, the most evenly matched first round fight in Showtime's Super Six.

My Take on Saturday's Big Fight...

-- Manny Pacquiao put a vicious beating on Miguel Cotto in a fight that was exciting for a couple rounds and sad for a couple rounds. The only constant was the boss in the ring.

--Though the fight played out a lot like I predicted, there were a few surprises for me, such as Cotto's jab. I didn’t expect him to land it nearly as well as he did early in the fight. I also didn’t expect him to catch Manny with so many flush power shots, and even more surprising... how well the Filipino icon took those shots. I sure didn’t expect Manny to laugh at them.

-- I think we can put to rest the nonsense that Manny is incapable of fighting at the 147 pound limit. He weighed one pound less than Roberto Duran did in Montreal when they had same day weigh-ins. He is more naturally a Welterweight than any other weight class right now. While he will give up some size to guys there, his speed and power are a rough thing to get past for anybody and he doesn’t need any added advantages. Mosley or Mayweather at 147, simple as that.

-- As for Cotto, he was fine at the weight. He just wasn’t fine with the beast standing across the ring from him. I want to select my words carefully here because Miguel is a credit to the sport and I have long been a fan, but I think it’s time for him to start thinking about retiring. I realize he has only just turned twenty nine years old, but he fights older. It may be a bit of a Fernando Vargas situation where his career was meant to be over earlier than most others.

-- Miguel has been in a lot of wars and I’m not saying he is shot. But I do think he is done at the elite level. He honestly isn’t tough enough for the very best in the game and he isn’t a good enough boxer to back off and do anything more than take a beating. Yet he most certainly is too much of a man to not seek out the best fighters as opponents and that could lead to some unnecessary poundings. I just don’t get the backing off in the mid rounds after he sets the pace for a war. I’m not questioning his heart, it’s his body. He just can’t take what the best have to give.

-- The less said about that under-card, the better. Thanks a lot, Bob. Really? Is that the best you can do for the fans?

Looking Ahead To This Weekend...

-- Ward and Kessler close out the opening round of the Super Six and look to be the most evenly matched fighters so far. Kessler is a big/strong guy for the weight who operates behind a solid one-two but his offence lacks variety and I think Ward’s excellent footwork can get a lot done here.

-- The wild card for me is how Andre will react to Mikkel’s punch. That will tell the story of the fight in my view. I’m going to say Ward, infused by a home town crowd, keeps himself together through some rough spots and pulls out a close and probably spilt decision in a tactical but entertaining fight.

A Fight I’ve Been Thinking About...

-- Lets stick with the man of the hour and look at Manny Pacquiao vs Esteban Dejesus at lightweight. This would be tremendously explosive early, as Dejesus was very fast and powerful in his own right and I have little doubt that he would land often and hard enough to rock and possibly even floor Manny. On the other side of the Spectrum, Dejesus could be worn down by the greatest of fighters and while Manny isn’t Duran in my book, he is just a step down from him.

-- I’ll take Manny by late stoppage or a close but clear decision in a real slugfest.

e-mail Mark Lyons Read more!

The Brave & The Bold: The Super Six Shoot-out

This preview by Jeff Pryor of Showtime's Super Six 168 pound tournament originally ran back in August shortly after the opening round match-ups were announced.

***Make sure to check back in with us tomorrow night for our live round by round blog coverage of Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell & Jermain Taylor vs Arthur Abraham.***

Boldness by Showtime and Ken Hershman. Braveness on the part of the promoters.

And six brave and bold warriors ready to test their mettle against one another in a brutal round robin of blitzed out brawling to blast the Super Middleweight divisions rankings apart at the seam.

Kessler, Froch, Taylor, Abraham, Ward and Dirrell. Simply by signing on, they have emblazoned their names on the placard that reads "real fighter".

Confident and ready, these six gunslingers, stroll into their matches, knowing it will be tough. Knowing they will likely not make it out unscathed. But believing in themselves enough that should they do their best, it will be worth it.

Wanting to be the best. Willing to face the best.

Hailing from destinations scattered throughout Europe and America, these warriors will put themselves through hell in solitary preparation for the day when each of them stand across from one another, paths finally intersecting, with the determination to boldly lay claim to the crown of the division.

Who will stand above the rest and demand to be recognized?

Mikkel Kessler, of whom it is generally held, is the best of the division, based largely upon the work he did before his competitive outing with Calzaghe, and is also figured to be the favorite heading into the competition. His thorough handling of Librado Andrade looks all the more impressive since Andrade gave Lucian Bute hell and came as close to knocking a man out that you can... without it being awarded to you. Kessler's stand up, disciplined style and all around package should make him a tough match for everyone. He isn't the biggest puncher in the competition, or the fastest, not the most athletic, or dynamic, but all in all he's the most proven; the man to beat heading into the long affair.

Photo © Justin McKie

Carl Froch is the blue collar, gut it out, dark horse. He may be the slowest of the field, but he's also the only do or die warrior of the bunch. Like Kessler's Andrade win, Froch's Pascal victory looks all the more impressive since Pascal has moved up to Light Heavyweight and outclassed Adriane Diaconu. Against Jermain Taylor, Froch showed that he can overcome a deficit in speed and athleticism by sheer will and determination. With above average power and a fiery warrior spirit that isn't easily doused, getting past him will take either an incredibly disciplined and determined performance or a concussive explosion that suddenly takes him out in one fell swoop. Whatever happens, when you step in with Froch, it's gut check time.

Andre Dirrell may be the most dynamic fighter out of the group. He has scintillating speed and a missile powered offense, plus the general athleticism to match anyone in the sport. His career so far has been a mixed bag, and it seems largely due to the psychology of the fighter. Tentativeness, a lack of urgency and a safety first mentality marred some of his earlier bouts. Recently he has opened up his attack more and displayed a dazzlingly violent penchant for isolated pockets of destruction. His participation is one of the more ambiguous elements in the tournament. You get the sense he has more raw talent then anyone else, but is the least consistent. His opening bout with Froch may be make or break in that Carl is the kind of fighter who will not go quietly, and if he can take Dirrel's punch he may grind down the less experienced fighter over the long haul, and cause an irreversible reversion in mentality. Throughout the tournament Dirrell will need to prove he can dig in and gut out some moments.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Andre Ward is the other largely unproven talent in the pool. Like Kessler he is solid in virtually every area, but wholly untested against the kind of opposition he will face in the tournament. It would appear he has the skill to compete in this field, but it's yet to be proven he has that special something needed to rise to the very top. I recall Dirrel's impressive performance against Anthony Hanshaw, and wonder how Ward would have done against Hanshaw that night; I think he would have had a much harder time. Still, Ward has his opportunity, and he's shown a desire to succeed and prove himself. That sort of fire can spur a fighter to keep going when others would have quit. His mental toughness may determine outcomes.

Photo © Justin McKie

Then we have the most accomplished of the two former Middleweight champion's, Jermain Taylor, who has found it a difficult go against determined punchers who he can drop, but not stop. His psyche may be the most fragile of all the fighters. He takes losses hard, and he's coming off what must be the most disappointing of his career, where Froch knocked him out in the waning seconds of a fight he would have won on the cards. Taylor's athleticism is only bettered by Dirrell here, and his combination of hand speed and power will be a handful for everyone at the beginning of his fights. His bursting flurries start to diminish midway through though and he may find it hard to match the consistency of some of the other fighters. Still he sat Froch down, a feat no one else has managed, and that would suggest his power is enough to derail anyone here under the right circumstances. His chronic fatigue syndrome will sour most on his prospects in the tournament, but there are a couple matchup's he will find advantageous and he's been known to consistently get the nod in close affairs.

And finally, another fighter who is largely a question mark, particularly at this weight. "King" Arthur Abraham, gives up his crown to try and conquer another kingdom. The key questions will be whether his power makes the move with him, and if his cover-up-fight-thirty-seconds-a-round style, as has been contended, was a product of his struggles in continuing to make the 160lb weight limit or if, as his earlier fights would seem to point to, that's just the way he fights. His four year run as a title holder lacked top flight competition for much of it. More than any fighter here... more than most in the sport, he has shown an extraordinary level of grit and heart, as exemplified in his first bout with Edison Miranda, in which his jaw was horrifically broken and lolling open for much of the bout. One wonders what you must do to stop this man from fighting. If Abraham's power carries up, his winky-esque power slugging remix of a style will provide an interesting puzzle for everyone he meets.

Those six are the Brave and the Bold. Each of them holds their own advantage, and it will be in the match ups that we see how they all slide and click together to create interesting variations on a theme, while we watch six separate story arcs mature before us.

The first trio of matches present intrigue and a few tough draws.

Kessler vs. Ward would seem to be the most conventional fight. Both guys will come to play, and it may just be a case where the older boy knows the game better. With over twice the experience, Kessler will come in frosty and calm. While Ward may be tight heading into his first title fight. If he can keep it close, even a loss may be a victory, in that Ward may need to get this out of the way just to affirm that he belongs in the tournament and in the ring with a guy like Kessler. A Kessler loss here would set the tournament on it's ear.

Froch vs. Dirrell may cause the most sparks to fly. Froch will push Dirrell, and Dirrell will sting Froch. It's a matchup of diametrically opposed fighters. It may come down to whether Froch can survive the short term and whether Dirrell can survive the long term. This may look like Pavlik-Taylor I... or Froch-Taylor for that matter. Could be a real bad night for either guy. And maybe an explosive tournament debut for whoever makes it happen for themselves.

Taylor vs. Abraham pits the two middleweight transplants against one another. This is probably the best matchup for Taylor in the whole shebang. Abraham doesn't push the pace and he will likely allow the always keyed up and tight Taylor to conserve vital energy over the course of the bout. Each man likes to fight in explosive spurts. While Abraham would seem to have the edge in power, Taylor should have a distinct hand speed edge. Since Taylor has cracked twice before though, even a conservative Abraham may have the necessary firepower to bomb out Taylor. It will be up to Jermain to walk the tight rope and balance his stamina.

To look ahead to further matches seems criminal without knowing the results from these fine openers. Things may look radically different for the outcome of the tournament following round one.

The genius in this tournament is that due to it's round robin styling, there is a philosophical return to a different era in boxing; a different perception of a loss. To a time when being a worthy fighter didn't mean an untarnished record, it meant you fought your ass off against the best out there, come what may. As long as you won more than you lost, you probably did alright for yourself.

This tournament allows us to cut the boys some slack. A just reward for consistently facing the toughest competition.

The other bright spot here is that it would be impossible to find a dull matchup with any of these two names sandwiched together. The matchup with the most potential for dead zones would be Abraham-Dirrell... and even that is pretty damn intriguing. This tournament will be hard pressed to disappoint. The pessimistic fan, might say that boxing will find a way, but the sheer number of top flight fights all but precludes disappointment on a mass scale.

Of the six fighters, there will be one left standing at the end, but there will certainly be more than one fighter who comes out of this more highly regarded than upon their entrance.

It's a high wire act in which any meltdown could mean a string of high profile losses and the end of a career. Balanced against that, the prospect of victory after victory, big fights and elevated profile is enough to lure in the likes of current and former world champions, pound for pound entrants, and Olympians.

Make no mistake, the spoils are great.

Imagine if one fighter emerges undefeated over the course of the tournament... For instance, suppose Kessler beats Ward, Froch, Taylor and Dirrell over the course of the series (perhaps one of them twice), couple that with his already notched wins over Andrade, Beyer and Mundine, and then compare that to a list of significant victories from consensus Super Middleweight all-time king, Joe Calzaghe's career. Kessler might slide past Calzaghe on the esteem scale with that kind of run.

The same certainly goes for any man that runs the table, maybe even for a Super Six fighter who drops a fight. With even two solid wins, lets say Froch scores victories over Kessler and Dirrell, match those with his earlier Taylor and Pascal wins and compare them with Joe's best; Kessler, Lacy, Eubank. That's comparable or better.

The point is, in a young division who's patriarch is a long reigning champ who added relatively few choice pelts to his wall, it only takes a string of three or so stirring performances to stamp your name indelibly on the division, maybe even to usurp the current standard barer. While Calzaghe's longevity was impressive, few would argue the Welshman even had as many significant fights over the course of his 10 year run as champion, as these men will have over the course of the next two years. It is because of this, that they are not just fighting for the current division crown, but to enter the discussion of who has been the most remarkable Super Middleweight of all-time.

In an endeavor so vast and far reaching into the future, there is bound to be uncertainty; what if a string of losses sends Taylor into retirement before the tournaments end, or what if injuries preclude a fighter from continuing on to the next fight? Will a definitive division leader emerge? Will a string of tough fights benefit the fighters enough to justify the wear and tear they are bound to endure? Will the tournament be successful and spur the sport on to a renewed interest in these formatted war fields?

If there is a certainty it is that some will fall, some will prevail and spectators will be rewarded for baring witness.

Fortune favors the bold.

e-mail Jeff Pryor Read more!

News & Notes: Ward and Kessler Scrimmages, Latin Fury 11, and Juan Manuel Marquez

Michael Nelson gives his thoughts on tonight's Showtime and Latin Fury cards.

In what will likely be the biggest mismatch on either Showtime or HBO this year, Andre Ward is looking to stay sharp before the Super Six tournament against Shelby Pudwill. Ward is anywhere from a -8,000 to a -20,000 betting favorite in the sportsbooks. Meaning, depending on where you bet, you would only win $500 if you placed $100,000 on Andre.

I realize it's a tuneup, but this is pushing it. Pudwill was a first round knockout victim in his only step up to anything resembling a world class opponent - John Duddy three years ago.

Mikkel Kessler is in decidedly tougher in the first half of the Shobox doubleheader when he faces Venezuelan Gusmyr Perdomo. Like Pudwill, Perdomo will enter the ring as the prohibitive underdog and his record doesn't exactly scream upset, but at least he's hung tough with a few decent fighters. There may actually be a moment or two of competitive action.

This is scraping the barrel as far as televised boxing. But since it's a warmup to a groundbreaking tournament, all is forgiven. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to hear Antonio Tarver as a commentator again after doing an excellent job in July.

Latin Fury...

Last month's Pinoy Power card wasn't particularly good, and I'm not sure if tonight's Latin Fury 11 program will be much better. Admittedly, I don't pay much attention to the minimumweight division, and Donnie Nietes against Manuel Vargas is by far the most evenly matched fight of the night on paper. It's followed by Fernando Montiel against Alejandro Valdrez, who may be a bit tougher than rising Japanese star Hozumi Hasegawa made him look. Tough enough to upset Montiel? Probably not.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr shares the main event with Portland's Jason LeHoullier. Most don't give LeHoullier much of a chance, but you can say the same about the prefight perceptions of Carlos Molina, Matt Vanda, and Luciano Leonel Cuello, and they gave the young man all he could handle. Another controversial decision and another rematch in a future Latin Fury wouldn't be surprising.

Juan Manuel Who?

The arguments on how next weekend's big Pay-Per-View bout will pan out have turned into pissing contests. Self-proclaimed boxing fan Dana White says he doesn't know who Floyd Mayweather's opponent is and Bob Arum says Floyd is only exciting when he's "shooting up cars".

It's all a bit too much to swallow.

I agree with Lee Payton. Despite the size difference, Marquez is a serious opponent, and anyone expecting a mockery is in for a shock. I think we have a good fight on our hands.

e-mail Michael Nelson Read more!

The Boxing Bulletin Pick'em Game - Week 2

The Boxing Bulletin's Pick'em game is back for week 2. There's a lot more activity around the boxing world this weekend, and that's reflected in the fights on this week's game sheet.

If you played week 1, scroll down to the bottom for standings. If you missed the opening week, that's not a problem, as you can join right in this week.

Our game is a little different than most of the variations we've seen online, as it's a combination of picking the winners straight-up and beating the odds. If you're ready to match your prognostication skills against other boxing fans, then let's get started...

How to play:

The game is strictly for fun, and entry is free. The deadline to enter this week is Thursday night at 11 PM EST. We'll post the pick breakdown on Friday, and have the results tabulated and posted with Monday's Week 3 game sheet (please check this post's comments for early results, as we'll try getting them up there by Sunday).

Pick The Winners

This part's easy - 2 points for each correct answer.

Beat The Odds

This is where it gets a little more involved, as you will have the option of choosing 2 fights to risk multiple (double or triple, but only one can be a triple) points on. Points gained (and lost) will be multiplied by two and three times respectively for these fights.

You do not need to risk points on every fight. If you wish to skip a fight, just check "pass" for both fighters.

Standings

We will keep standings for the full year, although each game will only last for 1 month. At the end of the month standings will be reset and a new game will begin.

We've got a few details below on the fights in play this week, but if you're ready to get started, here's the Week 2 game sheet.

This Week's Line-up - clicking on the fighter's name will open up their boxrec page September 11 John McDermott (25-5) vs Tyson Fury (7-0) - 10 rounds - English heavyweight title - Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom (Television: Sky, UK) Having finished off his first 7 opponents inside the distance, Fury will be facing his toughest test to date in McDermott. For a short preview of McDermott vs Fury, check out The Boxing Bulletin's British Scene Season Preview Part One by Dave Oakes. September 12 Mikkel Kessler (41-1) vs Gusmyr Perdomo (16-2) - 12 rounds - WBA super-middleweight title - Herning, Denmark & Andre Ward (19-0) vs Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1) - 10 rounds - Temecula, California, USA (Television, Showtime) With all due respect to Shelby Pudwill, he doesn't belong in the same ring as Andre Ward. Granted Ward needed a stay busy fight while Kessler fulfills his mandatory obligations against Perdomo, but Showtime might as well flash "Super Six Informerical" on the screen for as long as this extremely poor excuse for a main-event lasts. We're only offering it as an over/under, the the total has been set very low. Ivan Calderon (32-0-1) vs Rodel Mayol (25-3-1) - 12 rounds - WBO light-flyweight title Calderon has been one of the best in the sport for many years, but has has shown signs of slipping and was given a tough go by Mayol in their abbreviated draw back in June. On home soil, the masterful southpaw is the definitive favorite to take the rematch, but considering the odds, Mayol might be worth a pick. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (39-0-1) vs Jason LeHoullier (29-1-1) - 10 rounds - Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico (Television, Top Rank PPV) Is LeHoullier good enough to pull the upset? Probably not, but we're also offering this one as an over/under which should make it a little more interesting fight to play. If you're ready to play, click here for the week 2 game sheet.

Read more!

The Brave and the Bold: The Super Six Shoot-out

Jeff Pryor previews Showtime's upcoming Super Six 168 pound tournament.

Boldness by Showtime and Ken Hershman. Braveness on the part of the promoters.

And six brave and bold warriors ready to test their mettle against one another in a brutal round robin of blitzed out brawling to blast the Super Middleweight divisions rankings apart at the seam.

Kessler, Froch, Taylor, Abraham, Ward and Dirrell. Simply by signing on, they have emblazoned their names on the placard that reads "real fighter".

Confident and ready, these six gunslingers, stroll into their matches, knowing it will be tough. Knowing they will likely not make it out unscathed. But believing in themselves enough that should they do their best, it will be worth it.

Wanting to be the best. Willing to face the best.

Hailing from destinations scattered throughout Europe and America, these warriors will put themselves through hell in solitary preparation for the day when each of them stand across from one another, paths finally intersecting, with the determination to boldly lay claim to the crown of the division.

Who will stand above the rest and demand to be recognized?

Mikkel Kessler, of whom it is generally held, is the best of the division, based largely upon the work he did before his competitive outing with Calzaghe, and is also figured to be the favorite heading into the competition. His thorough handling of Librado Andrade looks all the more impressive since Andrade gave Lucian Bute hell and came as close to knocking a man out that you can... without it being awarded to you. Kessler's stand up, disciplined style and all around package should make him a tough match for everyone. He isn't the biggest puncher in the competition, or the fastest, not the most athletic, or dynamic, but all in all he's the most proven; the man to beat heading into the long affair.

Photo © Justin McKie

Carl Froch is the blue collar, gut it out, dark horse. He may be the slowest of the field, but he's also the only do or die warrior of the bunch. Like Kessler's Andrade win, Froch's Pascal victory looks all the more impressive since Pascal has moved up to Light Heavyweight and outclassed Adriane Diaconu. Against Jermain Taylor, Froch showed that he can overcome a deficit in speed and athleticism by sheer will and determination. With above average power and a fiery warrior spirit that isn't easily doused, getting past him will take either an incredibly disciplined and determined performance or a concussive explosion that suddenly takes him out in one fell swoop. Whatever happens, when you step in with Froch, it's gut check time.

Andre Dirrell may be the most dynamic fighter out of the group. He has scintillating speed and a missile powered offense, plus the general athleticism to match anyone in the sport. His career so far has been a mixed bag, and it seems largely due to the psychology of the fighter. Tentativeness, a lack of urgency and a safety first mentality marred some of his earlier bouts. Recently he has opened up his attack more and displayed a dazzlingly violent penchant for isolated pockets of destruction. His participation is one of the more ambiguous elements in the tournament. You get the sense he has more raw talent then anyone else, but is the least consistent. His opening bout with Froch may be make or break in that Carl is the kind of fighter who will not go quietly, and if he can take Dirrel's punch he may grind down the less experienced fighter over the long haul, and cause an irreversible reversion in mentality. Throughout the tournament Dirrell will need to prove he can dig in and gut out some moments.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Andre Ward is the other largely unproven talent in the pool. Like Kessler he is solid in virtually every area, but wholly untested against the kind of opposition he will face in the tournament. It would appear he has the skill to compete in this field, but it's yet to be proven he has that special something needed to rise to the very top. I recall Dirrel's impressive performance against Anthony Hanshaw, and wonder how Ward would have done against Hanshaw that night; I think he would have had a much harder time. Still, Ward has his opportunity, and he's shown a desire to succeed and prove himself. That sort of fire can spur a fighter to keep going when others would have quit. His mental toughness may determine outcomes.

Photo © Justin McKie

Then we have the most accomplished of the two former Middleweight champion's, Jermain Taylor, who has found it a difficult go against determined punchers who he can drop, but not stop. His psyche may be the most fragile of all the fighters. He takes losses hard, and he's coming off what must be the most disappointing of his career, where Froch knocked him out in the waning seconds of a fight he would have won on the cards. Taylor's athleticism is only bettered by Dirrell here, and his combination of hand speed and power will be a handful for everyone at the beginning of his fights. His bursting flurries start to diminish midway through though and he may find it hard to match the consistency of some of the other fighters. Still he sat Froch down, a feat no one else has managed, and that would suggest his power is enough to derail anyone here under the right circumstances. His chronic fatigue syndrome will sour most on his prospects in the tournament, but there are a couple matchup's he will find advantageous and he's been known to consistently get the nod in close affairs.

And finally, another fighter who is largely a question mark, particularly at this weight. "King" Arthur Abraham, gives up his crown to try and conquer another kingdom. The key questions will be whether his power makes the move with him, and if his cover-up-fight-thirty-seconds-a-round style, as has been contended, was a product of his struggles in continuing to make the 160lb weight limit or if, as his earlier fights would seem to point to, that's just the way he fights. His four year run as a title holder lacked top flight competition for much of it. More than any fighter here... more than most in the sport, he has shown an extraordinary level of grit and heart, as exemplified in his first bout with Edison Miranda, in which his jaw was horrifically broken and lolling open for much of the bout. One wonders what you must do to stop this man from fighting. If Abraham's power carries up, his winky-esque power slugging remix of a style will provide an interesting puzzle for everyone he meets.

Those six are the Brave and the Bold. Each of them holds their own advantage, and it will be in the match ups that we see how they all slide and click together to create interesting variations on a theme, while we watch six separate story arcs mature before us.

The first trio of matches present intrigue and a few tough draws.

Kessler vs. Ward would seem to be the most conventional fight. Both guys will come to play, and it may just be a case where the older boy knows the game better. With over twice the experience, Kessler will come in frosty and calm. While Ward may be tight heading into his first title fight. If he can keep it close, even a loss may be a victory, in that Ward may need to get this out of the way just to affirm that he belongs in the tournament and in the ring with a guy like Kessler. A Kessler loss here would set the tournament on it's ear.

Froch vs. Dirrell may cause the most sparks to fly. Froch will push Dirrell, and Dirrell will sting Froch. It's a matchup of diametrically opposed fighters. It may come down to whether Froch can survive the short term and whether Dirrell can survive the long term. This may look like Pavlik-Taylor I... or Froch-Taylor for that matter. Could be a real bad night for either guy. And maybe an explosive tournament debut for whoever makes it happen for themselves.

Taylor vs. Abraham pits the two middleweight transplants against one another. This is probably the best matchup for Taylor in the whole shebang. Abraham doesn't push the pace and he will likely allow the always keyed up and tight Taylor to conserve vital energy over the course of the bout. Each man likes to fight in explosive spurts. While Abraham would seem to have the edge in power, Taylor should have a distinct hand speed edge. Since Taylor has cracked twice before though, even a conservative Abraham may have the necessary firepower to bomb out Taylor. It will be up to Jermain to walk the tight rope and balance his stamina.

To look ahead to further matches seems criminal without knowing the results from these fine openers. Things may look radically different for the outcome of the tournament following round one.

The genius in this tournament is that due to it's round robin styling, there is a philosophical return to a different era in boxing; a different perception of a loss. To a time when being a worthy fighter didn't mean an untarnished record, it meant you fought your ass off against the best out there, come what may. As long as you won more than you lost, you probably did alright for yourself.

This tournament allows us to cut the boys some slack. A just reward for consistently facing the toughest competition.

The other bright spot here is that it would be impossible to find a dull matchup with any of these two names sandwiched together. The matchup with the most potential for dead zones would be Abraham-Dirrell... and even that is pretty damn intriguing. This tournament will be hard pressed to disappoint. The pessimistic fan, might say that boxing will find a way, but the sheer number of top flight fights all but precludes disappointment on a mass scale.

Of the six fighters, there will be one left standing at the end, but there will certainly be more than one fighter who comes out of this more highly regarded than upon their entrance.

It's a high wire act in which any meltdown could mean a string of high profile losses and the end of a career. Balanced against that, the prospect of victory after victory, big fights and elevated profile is enough to lure in the likes of current and former world champions, pound for pound entrants, and Olympians.

Make no mistake, the spoils are great.

Imagine if one fighter emerges undefeated over the course of the tournament... For instance, suppose Kessler beats Ward, Froch, Taylor and Dirrell over the course of the series (perhaps one of them twice), couple that with his already notched wins over Andrade, Beyer and Mundine, and then compare that to a list of significant victories from consensus Super Middleweight all-time king, Joe Calzaghe's career. Kessler might slide past Calzaghe on the esteem scale with that kind of run.

The same certainly goes for any man that runs the table, maybe even for a Super Six fighter who drops a fight. With even two solid wins, lets say Froch scores victories over Kessler and Dirrell, match those with his earlier Taylor and Pascal wins and compare them with Joe's best; Kessler, Lacy, Eubank. That's comparable or better.

The point is, in a young division who's patriarch is a long reigning champ who added relatively few choice pelts to his wall, it only takes a string of three or so stirring performances to stamp your name indelibly on the division, maybe even to usurp the current standard barer. While Calzaghe's longevity was impressive, few would argue the Welshman even had as many significant fights over the course of his 10 year run as champion, as these men will have over the course of the next two years. It is because of this, that they are not just fighting for the current division crown, but to enter the discussion of who has been the most remarkable Super Middleweight of all-time.

In an endeavor so vast and far reaching into the future, there is bound to be uncertainty; what if a string of losses sends Taylor into retirement before the tournaments end, or what if injuries preclude a fighter from continuing on to the next fight? Will a definitive division leader emerge? Will a string of tough fights benefit the fighters enough to justify the wear and tear they are bound to endure? Will the tournament be successful and spur the sport on to a renewed interest in these formatted war fields?

If there is a certainty it is that some will fall, some will prevail and spectators will be rewarded for baring witness.

Fortune favors the bold.

e-mail Jeff Pryor Read more!

Topic of the Week: Andre Ward

This past Saturday night, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward scored a one sided decision victory over former middleweight contender Edison Miranda.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

The Boxing Bulletin writers give their thoughts on Ward's performance and what they'd like to see next from the up and coming super-middleweight contender.

Showtime's commentators Steve Farhood and Nick Charles were full of praise for Andre Ward's performance. Was it that good? Ward certainly didn't look bad, although I think very little of Miranda. I wasn't impressed nearly as much as I was bored after the first three rounds. - Mark Lyons Ward did well, arguably winning every round, which means he probably hasn't clearly lost a round since his scare against Darnell Boone in 2005. The fact that he can fight just as well, if not better, out of the southpaw stance makes him a difficult puzzle to solve for anyone. In the second half of the bout, he showed he has Ricky Hatton's style down pretty well too. Add it up and he has the type of versatility not many other young fighters possess. I did think he was going to knock out Miranda in the middle rounds so I can't say he exceeded my expectations. Most would agree that he could have gotten the stoppage if he pressed. And that's where my criticism lies; he's content with staying in the 3rd or 4th gear. We might have to see him in against the cream of the division to see if a 5th gear exists. - Michael Nelson I thought he was very effective, and showed a gritty side that will serve him well against better opponents, but it wasn't an outstanding performance. Granted Miranda was a step up, but he's also extremely limited and as Michael mentioned, there was a real opportunity for the stoppage if Ward put his foot on the gas - and he didn't. - Andrew Fruman I thought the Shobox team was over praising Ward for most of the night. He did well, but no better than anyone should have expected against a limited, though admittedly dangerous opponent. In the end he showed a lot of good things, but failed to explode onto the scene. It was an above average performance, and earmarked him as a Contender, but nothing more yet. - Jeff Pryor

Who would you like to see Ward fight next? He isn't the most entertaining fighter, but he has some skills. He dominated a fringe guy like he should and deserves an opportunity. I would like to see him fight and Allan Green fight. Not that it has a chance of happening.- Mark Lyons All of his opponents thus far have been relatively slow, so a fight with Pascal would be good. He's a mandatory for Carl Froch, but I doubt that fight happens next. If it does, I'll be watching with interest. - Michael Nelson Someone like Sakio Bika would be good. Bika's been waiting for someone to step in against him, and he's a tougher out than Miranda, but a step down from the elite of the division. - Andrew Fruman I think a bout with Andre Dirrell or with Allen Green would be outstanding. I don't expect either of those two to happen, but I think he should step up again soon. Maybe a rebounding Jermain Taylor or Jeff Lacy/Roy Jones. My hunch is he'll take a few more mediocre opponents and then try for a belt. - Jeff Pryor

Read more!

Live Blog: Andre Ward vs Edison Miranda

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's Shobox's special edition featuring Andre Ward vs Edison Miranda in a 12 round super-middleweight contest.

Coverage will start at 9:00 PM EST. In the main under-card bout, 16-0 lightweight John Molina takes on Frankie Archuleta. Also on the televised portion of the card is 2008 US Olympian Shawn Estrada. Estrada comes in with a 5-0 record, all by knockout, and will be taking on Cory Jones in a 4 round super-middleweight bout. If you are here early, check out some of The Boxing Bulletin's latest feature stories (links on the left hand side of the page). Also worth checking out is a friend of mine's blog about his experiences covering Manny Pacquaio's preparation for the Ricky Hatton fight: The True Chronicles

Please refresh this page often, as I'll be doing frequent updates throughout the show. 9:02... Shobox is live from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. 9:04... Steve Farhood is interviewing Andre Ward. Farhood asks Ward about Miranda's big pre-fight talk. "This is what I'm used to. They see one thing on the outside of the ring, but then they get in and it's a little different... I'm going to have fun tonight." 9:07... Farhood with Miranda, "Your loss to Arthur Abraham was a bad one, are you fighting tonight for your career?" "I love boxing, I'll keep boxing until I can. This is just another fight." 9:08... We're kicking things off with Molina vs Archuleta. Perhaps the Estrada/Jones bout (it's listed on the showtime website) will be aired in case this one ends early. 9:09... Farhood points out that Archuleta is by far Molina's toughest opponent, although he's fighting above his prime weight and hasn't been too active. "Molina's fighting him at the right time." 9:11... Jimmy Lennon with the intros. The ref is David Mendoza. 9:12... Archuleta weighed in at 128. Molina 132. It would be a nice touch and good info to have if Showtime put fight night weights like HBO does, but unfortunately they don't. 9:13... We're underway. Scheduled for 8 rounds. 9:13... Molina looks MUCH bigger in there. 9:16... Archuleta just landed a decent overhand right around 1 minute in. Molina's been edging forward, while Archuleta occasionally jumps in with a combo before moving. "If Archuleta goes to the ropes, forget it, he's got no chance." - Farhood. Molina keeps moving forward, but hasn't really opened up yet. He just landed a nice left with about 10 seconds left in the round. 9:20... Charles comments that he likes what Archuleta's doing, and Farhood adds, "He's fighting smart." Farhood comments that Molina needs to use his jab and take advantage of his big reach advantage. I think Molina's best shot so far has been the right hand to the body. Archeluta just had a nice little flurry around 1:30 into round 2, but Molina responds by slipping off the ropes and drilling the smaller man. He then turns it up with a powerful flurry that drops Archuleta along the ropes. He's up quickly, but Mendoza takes a look at him and stops it! 9:23... "Sometimes the worst thing you can do is hit a guy." - Farhood Archuleta was flurrying with Molina up against the ropes, when Molina fired a left hand that backed Archuleta off. Molina then drilled Archuleta with a heavy right hand to the body, and followed up with a left hand that drove Archuleta into the corner. A few shots later and Archuleta was down, although up immediately, he took the count with his back to the ref while walking away. 9:25... A bid of an odd stoppage, although Archuleta didn't put his gloves up when Mendoza finished his 8 count. 9:26... Highlights from Jones/Estrada. Jones opened up aggressively, and walked into a counter right hand that dropped him. Estrada jumped on Jones immediately, and the fight was stopped 91 seconds in. Estrada moves to 6-0. 9:31... I think we might have a bit of a wait here before the main-event. At the moment Showtime is showing highlights of Ward and Miranda's previous fights. 9:34... Not much of a wait after all. Edison Miranda is making his way to the ring. 9:36... Fighting in front of his hometown fans, Andre Ward enters to a big ovation. 9:38... Jimmy Lennon doing the intros. Looks like a good atmosphere inside the arena. The referee is John Schorle. 9:39... Miranda has a bit of a reach edge. Both weighed in at 167 1/2. 9:40... "Miranda's got to get that jab going." - Charles. He's trying to. Accidental head-butt 1 minute in. No blood. 9:40... I stand corrected, Ward has a cut above his left eye. 9:42... Miranda is trying to get aggressive in there, but not landing much of note. 9:43... Ward's corner tells him the cut is very small. "Do not be in the corners!" They tell him. The head-butt occurred in the corner, Farhood points out that Miranda was a little reckless which caused the butt 9:44... Miranda is pressing and swinging wildly. He just missed with a big right. Ward is circling here, and occasionally stopping to trade. Ward now drills Miranda with a hard right hand. Miranda is stalking, but no luck. He now lands a right hand low. About 1:15 left in round 2. 9:46... Farhood comments that what Ward is doing well is either being very far away or very close to Miranda. Ward cracks Miranda with a right hand and Miranda smacks his chest to say bring it on (or that hurt). Some big action with about 30 seconds in the round. I think Miranda got a decent right hand in, and Ward responded by mixing it up. Ward digs a hard left to the body with about 10 seconds left. 9:47... Farhood gave round 2 to Miranda based on a couple good rights late in the round. 9:48... For those that weren't looking forward to it, this has been pretty entertaining so far. Miranda comes out putting the pressure on. Ward's doing a good job of beating Miranda to the punch and then tying him up in close. Ward drills Miranda with a really nice body shot 1:00 into the round. Miranda keeps stalking. He's firing the jab and then trying to bang home the right hand. 9:50... Ward drills Miranda with a left hand between the guard. Ward's moving nicely, picking his spots to stop and fire. Very good 3rd round for Ward so far. Ward nails Miranda with a straight left just before the bell. 9:51... Miranda opens up round 4 by chasing after Ward and bulling him into the ropes. Ward backs up, moving away to his right. Miranda catches Ward with a right hand, but didn't have the full force behind it. 9:52... Ward drills Miranda with a decent combo. Ward is looking comfy here. He's just got Miranda's right hand to worry about, and he's doing a nice job of moving out of the way. If Miranda was a litle quicker or didn't load up so much, it might be a different story. 9:53... Ward's doing a fair bit of holding inside. I said early it was a "nice job" of tying up. I guess that's still one way to look at it. Ward stops and drills Miranda to the body. Miranda misses badly with a right hand a few seconds before the bell to end round 4. 9:55... Ward just landed a nice combo. Miranda tried to respond, but Ward was already out of range. Ward leaps in with a left hand. He's landing all the solid punches right now. Farhood comments that Miranda isn't really throwing much anymore. 1:30 left in round 5. 9:57... Really nice uppercut from Ward. Miranda felt that. Ward drills Miranda with a 1/2. He's pawing with the jab and then unloading. Miranda trying to fight back, but he's being outclassed here. Just before the end of the round, Ward lands a nice left hand between Miranda's guard along the ropes, and Miranda pounds his chest. 9:58... Farhood comments that Ward is showing some nice defensive work. He also compliments Ward's nice left upper-cut he landed. 9:59... Miranda tries to jab his way in and follow up with a right, but Ward slips it. Miranda's just doesn't have an answer for Ward's movement. He's throwing that right hand, but with Ward moving away from it, it's never landing. Miranda lands a decent uppercut in close. Ward now tries to smother Miranda in close, and fires off a body shot. Some good shoulder to shoulder action here, and Ward looks like the stronger man as he pushes Miranda backwards. 10:01... 1 minute to go in round 6. Ward in control. He's mixing up his punches very nicely. Miranda lands a nice, but Ward just fires back. Now Miranda launches a big right that sails over Ward's head and Ward ties him up. Ward stings him with a right hand and pushes Miranda back along the ropes. Miranda fires back. There's the bell. 10:02... Farhood has it 59-55 after 6. He gave Miranda round 2. Nick Charles has it the same way. 10:03... Miranda came out hard and drilled Ward with a big right hand along the ropes. Ward quickly moves out of trouble and Miranda chases. Ward stops and fires to the body. He lands a hook. Miranda pressing forward here, and Ward ties him up. 2:00 left in round 7. 10:05... Nice left hand from Ward. He pushes Miranda back along the ropes and forces Miranda into the corner. Ward with a right/left combo that lands. He missed with a big hook though, and Miranda chases him into the corner, before Ward ties him up. The ref breaks the little wrestling match up. A bit more holding and mauling from both fighters. Ward catches Miranda with a nice left hook with about 30 seconds to go in the round. Miranda takes it well and chases Ward backwards. Ward is too quick though, and by the time Miranda catches him, he's too close and they clinch. 10:06... Miranda's corner is telling him that he's got to change things up. "Don't chase him! You've got to hit him. We're down." 10:07... Action in close to start round 8, with both fighters shoulder to shoulder. Ward pushes Miranda back into the corner. Some holding going on. Now they kind of waltz back into the middle of the ring, and Ward lands a nice little shot inside. 2:00 left in round 8. 10:09... Ward is now out muscling Miranda. He's pushing him backwards and has Miranda up against the ropes, while he's working little shots. Miranda is trying to fight back with his back to the ropes in the corner, but Ward doesn't let him out. I dunno how many people expected this sort of fight here from Ward. He's just pressing in, forcing Miranda backwards. The ref now warns Ward for getting a little too rough. 20 seconds left in the round. "The more rugged guy has been Ward." - Farhood. Miranda just doesn't have the legs right now to get Ward as a range where he can get some leverage. 10:10... Ward's corner tells him to "Keep it smart." 10:11... Round 9 underway. Miranda opens up stalking, while Ward backs away, only to stop and drill home a left hand. Miranda jabs his way in and launches a huge uppercut that may have changed the fight if it landed clean, but it didn't. Now they clinch again. Miranda hustling this round, as he's coming forward and letting his hands go. Just not having too much luck landing anything clean. Ward now stops and lands a right hand, and ties Miranda up. 1:30 left in the round. 10:13... "He's looking like an old 28." Charles on Miranda. Ward with a nice right hand and follows up with a good left hook. Miranda tries to fight back, but misses with a right hand. Ward now bangs home a right hand, and Miranda tries to fight back, but Ward gets on the move and ties Miranda up when he gets close. 10:13... Miranda's corner is telling him that Ward is tired. "You've got to fight 3 minutes." 10:15... Miranda opens up the 10th round on the attack. But it's Ward that lands the damaging shot with a good left hook. Miranda's trying to jab his way in, but he's too slow to follow up with his right hand. Ward's just too quick. 1:30 to go in a bit of an uneventful 10th round so far. 10:16... Every so often, Ward stops and lands clean with something hard. The ref now warns Ward to stop the holding. Ward lands a really nice right hand and then moves out of trouble. He stops and lands a big uppercut. Miranda tries to respond and their legs get tangled and Ward goes down. Not a knockdown though. There's the bell to end round 10. 10:18... "Beat him up!" - Ward's corner tells him before he goes out for round 11. 10:19... Ward with a nice 1-2. He's managing to get his straight shots through Miranda's high guard. That's of course when Miranda has his hands up, as he often doesn't. 10:20... It has to be said - Miranda is a gutsy fighter. He's been drilled by a lot of clean hard shots tonight, and he's still coming forward, desperately trying to land something big. Farhood comments that Miranda might as well put a message in the mail that he's trying to land that big right hand. Yeah, he's telegraphing it. 10:21... Ward with a nice body shot. Action has been a little slow here. Ward is playing it safer than in previous rounds as Miranda is desperate and really loading up. Ward wings a hook over Miranda's head as the bell rings to end round 11. 10:22... 12th and final round. Miranda needs a KO. 10:23... Miranda lands a chopping right. Ward on the move, stops throws and hold. He does it again. Miranda chasing and firing the right, but it doesn't land. Charles comments that Ward hasn't switched to southpaw this round, something he's been doing often tonight. 1:30 to go in the fight. 10:25... "To Miranda's credit, he has come forward all night." - Farhood. 1:00 to go. Miranda trying hard here, but just not connecting. Ward using the ring, then jumps in with a hook. 15 seconds left. They clinch. Another clinch. Miranda misses a right hand and there's the final bell. 10:26... Farhood, "Ward is class in and out of the ring." "He answered the critics by taking this fight." - Charles 10:27... I suspect the cards will be in the 119-109 range. 10:28... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the decision. Unanimous decision. 116-112, 119-109, 119-109 for Andre Ward. 10:33... A convincing win for Ward, although not the most exciting of fights. Ward tells Farhood that he proved tonight that he could take a shot, although he's not happy with his performance. "I wanted to look better in certain spots, I felt like a I put myself in compromising positions at times." 10:34... Steve Farhood and Nick Charles raved about Ward's performance tonight. He was in control all night, but a little too much holding for my tastes. Still, he got the job done and won going away. 10:36... Thanks for checking out The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's fight. We'll be back again for the May 30 Berto/Urango, Cintron/Angulo HBO show.

Read more!

Andre Ward vs Edison Miranda Predictions

Andre Ward will be stepping up in competition when he takes on former middleweight contender, Edison Miranda. Will the 2004 Olympic gold medalist pass the test, or can the big punching Pantera derail Ward's plans?

Make sure to check out The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of this event.

The Boxing Bulletin writers give their predictions...

Miranda was a bit chinny as middleweight before the Pavlik beating, getting rocked in at least four fights. Post-Pavlik, he crumpled on the first flush shot he took on the chin against Abraham. Ward will be the first strong natural super-middle he's faced and I just don't trust he can take a good shot anymore. The caveat is that the book's still out on Ward's whiskers, and this is indeed a step up. But I think Andre will take Miranda out within rounds 4-6 after a cautious start. - Michael Nelson

I'm not really a fan of this bout; I think it's a mismatch. I was never a Miranda believer, but what he did have pre-Pavlik was a certain toughness that would carry him through most rough spots. He no longer has that it would seem, and now he is only a crude fighter with a big punch. I'm not on the Ward bandwagon either, but I suspect he dominates, one way or the other, probably by stoppage. As a step up fight, he ought to look mighty impressive or he'll end up like Chad Dawson did last week; another win on his ledger, but immobile in his goal of advancing to bigger, better fights. I think Ward is too fast, at a weight past Miranda's best. Miranda has a punchers chance, Ward has all the other advantages. My forecast is a 75% chance of a Ward victory. - Jeff Pryor

Miranda is just too damn slow to deal with Ward. Haven't seen that much of the kid, but he should win. I think Miranda will last the distance because I'm not sold on Ward as a finisher or a puncher. Wide decision. Not necessarily thrilling. - Lee Payton

I'm taking Ward by boring decision. I can't really say I'm sold on Andre as far as being a future star of the sport. But I do think he is too talented for Miranda. Can't say this match up has my juices flowing. Not even a little bit. - Mark Lyons

I've never rated Miranda and don't rate Ward either. I believe Ward will use his speed to hit and move his way to a unanimous decision, but will inevitably fail when he steps up to the highest level. - Dave Oakes

Ward's big edge in overall skills, especially hand speed, should be way too much for Miranda - but Miranda's one shot power should make it interesting for as long as it lasts. - Andrew Fruman

Read more!

Andre Ward vs Edison Miranda Preview

Michael Nelson previews this Saturday's Shobox main-event.

The baby-step development of Andre Ward finally ends Saturday night when he faces Colombian knockout artist Edison Miranda.

Following his gold medal performance in the 2004 Olympics, the lofty hopes boxing fans had for the amateur superstar came crashing down to Earth in only his second professional bout when unheralded Kenny Kost badly staggered him early in the fight. Ward dominated the rest of the way, but critics were already calling him a soon-to-be bust. Five fights later, their suspicions were nearly confirmed, as Darnell Boone dropped Ward and came close to stopping him in November 2005. Andre managed to hold on to earn a 6 round unanimous decision.

Since then, Ward's career has been a slow - very slow - reclamation project. His team has sought to rebuild his confidence, along with the aspirations fans had for him coming out of the Olympics, through careful matchmaking. And to his credit, Ward has handled business, hardly losing a round (if any) since his scare against Boone. He's also stopped 9 out of 11 during that time frame.

He feels he's ready to take the arm floats off and jump into the deep end. Though one might question how deep the water actually is.

After all, Edison Miranda hasn't been setting the world ablaze since getting brutally stopped in his violent encounter with Kelly Pavlik in May of 2007. His shining moment since was a KO of the year candidate in early '08 against David Banks, before getting blown out in four rounds in his highly anticipated rematch against Arthur Abraham. In a light heavyweight bout two months ago, he got caught several times en route to overpowering Joey Vegas in London.

Nevertheless, Miranda still has plenty of lead in his right hand and questions still swirl around how well Andre can take a punch. Ward will no doubt put his superior foot speed to good use and circle away from that hand as much as possible. In the process, he'll look to keep Miranda at the end of his jab - and he possesses an excellent one - while periodically dropping his own right hand to see how dented Edison's chin is after two bad knockout losses.

Miranda will spend much of the fight trying to time a right hand over Ward's jab. If his recent fights are any indication, he'll use the first couple of rounds to get a handle on Ward's speed and movement. The bombs will be released shortly thereafter.

Unless Miranda is capable of applying effective pressure on a boxer as quick and talented as Ward, we may be looking at an uneventful fight. Ward didn't push the pedal against the slow and relatively harmless Henry Buchanan in February; it's doubtful he becomes uncharacteristically aggressive against a dangerous puncher.

But if Miranda's able to cut the ring off, we'll have fireworks, and Ward's four year old boom-or-bust questions will finally begin to be answered.

e-mail Michael Nelson
Read more!

FNF, Shobox and the Return of Chagaev

It's been a fairly busy weekend so far. Even with the highly anticipated main event between Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce still to come, we've already had plenty of fights worth touching on.

Last night, Yusaf Mack and Chris Henry battled it out on a FNF card that also featured middlewight propsect and crowd favourite Fernando Guerrero (photo © Cheryl Nemazie). 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward was in action on Shobox, while in Germany, Ruslan Chagaev made his return after more than a year on the shelf on a show highlighted by 140 pound belt holder Andriy Kotelnik and challenger Marcos Rene Maidana.


Yusaf Mack - Chris Henry

It was a solid, albeit a bit frustrating, Friday Night Fight headliner. Yusaf Mack showed that he carried his power up to light heavyweight, rocking Chris Henry multiple times with right hands en route to a split decision victory. He refused to put together combinations, however, and if he followed those right hands up with left hooks, he almost certainly would have knocked Henry out. Henry, for his part, actually appeared to out jab his quicker opponent. His wide right hands were the problem, as they continued to miss their mark throughout. Poor foot work and balance were also issues. Henry wasn't able to keep a proper distance on the inside, instead falling into clinches and smothering his own punches. Yusaf was badly gassed late in the fight; more body work with some uppercuts mixed in could have finished him off. Both men showed limitations that makes it difficult for me to place them among the elite at 175, although they would give most of the top 10 a rough outing. Mack's stamina issues will likely always be a problem, as will Henry's lack of accuracy and balance. - Michael Nelson

Mack has the skill to be a serious player. He's pretty good defensively, has quick hands, and can bang a little bit. The problem is in his stamina and focus. He had Henry wobbling around in the 6th round, but instead of taking advantage, he showed a lack of composure and started chucking wildly. He gassed himself in the process, and had little left in the tank for the final six rounds.

Mack will get more spots on TV because he tends to make exciting fights, but even at 30 years old, he has plenty of maturing to do if he is to fulfill his potential.

Even though Chris Henry lost, I was impressed with the way he kept plugging away. You had to admire the way he pushed the action, even while utterly exhausted. He carries certain useful tools, like above average punching power, a strong beard and all the inside stuff you want in a fighter and with work on a few technical elements he could take his game up a half a level or so.

I'd like to see simple head movement. The man is so wide open on his left side, it gave me flashbacks of Cliff Ettienne. That's a shame, because he is better than that. If Henry committed to the body with those booming rights, he would be a monster. Follow that up with a left hook and you've got yourself a dangerous man.

While dropping this fight is a definite setback, I believe this fighter has the guts and power to get back into contention.

I wouldn't mind seeing one of these guys fight Tavoris Cloud next.

Fernando Guerrero - Gabriel Rosado

The Co-feature pitted the extremely popular local prospect, Fernando Guerrero, against Gabriel Rosado. The kid from Salisbury, Maryland made sure the home crowd was not disappointed, as he pounded out a competitive unanimous decision win. This was a significant step up for the undefeated young fighter and he handled himself well, despite a flash knockdown.

We still don't know how he takes one on the chin or to the ribs, but he's an interesting personality with a devoted audience, so I look forward to checking him out again.

Andriy Kotelnik - Marcos Rene Maidana

In Germany, Andriy Kotelnik successfully defended his 140 title belt in a busted face effort against relatively unknown Argentinian banger, Marcos Rene Maidana.

The challenger came out fast, slamming several right hands around the guard while also splitting the gloves with lead left uppercuts that snapped Kotelnik's head back. He never stopped banging away for the first 3 rounds, while his opponent showed great resolve in standing up to the abuse and coming back to make it a very tight contest down the stretch.

It was Maidana's big swings and activity against Kotelnik's sharper blows and crowd reaction. In the end, the decision was a fair one. I thought the fight was 7-5 either way and the judges agreed.

Ruslan Chagaev - Carl Davis Drummond

The less said about Ruslan Chagaev's return, the better. It was one of the most timid performances I have ever seen. The opponent, Carlos David Drummond, was just as careful and it made for a yawn. It was one of those fights that make you angry. Neither guy wanted to lead at all so there were a lot of ugly collisions between the painfully few clean punches.

An accidental headbutt opened a cut over Chagaev's left eye brought an early end to things after the 6th round. He won the dreadfully boring decision that has pretty much forced me to avoid his fights for awhile.

The cut turned out to be the best thing about that "fight". It saved me from being bored for another 6 rounds.

-Lee Payton

Ward-Buchanen In his showcase on ShoBox, Andre Ward whitewashed Henry 'Sugar Poo' Buchanan, but his performance left plenty to be desired. Sugar Poo, more saccharin than pure cane, didn't put up much of a fight. His offensive output comprised mainly of 'don't touch me' jabs, and I feel when faced against a relatively harmless combatant, a prospect like Ward should do his best to take him out. Instead, he was content to potshot from the outside, never taking it to the next level. Getting inside and shredding Poo's midsection is something I would have liked to see him do. Nevertheless, Ward is obviously talented. But how sturdy his chin is and how he'd fare in a long, grueling fight remain the questions that Buchanan didn't have the capability or willingness to ask. -Michael Nelson

Read more!